What is the main goal of the EIA methodology?

• A. To determine land ownership and zoning compliance.
• B. To maximize construction speed.
• C. To ensure that potential environmental impacts are identified and addressed before project implementation.
• D. To finalize building permits.

Answer: (C)

The main goal of the EIA methodology is to anticipate how a proposed project could affect the environment and to address those effects before the project starts. This involves predicting potential impacts on air, water, soil, ecosystems, and human health; evaluating how significant these impacts might be; exploring feasible alternatives or design changes to reduce harm; proposing mitigation measures to lessen or prevent negative effects; and planning monitoring to ensure the measures work. By identifying impacts early, EIA helps decision-makers weigh environmental costs with benefits and choose a path that minimizes harm. The other options don’t fit because land ownership and zoning relate to property rules, speeding construction isn’t the aim of environmental assessment, and finalizing permits is a regulatory step that may use EIA findings but isn’t the objective of the EIA itself.