The Social Impact Assessment is the methodology to review the social effects of infrastructure projects and otherdevelopment interventions. Social impact assessment includes the processes of analyzing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. Its primary purpose is to bring about a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment. In this context we can analyze the ways to assess the impacts on society of certain development schemes and projects before they go ahead - for example, new roads, industrial facilities, mines, dams, ports, airports, and other infrastructure projects.
Principles of the Social Impact Assessment have been successfully tested and put to practice in various countries and argue for their adaptation and more vigorous use. In Russia we have in practice different types of anthropological expert assessments. I am not going to speak about the scientifically informed concept of what anthropological expert assessment is. Its methods are some times random and varying depending on the competence and proficiency of workgroups that conduct them. The Russian model of SIA is mostly oriented to the problems of aboriginal people in the North part of Russia. The concept of anthropological expert assessment or so called Anthropological Expert Review was adopted in the law of Russia in 1999 at the law “On guarantees of the rights of indigenous peoples of the Russian Federation”. I think that we can use social or anthropological impact assessment as applied not only to the protection of the native habitat, traditional way of life, management and crafts of small in number groups, but also as applied to every group of people. Reviewing environmental impact assessment, we have to study social and other consequences and aspects of this process.
