Content
The part “Methods of Impact Assessment - project level“ covers the development process for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) from site selection and impact assessment through to permit award, mitigation, and monitoring. In mirroring science and practice, the course offers practical insights and allows for a comparative analysis of environmental reports and the current state of research. Exemplarily, the course will focus on renewable energy source (RES) developments (wind farms and hybrid systems). The methods for assessing likely consequences and impacts pertaining to wind farms will be analyzed and critically discussed for various receptors (e.g. soils, water, air, climate, wildlife and ecosystems, population and human health, cultural heritage and material assets, and landscape scenery). Components of environmental reports and assessment methods will be analyzed over the course. The focus of EIA as a key stage in project development processes is highlighted and the importance of mitigation measures to avoid, reduce, minimize, or compensate environmental impacts of RES is emphasized.
The part “Methods of Impact Assessment - planning, program and policy levels”, focuses on methods for the strategic level. It is oriented at the required contents of environmental reports covering methods for estimating environmental impacts, assessing alternatives, dealing with cumulative effects, and monitoring. Methods such as scenario techniques, Multi-Criteria-Decision-Analysis (MCDA), Bayesian Networks to examine strategic planning alternatives, or cumulative impact assessment will be discussed. Also approaches for public participation on strategic decision-making levels are presented and discussed.
