This text investigates the efficacy and integration of environmental impact assessment (EIA) as a critical mechanism for evaluating the ecological consequences of policy, legislation, and development. Peter Wathern provides a comprehensive review of the theory and practice of EIA, positioning it as a hybrid discipline that balances rigorous scientific appraisal with the political realities of decision-making. The work examines how EIA has evolved since the 1970s to become a standard procedural requirement in global environmental management.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the procedural and theoretical underpinnings of environmental impact assessment. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a definitive resource for students and practitioners in environmental policy and planning.