What is an EIA or Environmental Impact Assessment?

Why EIA?

When considering a major development project doesn’t it make sense to make a fully informed decision? Of course it does!

And that’s what an Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA is for – to provide an information report for a specific project based on the best science and data available to help ensure the most significant impacts to people, the economy and the environment are considered BEFORE it is approved.

An EIA helps identify the what the variables are for a project, what information is needed to make an informed decision about their impacts, conduct the studies needed to gather that information and then create a report presenting the findings. The EIA does not make any decisions on the project. It just provides the decision makers – the proponent, the regulators and the public – with the best information to make an informed decision.

An EIA generally only adds 1-2% to the overall budget of a project. While the benefits of knowing how best to proceed, are priceless.

Learn more about EIAs in the Cayman Islands at www.conservation.ky/eia