Unit 10

Prospects for the Advancement of Environmental Assessment

In this final unit, we consider on-going problems in the implementation of environmental assessment, especially in the Canadian context, and the outlook and arguments of scholars who offer fundamental challenges to the utility of EA.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. summarize the shortcomings in the practice of environmental assessment, and evaluate the obstacles to overcoming these problems.
2. explain the “antimodern” critique of environmental assessment.
3. discuss the value of environmental assessment and the prospects for its further development.