Health Impact Assessment (HIA): The Value of HIA in Integrated Environment, Social and Health Impact Assessments

Abstract Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIA) seek to identify and assess potential project impacts in a formal and structured manner. The ESHIA process not only helps to meet regulatory requirements, it also helps manage risk and increase transparency in the development of new projects for the local community, which can in the community and can be inbe integral to the success of major capital projects. Community engagement (CE) is essential to the ESHIA process, particularly Social Impact Assessment (SIA), as it allows potentially affected community members to participate and address local concerns, instead of relying solely on experts’ views. By engaging key stakeholders, CE can help better identify and support the social and economic interests well-being of communities where we operate, while supporting local business needs. Adequately mapping and linking relationships between the environmental, social and health components is necessary to identify important potential impacts that may be missed when these components are assessed in isolation. In this respect, the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) plays a unique role in the integration of environmental, social and health impact assessments –which add value not only for communities but companies as well.. Integration of ‘public health’ is the last component necessary to comprehensively assess potential impacts from major capital projects. This paper discusses: 1) the societal and business value of integrating ‘public health’ into the impact assessment process; 2) the components of an integrated ESHIA and the role HIA plays within the process; 3) the rationale for conducting integrated ESHIAs; and 4) how ESHIA can help companies fulfill their corporate level social responsibility commitments. To illustrate the importance of using an integrated approach and the limitations of using an isolated approach, we provide specific examples and present two original case studies of the integrated applications of ESHIA and HIA impact assessments. The application of the information provided in this paper will be of broad interest to companies and impact assessment practitioners involved in the development and assessment of Greenfield projects and enhancement of existing operations where there are potential environmental, social and health impacts.