BCA Insight Ireland Ltd., D02FY24 Dublin, Ireland.
International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), Fargo, ND 58103-3705, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 3;18(4):1392. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041392.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is applied to infrastructure and other large projects. The European Union EIA Directive (2011/92/EU as amended by 2014/52/EU) requires EIAs to consider the effects that a project might have on human health. The International Association for Impact Assessment and the European Public Health Association prepared a reference paper on public health in EIA to enable the health sector to contribute to this international requirement. We present lessons from this joint action. We review literature on policy analysis, impact assessment and Health Impact Assessment (HIA). We use findings from this review and from the consultation on the reference paper to consider how population and human health should be defined; how the health sector can participate in the EIA process; the relationship between EIA and HIA; what counts as evidence; when an effect should be considered 'likely' and 'significant'; how changes in health should be reported; the risks from a business-as-usual coverage of human health in EIA; and finally competencies for conducting an assessment of human health. This article is relevant for health authorities seeking to ensure that infrastructure, and other aspects of development, are not deleterious to, but indeed improve, human health.
环境影响评估（EIA）适用于基础设施和其他大型项目。欧盟 EIA 指令（2011/92/EU 经 2014/52/EU 修订）要求 EIA 考虑项目可能对人类健康产生的影响。国际影响评估协会和欧洲公共卫生协会编写了一份关于 EIA 中的公共卫生的参考文件，以使卫生部门能够为这一国际要求做出贡献。我们展示了这项联合行动的经验教训。我们审查了关于政策分析、影响评估和健康影响评估（HIA）的文献。我们利用这一审查的结果以及对参考文件的咨询意见，来考虑如何定义人口和人类健康；卫生部门如何参与 EIA 过程；EIA 和 HIA 之间的关系；什么可以算作证据；何时应认为影响“可能”和“重大”；如何报告健康变化；EIA 中对人类健康的常规涵盖所带来的风险；最后是进行人类健康评估的能力。这篇文章对于寻求确保基础设施和其他发展方面不损害、反而改善人类健康的卫生当局具有重要意义。
