Environmental Assessment

التقييم البيئي

Types of Environmental Assessment

Environmental assessment is an umbrella term covering several related but distinct evaluation processes applied at different scales and decision stages. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) — the most widely applied form — evaluates the environmental impacts of specific projects (buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities) before construction approval. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) — required for plans, programmes, and policies — evaluates environmental impacts at a strategic level (urban masterplans, transportation strategies, energy plans) before decisions are made that will shape future project-level development. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) — applied at the product and material level — evaluates the environmental impacts of a product across its full lifecycle, as discussed in the Embodied Carbon and EPD entries.

EIA Process in the UAE

The UAE’s EIA process is governed by Federal Law No. 24 of 1999 for the Protection and Development of the Environment and complementary emirate-level regulations. For projects above defined scale thresholds or in environmentally sensitive locations, an EIA is mandatory before planning consent and construction can proceed. The EIA process involves: Scoping — determining which environmental issues are significant for the specific project and location; Baseline survey — documenting existing environmental conditions (air quality, noise, ecology, hydrology, cultural heritage); Impact assessment — predicting the nature, magnitude, duration, and significance of impacts during construction and operation; Mitigation design — specifying measures to avoid, reduce, or compensate for significant impacts; and Reporting — preparing the EIA report for submission to the relevant authority.

Environmental Assessment in Green Building Practice

Environmental assessment is embedded in UAE green building practice at multiple levels. Under Al Sa’fat, the Site category requires a site environmental assessment prior to development — documenting existing ecological, cultural, and environmental conditions and ensuring that the proposed development responds appropriately to site-specific sensitivities. This requirement aligns with the Site Assessment credit under LEED Sustainable Sites. Under LEED Materials and Resources, Life Cycle Assessment of structural and envelope materials supports the Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction credit — effectively bringing LCA into mainstream green building practice. The increasing integration of environmental assessment into both regulatory approval processes and voluntary green building certification reflects the growing recognition that sustainability performance must be evaluated comprehensively, from site selection through to building operation and eventual end-of-life.

أنواع التقييم البيئي

التقييم البيئي مصطلح شامل يغطي عدة عمليات تقييم مرتبطة لكن متمايزة تُطبَّق على نطاقات ومراحل قرار مختلفة. تقييم الأثر البيئي (EIA) — أكثر الأشكال تطبيقاً — يُقيِّم الآثار البيئية لمشاريع محددة قبل الحصول على موافقة البناء. والتقييم البيئي الاستراتيجي (SEA) يُقيِّم الآثار البيئية على المستوى الاستراتيجي للخطط والسياسات. وتقييم دورة الحياة (LCA) يُقيِّم الآثار البيئية للمنتج عبر دورة حياته الكاملة.

عملية EIA في الإمارات

تُحكم عملية تقييم الأثر البيئي في الإمارات قانون اتحادي رقم 24 لسنة 1999. وتتضمن عملية EIA: تحديد النطاق؛ والمسح الأساسي؛ وتقييم الأثر؛ وتصميم التخفيف؛ وإعداد التقرير للتقديم للجهة المختصة.

التقييم البيئي في ممارسة المباني الخضراء

يُدمَج التقييم البيئي في ممارسة المباني الخضراء الإماراتية على مستويات متعددة. وبموجب نظام السعفات، تستلزم فئة الموقع إجراء تقييم بيئي للموقع قبل التطوير. وبموجب LEED للمواد والموارد، يدعم تقييم دورة حياة المواد الإنشائية وغلاف المبنى ائتمان تقليل تأثير دورة حياة المبنى.