**Author details**

A monitoring programme is developed to track project or programme development and

According to IPIECA (2004), the following factors may be important in making sure that social

**•** SIA should be linked to the rest of the appraisal process, especially to EIA and associated risk assessments, and the results of these different assessments related to each other in a

**•** Whilst a holistic view is essential, hazard and related risk issues should be kept in propor‐ tion, both with regard to their intrinsic significance and in relation to other social impacts.

**•** Impact assessment must feed back into project design, leading where necessary to devel‐

**•** Communities' perceptions are important indicators of hazards and associated risks, and of

**•** Affected communities should be fully involved in the assessment, not just as providers of information (i.e., public consultation), where their extensive knowledge of local hazards and risk management strategies will be valuable, but in negotiations with other stakeholders

**•** Findings should be communicated to decision-makers and acted upon by them – SIA is a

When placed in the context of sustainable development, disaster management represents an important aspect of socio-economic and national security, therefore facilitating a continuous development process. Disaster reduction policies and measures need to be implemented with a two-fold aim; to increase the resilience to natural hazard while ensuring that development

It is important to emphasize that disaster risk reduction is a proactive approach that needs to be integrated in regular development planning and poverty reduction program at all levels. Policymakers in the development and poverty reduction sector need to recognize that disasters are not just "setbacks" or "roadblocks" to development, but result from the paths that development is pursuing. Thus by changing our planning processes, and incorporating disaster risk assessment in the planning of all new development projects, we can make sure

**•** Positive benefits of projects in terms of reducing risk should be acknowledged.

impacts associated with natural hazards are addressed through the SIA process:

comprehensive and coherent analysis of project impacts.

opment of avoidance or mitigation strategies.

their likely responses to project interventions.

efforts do not increase vulnerability to these hazards.

about avoidance or mitigation options.

tool to help make decisions.

**8. Conclusion**

compare actual impacts with projected ones.

**7. Critical factors for success**

272 Environmental Change and Sustainability

Raheem A. Usman1 , F.B. Olorunfemi2 , G.P. Awotayo3 , A.M. Tunde1 and B.A. Usman1\*

\*Address all correspondence to: uadebimpe@unilorin.edu.ng

1 Department of Geography and Environmental Management University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

2 Physical Development Department, Nigeria Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, Nigeria

3 School of Basic and Remedial Studies, Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, Nigeria
