This new introduction to impact assessment examines the tools and approaches which try to ensure that the process of development follows the best possible course. Presupposing no prior knowledge of the subject it considers the concepts, methods and practice of impact assessment, and outlines its capabilities, characteristics and limitations. The book includes coverage of both environmental and social impact assessment and emphasizes the importance of their use in advance of the decision-making process. An extensive bibliography, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary of terms are also provided. Barrow's accessible new text is essential reading for those approaching the subject for the first time, whether from a science or a social science background.

'This book should be read by anyone commissioning impact assessments who wants to build their understanding of the more progressive and innovative end of the topic. A job well done in the eyes of stakeholders and regulators requires proper social analysis.' - Jon Samuel, Head of Social Performance, Anglo American

This systematic, critical review of more than 600 recent publications in social impact assessment (SIA) and related fields is based on the authors' belief that SIA is more than an analytical technique--it is also a logical and timely response to our ever-growing need for more and better information to facilitate decision making in an increasingly c

Offers solutions and best practices to respond to recurrent problems and contemporary challenges in the field Since the publication of the first edition of Environmental Impact Assessment in 2003, both the practice and theory of impact assessment have changed substantially. Not only has the field been subject to a great deal of new regulations and guidelines, it has also evolved tremendously, with a greater emphasis on strategic environmental, sustainability, and human health impact assessments. Moreover, there is a greater call for impact assessments from a global perspective. This Second Edition, now titled Impact Assessment to reflect its broader scope and the breadth of these many changes, offers students and practitioners a current guide to today's impact assessment practice. Impact Assessment begins with an introduction and then a chapter reviewing conventional approaches to the field. Next, the book is organized around recurrent problems and contemporary challenges in impact assessment process design and management, enabling readers to quickly find the material they need to solve tough problems, including: How to make impact assessments more influential, rigorous, rational, substantive, practical, democratic, collaborative, ethical, and adaptive How each problem and challenge-reducing process would operate at the regulatory and applied levels How each problem can be approached for different impact assessment types—sustainability assessment, strategic environmental assessment, project-level EIA, social impact assessment, ecological impact assessment, and health impact assessment How to link and combine impact assessment processes to operate in situations with multiple overlapping problems, challenges, and impact assessment types How to connect and combine impact assessment processes Each chapter first addresses the topic with current theory and then demonstrates how that theory is applied, presenting requirements, guidelines, and best practices. Summaries at the end of each chapter provide a handy tool for structuring the design and evaluation of impact assessment processes and documents. Readers will find analyses and new case studies that address such issues as multi-jurisdictional impact assessment, climate change, cumulative effects assessment, follow-up, capacity building, interpreting significance, and the siting of major industrial and waste facilities. Reflecting current theory and standards of practice, Impact Assessment is appropriate for both students and practitioners in the field, enabling them to confidently respond to a myriad of new challenges in the field.