Assessment of Health Impacts on Local Communities is Fundamental for Sustainability

Abstract

Abstract Past planning for extractive projects has emphasized economic benefits but overlooked human health and wellbeing. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) however recognise health as a pillar of sustainable development, with SDG 3 health focused and other SDGs as determinants of health. Recent decisions in national and regional Courts, appealing to climate change and social impacts, are challenging companies and governments to see human health and wellbeing as central to planning decisions and sustainable energy strategy. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has consistently been the worst health leading performance indicator of the oil sector. The latest HIA guidance for extractive industries promotes an integrated approach, and national governments often have exclusively Environmental and Social Impact Assessment requirements. However research into whether health issues are adequately being considered in EIA is very limited. We investigated ‘How and to what extent are health, well-being and equity issues considered in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of major coal mining projects in New South Wales, Australia’ by using a comprehensive coding framework designed to interrogate the publicly available environmental impact statements; we then interviewed varied stakeholders in the same region; and we triangulated the above findings with our experience in impact assessment of oil and gas as well as mining project, and we demonstrated that EIAs fail to consider health and equity comprehensively. Recent decisions in the courts concerning coal mining projects (the last stop in the system for challenges or appeals) have provided legal articulation for how decision-makers should take into consideration a project's impact on human health both through climate change and social impacts as entry points. Unless these issues are addressed up front in planning, designing and assessing, oil and gas projects could not be considered sustainable, and the present paper provides a series of recommendations to address these limitations.