Linking Environmental Assessment and Management of Highway Construction in Southeastern Brazil

Effective delivery of mitigation remains a challenge in environmental impact assessment (EIA) practice. Actual environmental protection outcomes depend as much on an appropriate ex-ante assessment as on the capacity of project proponents of implementing preventative, corrective and compensatory programs, using environmental management tools to ensure demonstrable performance. The context question explored here is: How can the EIA follow-up phase take advantage of the features and resources of environmental management systems (EMS)? Evidence was obtained by studying two cases of highway construction affecting valued environments. The projects, intentionally selected, were built in the same area with an eight-year interval between them. Follow-up resulted in the identification of significant unforeseen geo-environmental impacts leading to the adoption of corrective action not required in the terms and conditions of approval. It was found that lessons learned by different actors involved in the first project led to stronger environmental management procedures incorporated in the latter.