RT Journal Article
T1 Lessons from an International Initiative to Set and Share Good Practice on Human Health in Environmental Impact Assessment.
A1 Cave, Ben
A1 Pyper, Ryngan
A1 Fischer-Bonde, Birgitte
A1 Humboldt-Dachroeden, Sarah
A1 Martin-Olmedo, Piedad
K1 Environmental Impact Assessment
K1 Health Impact Assessment
K1 Health in All Policies
K1 equity
K1 health inequality
K1 human health
K1 infrastructure
K1 public health
K1 significance
AB Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is applied to infrastructure and other large projects. The European Union EIA Directive (2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU) requires EIAs to consider the effects that a project might have on human health. The International Association for Impact Assessment and the European Public Health Association prepared a reference paper on public health in EIA to enable the health sector to contribute to this international requirement. We present lessons from this joint action. We review literature on policy analysis, impact assessment and Health Impact Assessment (HIA). We use findings from this review and from the consultation on the reference paper to consider how population and human health should be defined; how the health sector can participate in the EIA process; the relationship between EIA and HIA; what counts as evidence; when an effect should be considered 'likely' and 'significant'; how changes in health should be reported; the risks from a business-as-usual coverage of human health in EIA; and finally competencies for conducting an assessment of human health. This article is relevant for health authorities seeking to ensure that infrastructure, and other aspects of development, are not deleterious to, but indeed improve, human health.
PB MDPI AG
YR 2021
FD 2021-01-30
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/17113
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/17113
LA en
DS RISalud
RD Apr 6, 2025