The conceptual development of a geocybernetic relationship between sustainable development and Environmental Impact Assessment

The imprecise nature of sustainable development is often a cause for concern. This concern has however not prevented the suggestion of a relationship between sustainable development and EIAs. As a result, there is a need to develop a more formal conceptual basis for the relationship between EIA and sustainable development. The paper discusses the conceptual development of a geocybernetic perspective of the relationship between sustainable development and EIAs in respect to impact identification methodologies. The paper considers the five fundamental geocybernetic paradigms of sustainable development, uses relevant literature to support the relationships found, and provides examples to support the relationships developed within the paper. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.