Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance

Technical Memorandum

Annex 10

ANNEX 10 : CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT, AND IMPACT ON SITES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

1. Criteria for Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impact

1.1 The evaluation of landscape and visual impact may be classified into five levels of significance based on type and extent of the effects concluded in the EIA study:

  1. The impact is beneficial if the project will complement the landscape and/or visual character of its setting, and/or will improve overall landscape and visual quality;
  2. The impact is negligible if the assessment indicates that there will be no noticeable effects or there will be insignificant effects on landscape with distinctive character/resources and/or there will be no noticeable effects or insignificant visual effects caused by the project;
  3. The impact is slight if there will be slight adverse effects on landscape with distinctive character/resources and/or there will be slight adverse visual effects caused by the project;
  4. The impact is moderate if there will be some adverse effects on landscape with distinctive character/resources, and/or there will be some adverse visual effects caused by the project, but these can be eliminated, reduced or moderated to a certain extent by design/mitigation measures; and
  5. The impact is substantial if the adverse effects are considered too excessive and obstructive, and significant modification is required to mitigate the impacts.

2. Criteria for Assessment of Impact on Sites of Cultural Heritage

2.1 The criteria for evaluating impact on sites of cultural heritage include:

  1. The general presumption in favour of the protection and conservation of all sites of cultural heritage because they provide an essential, finite and irreplaceable link between the past and the future and are points of reference and identity for culture and tradition.
  2. Adverse impacts on sites of cultural heritage shall be kept to the absolute minimum.

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