Chapter 12. The World Bank and Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Assessment (EA) has been mainstreamed into World Bank (WB) funded investments since 1989. The process covers a project from cradle to grave and the World Bank's borrower is responsible for the preparation of an EA report and for implementing its recommendations, usually packaged as an Environmental Management Plan (EMP). This chapter discusses the World Bank's policies, procedures and practices in respect of EA. After a brief introduction to the World Bank Group and its activities, the past and existing policies and procedures are discussed. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) at the project level as well as SEA is then discussed and the question to what extent such procedures involve transboundary issues receives special attention. Finally, the experiences with the policies and procedures are discussed. Keywords:environmental assessment report; Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); Environmental Management Plan (EMP); World Bank