Workshops on the Identification, Use and Evaluation of Mitigative Measures in Environmental Impact Assessment

Abstract

Economic, residential, and infrastructure development has occurred at a rapid rate in Micronesia and American Samoa during the past two decades. As a consequence, the once pristine natural environment has become somewhat degraded in some areas, especially near urban centers, and the cultural environment is becoming heavily impacted as well. Island managers have begun to appreciate environmental conservation and preservation as a way of saving their patrimony for future generations. One planning tool that island environmental managers have begun to embrace is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIA is a process whereby information is gathered on the potential environmental impacts of a development project so that decision makers can choose alternatives that are less consumptive of the environment. The Environmental Center at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, has been involved in the review of EIAs and improvements to Hawaii's EIA system since 1970. It was a logical extension of the service that the Environmental Center provides to the Hawaii state government that they assist in implementing EIA systems in U.S. affiliated Pacific Islands.