What is the first step in the EIA process?

• A. Impact assessment.
• B. Public consultation.
• C. Data Gathering.
• D. Mitigation planning.

Answer: (C)

Baseline information collection is the first step in the EIA process. You need to establish the current state of the environment before predicting how the project might change it. Gathering data on physical conditions (air, water, soil), biological resources (plants and animals), land use, and socioeconomic and cultural factors provides a clear reference point. With this baseline, you can identify what could be affected, set meaningful indicators, and determine what constitutes a significant change. Subsequent steps—assessing and predicting impacts, consulting stakeholders, and planning mitigation—rely on this baseline data. Without initial data, impact predictions would be guesses, making mitigation and decision-making unreliable.