What does the term 'cumulative impacts' refer to in EIA?

• A. The impact of a single project in isolation.
• B. Economic impacts only.
• C. The combined effects of multiple projects or activities on the environment.
• D. Impacts that occur only during construction.

Answer: (C)

Cumulative impacts in EIA describe the combined effects on the environment that arise from multiple projects or activities, considered across time and space. These effects can accumulate additively, interact with each other (synergistic effects), or push systems toward thresholds where changes become more significant. Understanding cumulative impacts means looking beyond a single project to see how nearby or related actions influence air, water, soils, habitats, and communities over years or decades. For example, several small developments in a watershed might collectively raise nutrient loads, alter hydrology, and fragment wildlife habitat, producing environmental changes that a single project alone would not cause. This broader perspective is why cumulative impacts are addressed in EIA: environmental change often results from many actions together, not in isolation. The other options miss this broader view: focusing on a single project ignores interactions; limiting to economic impacts omits environmental effects; and focusing only on construction disregards ongoing or future impacts across the project’s life cycle and other activities.