Lesson 7 – Identifying Alternatives and mitigation measures

Welcome to the e-learning course on Mitigation Measures. In this course, we will discuss the various alternatives and mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce the environmental impact of a project.

Alternatives refer to different ways in which the developer can meet the project’s objectives while avoiding or reducing environmental effects. These alternatives can include different types of actions, locations, technologies, or designs for the project. Identifying alternatives early in the project development process can help in efficient data collection and can also allow for more significant changes to be made to the project.

There are different types of alternatives and mitigation measures that can be taken, which include:

• Alternative strategies: These strategies involve managing demand or reducing losses instead of developing new resources.
• Alternative sites or routes: These measures involve identifying different locations or routes for all or part of the project.
• Alternative technologies and raw materials: These measures involve using alternative technologies and raw materials such as constructing a combined cycle gas turbine power plant instead of a coal-fired power station.
• Alternative layouts or designs: These measures involve different project designs or layouts, such as locating noisy activities away from sensitive receptors or replacing one large stack for gaseous emissions with two smaller ones.
• Alternative environmental measures: These measures involve ensuring the safe passage of wildlife across a motorway rather than establishing compensatory habitat.

The mitigation hierarchy is a sequence of actions that can help reduce adverse environmental impacts. The hierarchy includes the following measures in order of preference:

1. Avoidance: Avoid the adverse environmental impacts altogether, which may include reducing the footprint or changing the location of the footprint to avoid areas with high environmental values.
2. Minimization: Limit the degree or magnitude of the adverse impact by reducing the footprint or carefully selecting technologies, processes, and management measures to reduce the impact.
3. Rehabilitation: Repair, rehabilitate, or restore the impacted site as soon as possible. Adequate rehabilitation information is integral to the mitigation hierarchy to ensure the early identification of knowledge gaps and risks, as well as the development of criteria and research to meet objectives.
4. Offsetting: Undertake a measure or measures to provide a compensatory environmental benefit or reduction in environmental impact to counterbalance the significant adverse environmental impacts from the implementation of a proposal. Offsets are taken after all reasonable mitigation measures have been applied and a significant environmental risk or impact remains. Offsets are not appropriate for all proposals and will be determined on a proposal-by-proposal basis.

By implementing the mitigation hierarchy and considering different alternatives and mitigation measures, developers can reduce the environmental impact of their projects and ensure sustainable development.