Environmental impact assessment -- in theory and in practice

Environmental impact assessment has been used in the USA since 1970 to effect a comprehensive analysis, at the preplanning or feasibility stage, of potential interactions that major developments might have with the environment. Experience has shown, however, that if the theory is applied too rigorously, the object of the exercise is defeated and EIA becomes a hindrance rather than a fuseful planning tool. Application of such assessment methodologies in the European context must therefore take account of the lesson learned in North America. The paper discusses the need for flexible guidelines rather than rigorous standards and criteria. The application of this adaptable methodology is then demostrated for a major water resource management project in Egypt - namely the establishment of 12,500 hectares of fish farm in the Nile delta.