Director; The Director of Environmental Affairs appointed under Section 9(1) of the Environmental Management Act (1996)

Environment; The physical factors of the surroundings of the human being including land, water, atmosphere, climate, sound, odour, taste and the biological factors of fauna and flora and includes the cultural, social and economic aspects of human activity, the natural and built environment.

Environmental Appeals Tribunal; The Environmental Appeals Tribunal as created under section 69 of the Environmental Management Act.

Environmental Audit; Means the systematic documentation and periodic and objective evaluation of protection and management of the environment and the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Environmental impact; The effects a project has on the environment and natural resources. These effects may be positive or negative, which could produce costs or benefits.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); The systematic evaluation of a project to determine its impact on the environment and natural resources.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report; The written product of an environmental impact assessment required under section 25(1) of the EMA (1996).

Environmental Management Plan; An Action Plan or Management Strategy for the implementation of mitigation measures identified in an EIA

Environmental Planning; Means planning that takes into account environmental issues;

Environmental Monitoring; Means the continuous or periodic assessment of the actual and potential impact of any activity on the environment;

Lead Agency; Means any public office or organisation including every Ministry or Government department which is conferred by any written law with powers and functions for the protection and management of any segment of the environment and the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Licensing authority; Any person on whom is conferred power under any written law to issue licences in respect of anything or activity required under that written law to be done or carried out otherwise than in accordance with a licence. It could be any agency of the government responsible or authorised to regulate, permit or licence specific or aspects of development projects.

Minister; The Minister responsible for environmenta1 affairs. 

National Council for the Environment; A Council established under section 10(1) of EMA 

Project;  A development activity or proposal which has or is likely to have an impact on the environment. This encompasses polices, plans and programmes or strategic environmental assessment as well as technology and other categories of activities. 

Prescribed project; A project subject to EIA as specified in the notice published by the Minister in the Gazette in accordance with Section 24 of the EMA (1996).

Project Brief; An information document produced after screening on which a determination of the need for a detailed EIA study is made.

Proprietary information; Means any proprietary information protected by law by any international treaty or convention to which Malawi is a party.

Residual impacts; Those negative environmental impacts which could not be eliminated during project design.

Scoping; The process of establishing the principal issues to be addressed in an environmental impact assessment. 

Screening; The process of determining if a project should be subjected to a detailed EIA. The main considerations being project type, size and the environmental sensitivity of project location.

Stake-holder; Individuals, communities, government agencies, private organisations, non-governmental organisations or others having an interest or "stake" in both the EIA process and outcomes of the projects. 

Technical Committee on the Environment (TCE); The inter-agency committee established under section 16 of the Environmental Management Act. (1996).