Which of the following best describes the severity of negative impacts?

The severity of negative impacts is best described as derived from scale, scope, and irreparability. This option captures the multifaceted nature of impact assessment, which considers not only how many people are affected but also the extent of the impact and its long-term consequences.

Scale refers to the magnitude of the impact—how significant the damage or disruption is in relation to the environment, society, or economy. Scope encompasses the breadth of the impact, examining how widespread the effects are geographically or across different sectors. Irreparability addresses whether the damage can be reversed or mitigated. Each of these factors plays a crucial role in determining the overall severity of negative impacts, as they account for both immediate and longer-term considerations in assessing harm.

Other options focus on narrower aspects. The first option oversimplifies the issue by only considering the number of affected individuals, which does not provide a holistic view of impact severity. The second option, relying solely on historical data, neglects current conditions and evolving contexts that can influence impact assessment. The last option reduces the assessment to public perception, which, while relevant, does not adequately account for the objective measures that define the actual severity of impacts on communities and environments.