GEOSCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Environmental and Social Impact Studies

Environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) tools are used to determine the likely environmental and social impacts of an anticipated project prior to its start up. Thus, ESIA is a process of evaluating the likely environmental, social, and economic impacts of a project prior to decision-making in its implementation. This tool is also used to propose solutions to reduce the anticipated risks. As such, ESIA must be conducted early in the planning stage of the intended project. Specifically, the ESIA attempts to:

  1. Identify potential adverse environmental and social impacts likely to result after project completion;
  2. Recommend measures to diminish the anticipated adverse environmental and social impacts;
  3. Determine potential adverse effects after the mitigated measures have been put in place; and
  4. Design a follow-up program to confirm the accuracy of the ESIA and the effectiveness of the recommended measures.

The MEK ESIA team is multi-disciplinary in nature and includes geoscientists, ecologists, environmental and social scientists, and engineers. The team members have worked on numerous and varied projects ranging from small construction projects to large scale developments to address anticipated socio-economic and environmental problems likely to result from such projects. We have provided invaluable consultancy services on projects completed in social and environmentally sensitive settings involving population displacements and resettlements with potential impacts on rare and endangered species. Our team has tremendous experience in all the fundamental components of ESIA:

  1. Screening;
  2. Scoping;
  3. Assessment and evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives;
  4. Development of the Environmental Impact Reports
  5. Reviewing of the Environmental Impact Statement; and
  6. Monitoring, compliance, enforcement, and environmental auditing.

The MEK team has always followed a transparent and comprehensive approach at all stages of the ESIA process in the various thematic areas, including the mining, commercial, transportation, and manufacturing sectors.