Environmental Impact Assessment: Guidelines for FAO Field Projects

This policy document provides guidelines for all FAO units (headquarters departments and offices, as well as decentralized offices) to undertake environmental impact assessments (EIA) of field projects. It covers: guidance to FAO staff on the application of EIA to field projects; procedures to be used in formulating and screening projects; FAO’s standards for related documenting and reporting formats; roles and responsibilities in conducting EIA to ensure effective implementation. On climate change, the guidelines address both mitigation and adaptation issues, with a focus on identifying practices that could increase vulnerability to climate change. The guidelines establish that the EIA may investigate whether adaptation should be a significant factor in the design of a field project.