Miljövaikutus

Miljövaikutus, a Swedish term, translates to environmental impact. It refers to the changes to the environment, both positive and negative, that are caused by human activities. These activities can range from large-scale industrial processes and infrastructure development to everyday consumer choices and land use practices. Understanding miljövaikutus is crucial for sustainable development and for mitigating the negative consequences of human actions on the planet.

The assessment of miljövaikutus involves identifying, predicting, and evaluating the potential consequences of a project or activity on various environmental components. This includes air and water quality, soil, biodiversity, ecosystems, climate, and human health. For instance, building a new factory might have a miljövaikutus on local air quality through emissions, on water resources through consumption and discharge, and on landscape through its physical presence.

Governments and organizations often require environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for new projects to ensure that potential adverse effects are identified early and that measures are put in place to avoid, reduce, or compensate for them. The goal of managing miljövaikutus is to minimize harm to natural systems and to ensure that resources are used in a way that can be sustained for future generations. This involves considering the entire lifecycle of products and services, from raw material extraction to disposal.