Büro Dr. Hartlik

Project:	Environmental Impact Assessment Support System for Syria
Timeframe:	2008
	Customer: Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit Eschborn

EIA-SUSY is an Environmental Impact Assessment - Support System guiding the EIA implementation phase in Syria. The system provides support to all actors involved in EIA procedures with comprehensive information in the main fields of Environmental Impact Assessment according to the Executive Procedures in the Syrian Arab Republic. Special focus is given to the authorities who are responsible for all steps within the EIA procedure and the developers who are responsible for the information about the expected environmental impacts, documented in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Beside this, the system should also be helpful to all other actors like EIA licensed practioner, involved stakeholders or the public which might be affected by the projects impacts.

Environmental Impact Assessment is a complex and challenging task. All involved persons need a lot of information to fulfill the demands of the EIA Executive Procedures to ensure a good satisfying and sustainable result of the assessment. To reach this, EIA-SUSY provides information and knowledge about the

• EIA procedure with all important steps like "screening", "scoping", "preparation of EIS", "examination of EIS", "public consultation" and "concluding the Assessment procedure".

• editing of the EIS with the methodological steps "description of project and environmental components", "prognosis of expected effects", "evaluation of effects" and "comparison of alternatives".

The implementation of an efficient EIA procedure as an instrument of sustainable environmental policy can help seriously to avoid irreversible damage on environmental goods and inefficient use of resources. It should be carried out at an early stage of project authorization when all options are still open.

To achieve these demands, the EIA process should comprise sufficient provisions on quality management tools to ensure a broadly acceptable fair procedure and an adequate impact analysis, which is reviewed by independent bodies or experts to guarantee "good practice". EIA-SUSY is a first step in this kind and provides some information and tools. It should be updated constantly.