An opportunity for such a collaborative digital EIA activityemerged from the interview with NOSDRA in the formof a selective pilot to retrospective review how digitaltechnologies, such as satellite imagery could have furtherenhanced a number of completed EIA projects.There has also been an increased use of digitaltools and resources available online, includingbasic systems such as Goggle Maps, through tomore dedicated and advanced systems such asIBAT – the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool.The experts also noted the use of rudimentarysatellite data, for example considering land usechange in recent years in an area from GoogleMaps aerial images and a number of otherwebsites. This has also led to far more maps andimages within EIA Reports to help communicatethe site’s context and the location of environmentaland community receptors.The use of more advanced satellite imagery,multispectral imaging and analysis, and highresolution / live satellite imagery is not an areathat has been regularly adopted into practice.There are advances and application of suchsystems in Nigeria’s university system, but onlyembryonic links are considered to exist in termsof bring this knowledge and capacity to interactwith EIA practice. Alongside these areas ofpotential digital uptake, there is also a gap in theuse of remote cameras and sound traps – andtheir potential application of Artificial Intelligenceto identify species – within practice. While suchdevices have become relatively cheap – certainlyindividually cheaper than drones, the requirementto leave them in the field risks greater risk of a lossof the equipment, which may be one reason for theapparent lack of regular uptake in practice.3.International Bodies – Perspectives and supportthrough collaborationNetherlands Commission forEnvironmental Assessment (NCEA)The NCEA has played a significant role acrossthe globe in helping further the capacityand effectiveness of EIA, and other forms ofenvironmental assessment, for nearly 3 decades3.Their interest in activity around Digital ESIA inNigeria is linked to their mandate to work in Nigeriaand role to engage in initiatives in and aroundenvironmental assessment where the institution’sknowledge and experience has the potential to aiddevelopment and effectiveness of practice.In relation to digital EIA in particular, NCEAhas knowledge developed from advances andapplication of such approaches and technologywithin the Netherlands EIA profession. TheNetherlands has been an early adopter andchampion of digital EIA and thus has businessesexperienced in digitising EIA processes both interms of reviews of EIA reports and in terms oflessons learnt from development and deploymentof practice.It must be noted that NCEA is not a financeinstitution; as such, it does not have the ability toprovide substantive or direct financial assistancefor development of EIA practice. The NCEA is,however, well positioned to provide wider support;from providing advice based on expertise andSummary of NCEA’s action across global IA practice – celebrating 25 years (NCEA, 2018): https://www.eia.nl/documenten/00000300.pdfWillend Associates and FothergillTC Ltd – Digitization in and around Nigerian EIA17
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