The ICID Environmental Checklist
The ICID Environmental Checklist aids the identification of environmental changes which irrigation, drainage and flood control projects may bring. The checklist provides a comprehensive guide to the areas of environmental concern which should be considered in the planning, design, operation and management of such projects.
The Checklist
The checklist provides a comprehensive and practical guide to the possible impacts of irrigation, drainage and flood control projects on the environment. The impacts are grouped under the following topic areas:

- Hydrology
- Pollution
- Soils
- Sediments

- Ecology
- Socio-economic
- Human health
- Ecological imbalances

By using the checklist irrigation/drainage engineers and planners can become more involved in assessing environmental change and planning the mitigation of adverse impacts. The checklist should enable specialist expertise to be used more effectively and will promote closer co-operation between specialists and non-specialists in the development of environmentally sustainable projects.

What it covers
The checklist sets out a practical procedure for identifying potential or actual environmental impacts. The procedure comprises:
  • Two sets of data sheets, one for recording general project information and the other for more specialised data.
  • A set of detailed descriptions and related references to assist understanding of each item on the checklist.
  • A look-up table to indicate which information in the data sheets is relevant to which checklist item.
  • A results sheet to help users assess possible positive and negative changes and areas where further data and expertise are needed.
  The checklist supports the adaptation and simplification of existing approaches to environmental assessment to meet particular needs and to make the most effective use of available resources. In this way assessments are made possible in situations where it would not be feasible to assemble the broad multi-disciplinary team necessary to undertake a conventional EIA.

Practical guidance is given in the use of the procedure in various localities and for various types of projects and suggestions are given as to how it might be adapted to specific situations.

The main components of the procedure are given in a form which can be photocopied for field use.

A software program, ENCHECK, is also available from HR Wallingford which serves as a work organiser and guide when using the Checklist.

Contributors
HR Wallingford Ltd, UK.; Technical University, Darmstadt, Germany.

Intended users
The checklist is intended for use by engineers and planners who are not necessarily specialists in the environmental sciences, providing a tool to improve knowledge and understanding of the environmental changes which projects may bring about. This will enable adverse effects to be identified and, if possible, avoided or controlled and positive effects enhanced.
The checklist can also be used for education purposes.

Mock, JF and Bolton, P, 1993. The ICID environmental checklist: To identify environmental effects of irrigation, drainage and flood control projects. HR Wallingford, UK. ISBN 1-898485-01-1.

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Checklist and software available at:
http://www.dfid-kar-water.net/w5outputs.html
For a CD-ROM or a hard copy of the Checklist contact:
International Development Group, HR Wallingford Ltd, Howbery Park, Oxon, OX10 8BA, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1491 835381, Fax: +44 (0) 1491 826352, E-mail: w5outputs@hrwallingford.co.uk