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Screening is the first step to determine which projects or developments require a full or partial impact assessment study.

This crucial phase helps identify whether a proposed project has the potential for significant environmental impacts that warrant detailed investigation. Projects are evaluated against established criteria, thresholds, and guidelines to categorize them based on their likely environmental significance.

Scoping identifies which potential impacts are relevant to assess (based on legislative requirements, international conventions, expert knowledge and public involvement).

Key objectives include identifying alternative solutions that avoid, mitigate or compensate adverse impacts on biodiversity, considering the option of not proceeding with the development, finding alternative designs or sites which avoid the impacts, incorporating safeguards in the design of the project, or providing compensation for adverse impacts, and finally deriving terms of reference for the impact assessment.

Assessment and evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives involves predicting and identifying the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, including the detailed elaboration of alternatives.

This comprehensive phase represents the core analytical component of the EIA process, involving systematic analysis of potential environmental effects across various categories including air quality, water resources, soil conditions, biodiversity, noise levels, and socio-economic factors.

Reporting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or EIA report includes an environmental management plan (EMP), and a non-technical summary for the general audience.

This critical document serves as the primary communication tool between project proponents, regulatory authorities, and the public. The EMP provides detailed strategies for mitigating, monitoring, and managing identified environmental impacts throughout the project lifecycle.

Review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is based on the terms of reference (scoping) and public (including authority) participation.

This critical review process ensures that all significant environmental impacts have been adequately identified and assessed, proposed mitigation measures are feasible and appropriate, and public concerns and expert opinions are properly considered.

Decision-making determines whether to approve the project or not, and under what conditions.

This phase represents the culmination of the EIA process, where regulatory authorities balance environmental protection with development needs. Decision-makers consider factors including severity of predicted impacts, effectiveness of mitigation measures, public interest, and compliance with environmental regulations.

Monitoring, compliance, enforcement and environmental auditing monitor whether the predicted impacts and proposed mitigation measures occur as defined in the EMP.

This phase ensures ongoing environmental protection through systematic monitoring, compliance verification, and enforcement activities. Key objectives include verifying compliance with the EMP and ensuring that unpredicted impacts or failed mitigation measures are identified and addressed in a timely fashion.