According to this WP-1066 formula, the highest value of the quality index will be 1, which is the case when all of the review questions are fully met. The reviewed EIA reports were grouped based on the scores of the quality index into four categories. The index scores were divided between 0.0 and 0.25 (poor), 0.26 and 0.50 (borderline), 0.51 and 0.70 (satisfactory), and 0.71 and 1.00 (good).
This quality index has some limitations that should be noted when interpreting the results. The index is generally subjective and the results inevitably reflect the evaluator\'s understanding of what constitutes a satisfactory treatment of a review question. Additionally, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed EIA reports might not be reflected in this index. However, this index is a useful tool for overall comparison of the EIA quality (Khera and Kumar, 2010).
2.2. Views of EIA practitioners and professionals
Views of relevant bodies involved in the EIA process on the effectiveness of EIA in protecting coastal and marine environments in Bahrain were solicited using a questionnaire survey. Efforts were made to include most of the concerned bodies from different sectors that may directly or indirectly involved in EIA process. The target population of the survey consisted of members from the environmental authority, environmental consulting firms, and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Additionally, marine biologists, marine ecologists, and environmentalists from the main universities in Bahrain (University of Bahrain and Arabian Gulf University) as well as bachelor and master students or graduates who completed a course in EIA at the University of Bahrain were included in the questionnaire survey.
This quality index has some limitations that should be noted when interpreting the results. The index is generally subjective and the results inevitably reflect the evaluator\'s understanding of what constitutes a satisfactory treatment of a review question. Additionally, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the reviewed EIA reports might not be reflected in this index. However, this index is a useful tool for overall comparison of the EIA quality (Khera and Kumar, 2010).
2.2. Views of EIA practitioners and professionals
Views of relevant bodies involved in the EIA process on the effectiveness of EIA in protecting coastal and marine environments in Bahrain were solicited using a questionnaire survey. Efforts were made to include most of the concerned bodies from different sectors that may directly or indirectly involved in EIA process. The target population of the survey consisted of members from the environmental authority, environmental consulting firms, and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Additionally, marine biologists, marine ecologists, and environmentalists from the main universities in Bahrain (University of Bahrain and Arabian Gulf University) as well as bachelor and master students or graduates who completed a course in EIA at the University of Bahrain were included in the questionnaire survey.