Health Impact Assessment

What is a Health Impact Assessment (HIA)?

A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a systematic, evidence‑based process used to evaluate the potential health effects – both positive and negative – of a proposed project, policy, plan, or development on communities, as well as the distribution of those impacts within the communities. HIAs consider a broad range of social, environmental, economic, and cultural determinants of health to support informed decision‑making and promote healthier, more equitable outcomes for communities. The HIA process is complementary to existing Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) and Environmental Assessment (EA) protocols; however, it is uniquely able to identify and assess project benefits to provide a more balanced perspective of overall impact.

HIAs conducted for and by Indigenous communities focus on Indigenous determinants of health that are holistic and grounded in the relationship between the ecosystem and people. Indigenous-led HIAs reflect Indigenous worldviews that understand health is a balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well‑being.

Intrinsik’s HIA services integrate public health expertise with planning and impact assessment best practices to help organizations understand and manage how their decisions may affect human health and well‑being.

HIAs are holistic assessments that consider different aspects of well-being and ecosystem health, as well as the relationships between them.

When is an HIA required?

An HIA may be required or strongly recommended when:

Health considerations must be addressed as part of environmental/impact assessments, regulatory approvals, or land‑use planning
Projects have the potential to affect vulnerable or priority populations
Decision‑makers need to understand health risks, benefits, and trade‑offs
There is strong Rights holder, public or other stakeholder interest in community health outcomes
Indigenous, municipal, provincial, or federal authorities request health‑focused analysis
Proponents want to proactively identify and manage health risks and demonstrate due diligence

HIAs are commonly applied to major developments, infrastructure projects, policies, transportation initiatives, natural resource development projects, and community plans.

The benefits of HIA

A well‑designed HIA helps organizations:

Proactively identify and reduce potential health impacts before they occur
Enhance potential positive health outcomes and community well‑being
Support regulatory compliance and approval processes
Strengthen Rights holder / stakeholder and community trust
Improve project design through early, informed decision‑making
Address health equity and impacts to vulnerable populations
Reduce long‑term health, social, operational, and reputational risks

Ultimately, HIAs help bridge the gap between development objectives and public health priorities.

How Intrinsik can help

Intrinsik brings a practical, solutions focused approach to HIAs. We work closely with clients and communities to tailor the scope and level of analysis to the project, regulatory context, and community setting.

Intrinsik developed the initial HIA Guidance for Health Canada for application to federal Impact Assessment projects, as well as the Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Analysis Plus in HIA for federal Impact Assessment projects. Provincially, Intrinsik developed the Human Health Implications Study guidance for the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario that integrates the HHRA and HIA frameworks into a single process to be applied to major transportation projects to assess impacts to population health.

Our team:

Integrates health, environmental, and socio‑economic data into clear, actionable findings
Collaborates with planners, engineers, regulators, and Indigenous Rights holders and community stakeholders
Applies best‑practice guidance while remaining flexible and proportionate
Translates complex health information into clear insights for decision‑makers
Focuses on both mitigation and enhancement strategies as well as actionable monitoring solutions and indicators

Clients choose Intrinsik for our deep understanding of impact assessment frameworks, our ability to work across disciplines, and our commitment to delivering assessments that are both technically robust and practical to implement.

HIA sub‑services

Our HIA‑related services include:

HIA scoping and recommendation workshops
Baseline health and community profile development
Identification of community-valued health determinants and health effects pathways
Quantitative and qualitative health impact analysis
Health impact characterization and vulnerability assessment (using a Gender-Based Analysis approach)
Mitigation and health management measure development
Integration of health and community well-being and safety into EAs and Impact Statements
Cumulative health effects assessment
Stakeholder, Indigenous, and community engagement support
Development of monitoring plan for follow‑up using community-based health indicators

Intrinsik’s qualifications and expertise in HIA

HIAs at Intrinsik are led and supported by professionals with backgrounds in:

Public health, toxicology and environmental science
Environmental and health impact assessment
Human health and ecological risk assessments
Community and Indigenous engagement

Representative project experience

Examples of Intrinsik’s HIA‑related work include:

HIAs for major industrial and infrastructure projects
Integration of health considerations into federal and provincial impact/environmental assessments
Community health baseline studies to support project approvals
Evaluation of health impacts associated with transportation and land‑use planning
Assessment of health risks and benefits related to resource development and energy projects
Development of mitigation and monitoring plans to address community health concerns

More information

For more information on HIAs, including answers to frequently asked questions about scope, methodology, and regulatory expectations, please check out our HIA blogs:

Health Impact Assessment in Canada’s Impact Assessment Process

Health Impact Assessment in Canada –Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an HIA the same as an HHRA?

No. While both consider health, HIAs take a broader, population‑level approach. An HIA examines a wide range of health determinants (such as housing, employment, access to services, food security, air quality, and social conditions) and considers both positive and negative effects of projects, programs or policies. An HHRA relates to the environmental determinants of health and in doing so focuses on chemical exposures and related risks.

When should an HIA be conducted?

An HIA is most effective when conducted early in project or policy planning, before key decisions are finalized. Early application allows health considerations to be integrated into design, mitigation, and decision‑making rather than addressed after issues arise. Early engagement with Indigenous communities, Rights holders and stakeholders allows for Indigenous- or community-led HIAs that scope into the assessment those determinants of health most valued by communities. This leads to more meaningful HIAs that are grounded in community concerns.

Are HIAs required by regulation?

HIAs are not always mandated, but they are increasingly recommended by regulators, public health authorities, municipalities, and Indigenous communities. They are often required or recommended as part of environmental/impact assessments, land‑use planning, or major development approvals.

What types of projects typically require an HIA?

HIAs are commonly applied to:

Infrastructure and transportation projects

Industrial and resource development projects

Urban development and land‑use planning initiatives

Energy, utility, and renewable projects

Policies or programs with potential community‑level effects

How long does an HIA take?

Timelines vary depending on the size, complexity, and regulatory context of the project. HIAs conducted by Intrinsik range from rapid, high‑level assessments that require little time (weeks) and resources to comprehensive evaluations aligned with environmental/impact assessment processes (months).

How are health impacts assessed?

HIAs can use a combination of:

Existing health and community data

Indigenous knowledge and worldviews (for Indigenous-led HIAs)

Literature and best‑practice evidence

Qualitative and quantitative analysis

Rights holder, stakeholder and community input via surveys, key person interviews, focus groups, etc.

The goal is to clearly identify health pathways, potential impacts, and practical mitigation or enhancement measures.

How are equity and vulnerable populations considered?

A core part of an HIA is identifying how different populations may experience impacts differently. This includes consideration of how different vulnerable or priority groups, such as children, seniors, Indigenous peoples, or communities with existing health or social challenges, are impacted differently, and tailoring mitigation measures specifically to these priority groups. Intrinsik has developed Guidelines for Health Canada on Integrating Gender-Based Analysis Plus into HIA as part of federal Impact Assessments. These guidelines are essentially a blueprint on considering how health impacts to varied groups of people can vary and identifying appropriate mitigation and enhancement measures.

What deliverables does an HIA typically include?

An HIA may include:

A health and community baseline summary

Identification of community- and project-specific health determinants and pathways of effects

Health impact characterization and interpretation

Mitigation and enhancement recommendations

Monitoring and follow‑up measures

Deliverables are tailored to project needs and regulatory requirements.