The course aims at identifying some guidelines for environmental analysis and assessment of projects, plans and programmes. The objective is to sensitize the students awareness on the environmental impacts that a project can generate in the different phases of its life cycle.

The lessons will describe the main existing tools for the examination of the effects of a project taking into account both the environmental and the social and economic impacts and highlighting the legislative framework.
Moreover the students will be asked to develop some procedures in order to assess those effects on the environmental and socio-economic components, paying also attention to the different stakeholders involved in the process.

Basic knowledge in the field of environmental components analysis.

The first part of the course aims at illustrating the legal framework of the environmental impact assessments, while the second part is finalized to study the techniques and the methods in depth. The applications will be examined with reference to specific case studies.

1. Environmental Impact Assessments and territorial transformation projects
2. Legislative framework in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment at both the national and international level
3. Environmental Impact Assessments procedures and tools
4. Environmental indicators and indexes
5. Assessment methodologies:
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Assessment of plans and projects significantly affecting Natura 2000 sites
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)
Multicriteria Analysis (MCA)
Multicriteria- Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS)
Ecological footprint
Carrying capacity

There will be two practical classes aiming at concretely applying the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course. In order to develop the practical classes students will be organized in groups of two people and will learn to use some specific software. In particular, the first practical class will consist in the application of a Multicriteria Analysis technique for the assessment of the environmental compatibility of a territorial transformation project, while the second practical class will consist in the critical analysis and review of an environmental assessment procedure. Both the exercises will be delivered at the end of the course and will be evaluated for the final exam.

A summary of the topics discussed during the course and all the slides used for the lessons will be available on the website of the course. The main bibliographic reference for the course is:
Bottero M., Mondini G. ( a cura di) (2009), Valutazione e sostenibilità. Piani, programmi, progetti, Celid, Torino.

A summary of the topics discussed during the course and all the slides used for the lessons will be available on the website of the course. The main bibliographic reference for the course is:
Bottero M., Mondini G. ( a cura di) (2009), Valutazione e sostenibilità. Piani, programmi, progetti, Celid, Torino.

The final exam will consist in an oral discussion (70% of the final mark) and will consider the assessment of the exercise delivered at the end of the practical classes (15% to each exercise).

The final exam will consist in an oral discussion (70% of the final mark) and will consider the assessment of the exercise delivered at the end of the practical classes (15% to each exercise).