{"title":"环境影响评价的备选方案:分类。","authors":"Álvaro Enríquez- de-Salamanca","doi":"10.1093/inteam/vjaf135","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The consideration of alternatives is central to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as decisions cannot be made without options to choose from. Despite its significance, the treatment of alternatives in EIA practice has inadequacies, driven by factors such as lack of interest, predefined options, and limited understanding of the possibilities. An essential requirement for alternatives is that they must be reasonable; we identify three types of unreasonable alternatives, false, contrived, and subtle, which may distort the EIA process. To address ambiguities in existing literature, we propose a taxonomy classifying alternatives into seven groups: implementation, spatial, timing, functional, design, constructive, and operational, answering the questions why, where, when, what, and how. The aim of this taxonomy is to enhance the consideration of alternatives in EIA practice by improving knowledge of the existing possibilities. Early integration of alternatives, particularly during the scoping phase, and a proactive approach are essential to strengthening EIA; otherwise, the process risks becoming a mere environmental authorisation rather than a robust decision-making tool.</p>","PeriodicalId":13557,"journal":{"name":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Alternatives in environmental impact assessment: A taxonomy.\",\"authors\":\"Álvaro Enríquez- de-Salamanca\",\"doi\":\"10.1093/inteam/vjaf135\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><p>The consideration of alternatives is central to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as decisions cannot be made without options to choose from. Despite its significance, the treatment of alternatives in EIA practice has inadequacies, driven by factors such as lack of interest, predefined options, and limited understanding of the possibilities. An essential requirement for alternatives is that they must be reasonable; we identify three types of unreasonable alternatives, false, contrived, and subtle, which may distort the EIA process. To address ambiguities in existing literature, we propose a taxonomy classifying alternatives into seven groups: implementation, spatial, timing, functional, design, constructive, and operational, answering the questions why, where, when, what, and how. The aim of this taxonomy is to enhance the consideration of alternatives in EIA practice by improving knowledge of the existing possibilities. Early integration of alternatives, particularly during the scoping phase, and a proactive approach are essential to strengthening EIA; otherwise, the process risks becoming a mere environmental authorisation rather than a robust decision-making tool.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":13557,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management\",\"volume\":\" \",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":8.4000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-30\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"93\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf135\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"环境科学与生态学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q2\",\"JCRName\":\"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/inteam/vjaf135","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Alternatives in environmental impact assessment: A taxonomy.
The consideration of alternatives is central to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), as decisions cannot be made without options to choose from. Despite its significance, the treatment of alternatives in EIA practice has inadequacies, driven by factors such as lack of interest, predefined options, and limited understanding of the possibilities. An essential requirement for alternatives is that they must be reasonable; we identify three types of unreasonable alternatives, false, contrived, and subtle, which may distort the EIA process. To address ambiguities in existing literature, we propose a taxonomy classifying alternatives into seven groups: implementation, spatial, timing, functional, design, constructive, and operational, answering the questions why, where, when, what, and how. The aim of this taxonomy is to enhance the consideration of alternatives in EIA practice by improving knowledge of the existing possibilities. Early integration of alternatives, particularly during the scoping phase, and a proactive approach are essential to strengthening EIA; otherwise, the process risks becoming a mere environmental authorisation rather than a robust decision-making tool.
期刊介绍:
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management (IEAM) publishes the science underpinning environmental decision making and problem solving. Papers submitted to IEAM must link science and technical innovations to vexing regional or global environmental issues in one or more of the following core areas:
Science-informed regulation, policy, and decision making
Health and ecological risk and impact assessment
Restoration and management of damaged ecosystems
Sustaining ecosystems
Managing large-scale environmental change
Papers published in these broad fields of study are connected by an array of interdisciplinary engineering, management, and scientific themes, which collectively reflect the interconnectedness of the scientific, social, and environmental challenges facing our modern global society:
Methods for environmental quality assessment; forecasting across a number of ecosystem uses and challenges (systems-based, cost-benefit, ecosystem services, etc.); measuring or predicting ecosystem change and adaptation
Approaches that connect policy and management tools; harmonize national and international environmental regulation; merge human well-being with ecological management; develop and sustain the function of ecosystems; conceptualize, model and apply concepts of spatial and regional sustainability
Assessment and management frameworks that incorporate conservation, life cycle, restoration, and sustainability; considerations for climate-induced adaptation, change and consequences, and vulnerability
Environmental management applications using risk-based approaches; considerations for protecting and fostering biodiversity, as well as enhancement or protection of ecosystem services and resiliency.