Principles and procedures1 Introduction and principles 1. J Introduction 1.2 The nature of environmental impact assessment 1.3 The purposes of environmental impact assessment I A Changing perspectives on ElA I.5 Projects, environment and impacts 1.6 Current issues in environmental impact assessment 1.7 An outline of subsequent parts and chapters Note References 2 Origins and development 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The National Environmental Policy Act and subsequent US systems 2.3 The worldwide spread of El A 2.4 Development in the UK 2.5 EC Directive 851337 2.6 EC Directive 85/337, as amended b> Directive 97/11/EC

This paper discusses the treatment of social and economic impacts within UK environmental impact assessment (EIA). Socio-economic effects have an uncertain status in EIA, guidance on their assessment is limited and their treatment is often partial and of poor quality. This has led some commentators to view socio-economic impacts as the 'poor relations' in EIA. The paper presents the results of a recent review of the socio-economic component of UK environmental statements (ESs), which provides information on the extent, scope, balance and quality of socio-economic impact treatment. The review reveals that, although most ESs include some information on socio-economic issues, coverage tends to be narrowly focused on a small number of--primarily beneficial economic--impact types. Quantification of socio-economic impacts is also rarely attempted. The review findings are compared with those of similar studies undertaken in the mid-1990s, and the paper concludes with some recommendations for EIA practitioners relating to the treatment of socio-economic impacts.

This paper examines the changing geography of employment in Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) in Britain. KIBS represent an important element of the so-called 'knowledge economy' and have been amongst the fastest growing employment sectors in advanced economies in recent years. However, during the 1990s in Britain, this employment growth was very unevenly distributed, both between regions and at the sub-regional level. The evidence presented in the paper suggests that KIBS growth in the 1990s was strongest in London and in a group of inter-linked local economies stretching in a broad arc to the north, west and south of the capital within the 'Greater South East' region. Examples of strong KIBS sector growth outside this region tend to be more isolated. There is little evidence of significant decentralisation of KIBS employment from the largest cities to smaller settlements.

Unsustainable development in the Caribbean has reduced the effectiveness of coastal ecosystems as ecological buffers against climate variability, climate change, extreme weather events, and sea level rise. Using Barbados as a case study, the research conducted first examined ecosystem degradation. Second, an analysis of adaptation options for climate change and rising sea levels was undertaken. Based on the study conducted, conclusions were drawn on the implementation challenges of adaptation measures and approaches, and areas for future research. The research found that hard engineering is highly prioritised because of the vulnerability of settlements, infrastructure, and beaches to erosion. Beach protection in particular receives significant attention because beach tourism is economically significant. Additionally, beach nourishment is popular in alleviating erosion. A major finding is that reactive and standalone protective efforts are less effective, so that hard and soft engineering measures, though economically costly, are combined responses. On the other hand, retreat and relocation are controversial given limited space, and are economically and politically costly.

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