Pieces of an Inter-Disciplinary Puzzle: Connecting Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Disaster Studies

Abstract

The field of environmental studies has great, but largely under-realized, potential to play an integral role in confronting its raison d'etre—the ecological and climate crisis. Realization of this potential depends on the prospect of stronger connections being made across the wide and eclectic spectrum of its sub-fields. This article explores two sub-fields and streams of literature that have remained mostly unconnected—environmental impact assessment and environmental disaster studies—and identifies cross-cutting concepts and themes. It is argued that greater integration of the two sub-fields may help generate new insights and approaches in the complicated challenge of preventing of environmental disasters.