Social Impact Assessment

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is the process of analysing, monitoring and managing the social and cultural consequences of programmes and projects, prior to proceeding with their implementation.

Consequences may be positive or negative, intended or unintended, direct or indirect and they may be short-term impacts or long-term changes.

According to the International Association for Impact Assessment (2003), “Social Impact Assessment (SIA) includes the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. Its primary purpose is to bring about a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment.”

(Becker, H.A, & Vanclay, F. (Eds).(2003). The international handbook of social impact assessment: Conceptual and methodological advances. Edward Elgar Publishing.)

Social Impacts are the changes that occur or likely to take place in the lives of individuals, communities and environment as a result of land acquisition which is externally-induced change. They are the consequences of such public actions to human populations that alter the ways in which people presently live, work, relate to one another, individually and socially organize to meet their needs, and also function as members of society. The social impacts also include cultural impacts involving changes to the norms, values, and beliefs that guide their cognition of themselves and their society.
Acquisition of land proposed for the hydro-electric project will have a direct bearing on livelihood, employment, income, production, health & well-being and quality of life of the community, socio-cultural systems and environment. It will raise doubts and fears about property rights and aspirations. Development projects affect different groups differently. Some people tend to benefit while many others loose. Often, impacts are particularly severe for vulnerable groups viz. tribal community, women-headed households, elderly persons, landless persons and the poor.

The impacts can be positive or negative. In this project it has been noticed through surveys and discussions that the people expect that land acquisition will give them better value which will provide improvement in their well-being, though the affected families felt that the loss of land and livelihood etc. would be irreparable. The objective of the household survey was to generate an inventory of social impacts on the PAFs, type of property, ownership of property, type of impact and its magnitude and details of affected property.

1.2 Need of Social Impact Assessment

• To understand and anticipate the likely social consequences on human populations and communities at early stage in project planning and design.

• To avoid long term disputes between the local communities and the entrepreneur in the long run.

• Find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts, shape projects to suit the local environment i.e. social, cultural and livelihood protection.

Social Impact Assessment Studies carried out by PLAN Foundation