The interminable issue of effectiveness: substantive purposes, outcomes and research challenges in the advancement of environmental impact assessment theory

Cashmore, Matthew, Gwilliam, Richard, Morgan, Richard, Cobb, Dick and Bond, Alan (2004) The interminable issue of effectiveness: substantive purposes, outcomes and research challenges in the advancement of environmental impact assessment theory. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 22 (4). pp. 295-310. ISSN 1471-5465

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Abstract

An analysis of studies of the outcomes of environmental impact assessment (EIA) indicates that its role in consent and design decisions is limited, due primarily to passive integration with the decision processes it is intended to inform. How much EIA helps sustainable development is largely unknown, but it is hypothesised that it is more than is typically assumed, through a plethora of causes, including emancipation of stakeholders and incremental change in the bureaucracy, companies and scientific institutions. To enhance the effectiveness of EIA, research should focus more on theory about the nature and operation of diverse causal processes, even though the concepts, methods and analytical challenges would be substantial.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Rachel Snow
Date Deposited:	28 Mar 2011 07:57
Last Modified:	03 Jun 2025 23:38
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/27267
DOI:	10.3152/147154604781765860

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