United Nation Environmental Program (ENEP) defines the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as a tool used before decision-making to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project. It aims at predicting environmental impacts in project planning and design at an early stage, finding ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, molding projects to suit the local environment and present the predictions and options for decision-making. Use EIA can achieve both environmental and economic benefits, such as reduced cost and time of project implementation and design, avoided cost of treatment/clean-up and impacts of laws and regulations.
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