Concepts of territory, environment and their relationships. Concept of ecological complex. Territory and environment in planning.
Meaning of EIA. European, national and regional regulatory framework.
EIA procedures. Voluntary environmental management tools, EIA procedures, screening and case studies.
Analysis of the each environmental components
Structure of an environmental impact study, impact assessment, use of models.
- Textbooks:
Filippucci L. 2009. Environmental impact assessment. Environment editions
Torretta V. 2010. Environmental impact assessment studies and procedures. Dario Flaccovio Editore
Scialò A., Costantino P. 2011. The new environmental impact assessment. OF
- Supplementary Teaching materials and state-of-the-art resources
- Focus on specific articles and links indicated during the lessons
Learning Objectives
• Regulatory framework
• Environmental management procedures and tools
• Knowledge of the individual environmental components (thematic analysis)
• Impact estimation process
Prerequisites
no one
Teaching Methods
- Frontal lessons with with the use of a video projector
- Field exercise
- Seminars of expert scholars on particular topics.
Further information
Recommended attendance for the interdisciplinary nature of the topics
Type of Assessment
final oral exam. Each student will have to answer some questions related to the main topics discussed during the course, with particular reference to the geological elements if the training activity is included in the B103 Study Program. Therefore, the critical and analytical skills in the encountered themes during the course will be evaluated.
Written tests or intermediate checks are not foreseen. Written exercises are possible in the classroom, but they do not contribute to the final evaluation.
The exam topics are only those covered during the course and contained in the distributed teaching material.
Exam dates are defined by the official calendar.
Course program
Man-territory relationship from past to present. Sustainable development in modern society. Ethics and principles of sustainability. Neoclassical economics and environmental (sustainable) economics. Concept of "environment" and "impact" in the evaluation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). UN instruments for sustainable development policies. Birth of the EIA and introduction of the technical-administrative procedure in the European context. Environmental Impact Study in the EIA. Description of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and relationship with VIA. Description of the Incidence Assessment (IA) and relationship with EIA and SEA. Voluntary sustainability certifications: ECOLABEL and EMAS. European, Italian and regional regulatory framework concerning the environmental impact assessment. General methodology about the impact assessment and inquiry times. Schematization of the procedures from the first requirement verification to the final decision. "Preliminary Assessment" and screening process: procedural steps, screening factors of the "environmental report" and methodologies of analysis. Screening analysis for significance thresholds, project class and check lists. Analysis of the scoping phase: preliminary operations, objectives, implementation activities and actors involved. "Alternatives of project" and " alternatives to the project".
General characteristics of the environment to be evaluated: Environmental components, disturbing factors and possible relationships. Physico-chemical characteristics of the atmosphere. Typological differentiation of atmospheric pollution. Characterization of atmospheric pollutants and main effects. Air quality management and "Air Quality Plans". Climate: current climate change and future perspectives (changes in the hydrological cycle and temperatures). Desertification mechanisms. Properties of hydrosphere, hydrological cycle and water requirements (civil, industrial, agriculture use and for human being). Water intended for human consumption. Sources of supply and use of resources in Italy. Possible impacts on the hydrosphere. Water Footprint and Carbon Footprint related to the use of drinking water. Actions to avoid surface and underground water pollution at the local level and in the river basin district as a management area established by Decree Law 152/2006. Main polluting compounds of the hydrosphere. Source and diffusion of pollutants with examples related to human health. Biological pollution and diseases. Chemical and physical pollution and its consequences.
Demonstration of subsidence and sinking. Functionality and general structure of the soil from the primitive composition to an evolved distribution. Soil distribution in relation to different aspects (morphological, climatic, etc.). Fundamental parameters of the soil: granulometric composition, textural properties and other chemical-physical characteristics. Impacts on the soil: compaction, waterproofing, salinization and widespread and concentrated erosion. Erosive problems related to the different ways of managing the land in agriculture. Impacts on the soil: reduction of organic matter and pollution. Pollution phenomena. First rain waters. "Flora and vegetation" component: definitions and operational steps for the Environmental Impact Study. Ante-operam characterization, impact analysis, mitigation and compensation. "Fauna" component: definitions and operational steps for the Environmental Impact Study. Ante-operam characterization, impact analysis, mitigation and compensation. Analytical definition of "ecosystems". Ante-operam characterization (laws and reference conventions). Analysis of impacts, mitigations and compensations. Definition and analysis of the "landscape". Ante-operam characterization. Analysis of impacts, mitigations and compensations. Characterization of the anthropic environment in the components related to the Environmental Impact Study: Demographic, sanitary, territorial, economic and social structure. Analysis of the anthropic component as a single element and in relation to the other components. Current actions as element of evaluation.
Noise as interference factor: typological analysis based on physical properties, state (pre and post intervention), responses in progress (structural and not), relationship with other components. Vibrations as interference factor: typological analysis based on physical properties, state (pre- and post-intervention), responses in progress (structural and not), relationship with other components. Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation as an interference factor: typological analysis based on physical properties, state (pre- and post-intervention), responses in progress (structural and not), relationship with other components. Traffic and waste as an interference factor: typological analysis based on physical properties, status (pre and post intervention), responses in progress (structural and not), relationship with other components. Energy management and risks as an interference factor: typological analysis based on physical properties, status (pre- and post-intervention), responses in progress (structural and not), relationship with other components. Information for impact assessments: parameters, indicators, indices. Basic characteristics of the indicators. Measurability and quality of the data contained in the indicators. Development of environmental indicators in Europe: selection of OECD, EEA, EUROSTAT. Adopted models for classification and representation of indicators (PSR and DPSIR). Identification of significant impacts and main identification methods. Quality control lists (PADC Manual - SitE Lists): description and examples. Quantitative check lists (Battelle List). Matrices in impact assessments. Simple matrices and Leopold's matrix. Composed matrices and coaxial matrices. COSSU chromatic matrix. MOORE Interaction Matrix and CNYRPDB Method. Networks or graphs in impact assessments: structure and construction. Sorensen's network. Berean method. LSA methods (quantitative approach of the McHarg Method). Modeling approach to environmental assessments.