free, prior and informed | i8 What they mean Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA): ESIA is the process by which the lifetime impacts of a project upon environmental and social wellbeing are taken into account by decision-makers when determining strategic policy, location, concept, engineering design, construction, and operation. In most countries, including Lebanon, ESIA is a pre-requisite for project approval. Resettlement Action Plan (RAP): Where projects require extensive expropriation of land and assets with the involuntary resettlement of existing occupants, the RAP identifies those so affected; the exact nature of their loss; proposes fair and equitable compensation; and details the procedure by which claims are to be submitted, considered, approved, and the compensation paid prior land take and resettlement. A RAP is a fundamental requirement for all projects funded by international agencies such as the World Bank or European Union. 35