IDA
n. countablen. a formal study that looks at how a project might affect the people and environment around it. It helps leaders decide if a plan is safe and fair before they start building.
n. an assessment process used to evaluate the potential social, environmental, and economic consequences of a proposed project or policy. Often used in international development and urban planning contexts.
The government ordered an IDA before building the new dam.
The mining company had to submit a comprehensive IDA to prove that the local water supply would remain uncontaminated.
While the technical feasibility was clear, the IDA revealed that the proposed highway would displace several historic communities, leading the committee to suggest an alternative route.
Often functions as an acronym for Impact Development Assessment or Integrated Development Assessment; usually takes the indefinite article 'an'.