This course overviews the environmental disturbances and the roles of civil engineers in environmental protection. Concepts of sustainability and pollution prevention are reviewed. In order to achieve sustainable development, it introduces the concepts and methods of environmental impact assessment in Ontario and Canada. It examines the biological, economic, and social impacts that are commonly associated with development activities and the means used to predict, evaluate, and mitigate impacts in human and natural environments. It includes a review of the history of environmental assessment and its relation to environmental planning principles. The course concludes with a review of current practice in impact assessment and the major controversies in the field.