Sound environmental management is critical to sustainable development and poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific. Without committed efforts to safeguard the environment, pressure will continue to build on the region’s land, forests, water systems, wetlands, marine ecosystems, and other natural resources—assets many of the poor depend on for their livelihoods.

ADB’s environmental safeguards aim to ensure the environmental soundness and sustainability of projects, and to support the integration of environmental considerations into the project decision-making process. The Safeguard Polciy Statement (SPS) requires borrowers to identify project impacts and assess their significance; examine alternatives; and prepare, implement, and monitor environmental management plans. The SPS requires borrowers to consult people likely to be affected by the project and disclose relevant information in a timely manner and in a form and in languages understandable to those being consulted.

Assessment reports are required depending on the project's impact. See the Environment Safeguards Categories.

Environmental assessment and measures

Identify potential environmental impacts and risks of a project and prescribe the environmental management plan to be implemented by the borrower/clients. These are composed of the following documents:
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Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)

Describes the environmental condition of a project, including potential impacts, the formulation of mitigation measures, and the preparation of institutional requirements and environmental monitoring for the project.
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Environmental Assessment Review Framework (EARF)

Outlines procedures for the preparation of environmental assessment documents for a project to ensure environmental impacts are appropriately addressed and mitigated.
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Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)

Examines the social and environmental consequences of the project prior to execution and provides information to decision makers and the public about the environmental implications of proposed actions before decisions are made.

• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Summary Environmental Impact Assessments
  

Social and Environmental Compliance Audit Reports

Describe project compliance to social or environmental safeguards requirements based on ADB Safeguards Policy Statement (2009) and includes conclusions and recommendations.

• Social Compliance Audit Reports
• Environmental Compliance Audit Reports

Environment and Social Management System Frameworks (ESMS)

Provide guidelines and frameworks for establishing the environmental and social management system for a project that is consistent with the safeguard policy principles and requirements of ADB.
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Other documents

Initial Poverty and Social Analysis (IPSA)

Initial Poverty and Social Assessment/Analysis (IPSA) identifies people who may be beneficially or adversely affected by a project. It determines the scope of poverty and the current state of social issues, such as consultation and participation, gender and development, and social safeguards and other social risks that will need to be addressed during project design. It is conducted for all ADB investment projects and programs. 
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