The role of Environmental Impact Assessment for sustainable development

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study was conducted in Ethiopia to assess the environmental and social impacts of a planned floriculture project. The aim of the project was to grow and export good quality flowers. The proposed site is located about 16 km from Bahir Dar city, Amhara region, Ethiopia. The study was conducted in three-phases. In phase one the existing project documents and different proclamations, regulations and conventions related to EIA were assessed. In the second phase biophysical and socio-economic data was collected from the proposed project area and its surrounding. In addition the opinion of the wider community and the stakeholders was gathered through discussion. In the third phase, the data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques and interpreted based on available standards and legal requirements. The study showed that the project has a number of potentially positive impacts such as, high income tax, job opportunities, introduction of modern technology, etc. However, there are potentially negative impacts including, water resource depletion, water pollution, soil degradation, human health problems, emergence of new pests and improper waste disposal. Water resource depletion was found to be the most serious problem as the flower farm requires high amounts of water and the ground water potential of the surrounding area is below the required amount. The local community uses the surface and ground water for small scale irrigation and for their cattle, resulting in potential conflicts. The EIA study suggested that an alternative site should be identified to implement the project at full scale or reduce its size so as to make the project sustainable at the proposed site.