Environmental impact assessment of development-oriented research

Development agenciesʹ use of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in project evaluation and monitoring portends its application to development-oriented research. This paper examines significant process-design issues raised by both research and development contexts. The research context presents a choice between stand-alone EIA and its integration into general project evaluation. An adaptive approach to EIA is also discussed, particularly regarding the scoping issue of whether EIA should extend beyond research activities to the application of research outcomes. EIA could also be applied to the research funding policies of donor agencies. The development context requires that differing values be incorporated, since EIA methods are not value-neutral. The use of indigenous knowledge and the capacity-building potential of EIA are also discussed. The paper concludes that well-designed EIA could enhance the environmental quality of development-oriented research and its outcomes, and contribute to environmental capacity building.