Program Overview
A Complete Guide to EIA with Global & Local Relevance
This comprehensive 5-day training program covers the entire Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in Zambia and introduces participants to Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) frameworks used by the UN, World Bank, and Green Climate Fund. Blending global standards with local laws and practices, this course is ideal for professionals seeking to conduct, review, or supervise EIA reports with confidence and compliance.
Training is delivered by experienced environmental practitioners and incorporates diagnostic tools, group work, and real-world EIA case studies from Zambia.
This training programme covers the entire EIA process in Zambia and introduces the Environmental Social Safeguards (ESS) Framework promulgated by the United Nations Cancun Safeguards, World Bank Environmental and social framework and the Green Climate Fund ESS framework as illustrated by case studies.
What You Will Learn
🧾 Understand Zambia’s EIA legal framework and requirements
🛠️ Apply EIA tools and reporting techniques
⚖️ Master ESS frameworks for climate and donor-funded projects
🌍 Align projects with environmental, legal, and social standards
📈 Perform economic and financial impact analysis
📡 Use GIS, remote sensing, and valuation tools for effective EIA
Course Modules
Module 1: EIA Process and Practices in Zambia
History and development of EIA in Zambia, Concept of environmental assessment, EIA framework of sustainable development; Principles of EIA; Purpose and aims of EIA, EIA administration and practice, key elements of the EIA process; Procedures for preparation and submission of EIAs; Procedures for review of EIA; Decision making procedure in the EIA, role of public participation; Costs and Benefits of undertaking EIA, Common Problems, Understanding strengths and limitations of EIA and practical solutions in EIA Implementation
Module 2: Steps in the EIA Process and Practice
The Environmental Impact Assessment Practices in Zambia. The aim of the Module is to provide understanding of EIA and confidence with its application and limitations. Broadly the objectives are for participants to; appreciate the purpose and role of EIA in the decision making process, understand the strengths of EIA in regard to environmental management, understand the technical and social/political limitations of EIA, know the administration and procedures
Screening Stage, Understand the screening process and decide whether or not a proposal should be subject to the EIA process and, if so, at what level of detail
Scoping Stage, Understand the scoping process and how it is applied to identify the key issues and impacts that are likely to require further investigation, and to prepare the terms of reference for the EIA study.
Impact Analysis, Identify and predict the likely environmental and social effects of the proposed projects and evaluate their significance. The will enable participants know the options for estimating environmental and social impacts.
Mitigation and impact management: Develop measures to avoid, reduce or compensate for
impacts, making good any environmental damage Institutional and Organizational framework,
Methodologies and Approaches to EIA data collection.
Reporting: know the format of an EIA Report (Environmental Impact Statement, or Environmental Statement) Describe the results of the EIA for decision-makers and other interested parties
Review of EIA quality: Examine the adequacy of the EIA report to see if it meets the terms of reference and provides the information necessary for decision-making. Appreciate the factors that assist, and detract, from the usefulness of the EIA Report.
Decision-making: approve or reject the proposal and set the terms and conditions under which it can proceed. The decision-maker also has the option to defer approval (e.g. until certain conditions are met or to require a proponent to redesign the project so that then environmental effects are minimised.
Implementation and follow up: Understand the purpose of developing follow-up procedures, and the options for designing these procedures. Check on the implementation of the terms and conditions of approval during the construction and operation phases; to monitor the impacts of the project and the effectiveness of mitigation measures; to take any actions necessary to ameliorate problems; and, as required, to undertake audit and evaluation to strengthen future EIA applications.
Module 3: Regulatory Framework of EIA in Zambia
This Module will explore the Environmental Management Act No. 12 of 2011, EIA regulation SI. No. 28 of 1997. Institutional requirements for the implementation of the EIA process including identification of Agency roles and capabilities. Institutional responsibility for implementation of the EIA process. Overview of the different types of Environmental Assessments including Project specific EIAs and Sectoral/strategic Law, Policy and Institutional Framework for EIA.
Module 4: Environmental Social Safeguards (ESS)
Environmental Social Safeguards have globally become the ‘gold standard’ for environmentally and socially sound development and project financing. All Multilateral Development Banks (MDB’s) and International Financial Institutions (IFCs) including the Global Climate Fund (GCF) and all the REDD+ financial beneficiation schemes through the UNFCCC have made ESS a mandatory non-negotiable requirement. As such, the training will be responding to the following issues: What are ESS? measures to mitigate benefits and risks to the people and environment. Conceptually safeguards are measures to protect and avoid risks (Do no harm) while promoting benefits (Do good). What is the typology of ESS: understand the World Bank, the UNFCCC and the GCF Safeguard Frameworks? The vision of the three different ESS policy frameworks in presents both “risks” and “benefits” to people and nature. Essentially, safeguards are needed in projects and investments. The course will analyse Investment requirements, project financing and implementation of ESS policies in project cycle and will show the uniqueness of ESS in relation to EIAs.
Module 5: EIA Tools & Techniques
This module Describe the value and role of environmental impact assessment tools and the techniques that can be used to determine the environmental impacts of different projects in conducting EIA. Specific learning objectives for this module are as follows:
- Technological Tools – These are powerful tools which help decision makers visualize the earth science, legal, economic, and social considerations necessary to solve complex environmental problems such as satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). This module will also look into some common necessary tools needed in conducting EIA such as Air Quality tools, Water Quality tools, Soil contamination tools, Sound pollution tools.
- Social Tools – These are Social Impact Assessment tools and methods such as Analytical tools which looks at Stakeholder Analysis, Gender Analysis, Secondary Data Review, SWOT analysis, PESTEL Analysis.
- Economic Tools – Progress of environmental economy has allowed for the development of methodologies to estimate environmental costs and benefits related to the development of projects. Each method has its own scope and requirements of information that depends on the type of value to be estimated, which in turn depend on the type of environmental goods and service. These include; – (i) Economic Valuation Framework (ii) Economic Valuation Methods for Environmental Impacts such as Methodologies based on Market Prices, Changes in Productivity, Cost of Illnesses and Human Capital, Methodologies based on costs, Travel Costs Method, Transfer of Benefits Method, Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis.
- Financial Tools – Pricing an EIA, Cost Benefit Analysis of an EIA, Cost recovery framework, Critical decision tool to evaluate profitability, Nexus between being a professional & the dictates of the Market and Forces of the Market on EIA Costing.
Who Should Enroll
Environmental officers and waste consultants
Local government planners and engineers
Entrepreneurs and green business innovators
Development agency staff
Researchers and postgraduate students
Join Zambia’s leading EIA training program and get certified today!
Future-ready professionals are trained here.