Over 100 Developing Country Impact Assessment Professionals Receive Training

AUSTIN, Texas - June 26, 2014 - PRLog -- Impact assessment professionals from developing countries with limited budgets and resources often cannot afford training in their field.  To meet this need, EIACampus.com and the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA) partnered for the past two years to provide free training in impact assessment to IAIA members in developing countries.  Over 100 students signed up for the free online training through this program, with more than 40 countries represented.  The total value of the training received to date exceeds US$ 42,000.  EIACampus.com and IAIA are pleased to continue their partnership for another year.

“I am excited to see such a positive response to the training opportunities that we have provided,” says Dr. Larry Canter, the lead instructor and owner of the EIACampus website.  “As a lifelong educator, my desire is that students be able to take the courses they need without a concern for the cost.”  He added, “I’ve traveled extensively, and there is a real need for EIA education in so many countries.”

Courses available include Environmental Impact, Cumulative Effects Assessment, and Adaptive Management.   The online courses contain videos and interactive text taught by Dr. Canter, a long-time professional in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) field and author of numerous EIA textbooks.  Students have one year to finish their chosen course(s) and can access the online course any time within that year to revisit the materials.

The course is designed to be used by both US and international professionals, which is one of the things students find most useful.  Says Rekhiatu Okhade, a student from Nigeria, “I have learned so much: new techniques in identifying impacts, the Ten Activity model, NEPA/CEQ Regulation as practiced in the United States as compared to what is obtained here in my country Nigeria.  I am ready to apply it in my field of work.“  More information on EIACampus.com can be found on the website or at www.EIATraining.com.

IAIA is the leading global network on best practice in the use of impact assessment for informed decision making.  It has over 1,800 members from more than 120 nations.  More information about IAIA is available at www.iaia.org.