Environmental Impact Studies

In the context of integrated management of the territory, in urban or rural areas, and given the legal non-existence of Heritage Impact Studies, questions relating to archaeological and cultural heritage are legally framed within the scope of Environmental Impact Studies (EIS).

Through the application of specific methodologies, it is possible to identify and evaluate the impact of enterprises (e.g. dams, roads, gas or electricity networks, plantations, etc.) on known or foreseeably existing heritage so that measures can be subsequently programmed and applied to minimize the damages resulting from their implementation. 

ERA operates within the different work phases inherent to the EIS, namely: 

• The identification, description and registration of heritage elements; 
• The evaluation of identified elements; 
• The proposal of mitigation measures regarding the level of impact due to the implementation of the project in question and according to the evaluation attributed to each element. 
   
In the context of actions related to the application of impact mitigation measures, ERA acts in several ways:    

• Photographic records; 
• Detailed surveys; 
• Detailed investigation of known heritage; 
• Archaeological excavations; 
• Archaeological monitoring of works; 
• Adoption of specific safeguard measures for certain elements, etc.