Land and Soil in Environmental Impact Assessment
IEMA’s Impact Assessment Network has recently been busy finalising a major guidance publication on land and soils in environmental impact assessment.
The aims of A New Perspective on Land and Soil in Environmental Impact Assessment are ambitious, necessary and timely. The authors and reviewers have sought to address multiple issues in a complex area of practice, to help practitioners better assess and manage the effects of development on land and soils. The guidance seeks to move practice away from a narrow focus on quantifying and financially compensating impacts on agricultural land, instead advocating a broader approach that involves assessing the natural capital and functional ecosystem services provided by land and soils. The result is a handbook that will be an invaluable resource for environmental impact assessment practitioners seeking to assess and manage the full effects of developments on land and soil.
The guide is scheduled to be published in October 2021.