THE ROLE OF GEOMORPHOLOGY IN ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT ASSESSMENT

This paper aims to define the role of Geomorphology in the assessment of the impact of human activities on the environment. Environmental im pact assessment (EIA) should be carried out for specific projects, in order to evaluate their suitability for the quality of the environment . In fact, each planned activity may have an impact on various environ mental components. Among these, the natural component must be examined in terms of geomorphological hazards, which may endanger a project, a nd of geomorphological assets (elements forming the educational and cu ltural heritage of the landscape), which may be damaged to various ext ents by human activities. The relationships between humans and environ ment are taken into account. with particular attention to the effects of a project on the geomorphological environment. From a geomorphologi cal point of view, after having assessed the suitability of a certain location, mainly with respect to its morphography and morphometry. the geomorphological hazards of the area which may threaten the project ( risk) must be considered; then the geomorphological assets, which may be damaged by the same project (direct impact) have to be individuated . Human activities may produCe two other kinds of effect: the first re fers to the consequences of the geomorphological hazards induced by a project on the project itself (direct risk ) and on the surronding are as (indirect risk); the second takes into account the potential deteri oration of a geomorphological asset due to hazards induced by the proj ect ( indirect impact). Examples of these different cases are presente d.