Environmental Impact Assessment Policy Research Articles

Environmental Information Policy in India feed Pro‐Environment Industry Operation: A Case Study of EIA Report on Proposed Integrated Steel Complex Site, Halakundi, Karnataka

AbstractInfrastructure development/industrialization in an area without proper environmental assessment is well known. Governments have implemented environmental impact assessment (EIA) policies to avoid harming the environment. Implementing EIA policy in coordination with local government agencies requires an understanding of environmental information flow. Before and after data sets on environmental change are critical for pro‐environment industry operation. Is it possible to synchronies EIA and Environmental information Centre (EIC) in a way that reduces environmental pollution while increasing entropy at all levels of communication? How does EIC affect EIA regimes? How to close environmental data? How should environmental data be used in EIA? A robust environment information policy (EIP) must address these issues in pro‐environmental development projects and industrial operations (EIP). However, access to information is still limited in India. Lack of quality and complete information makes it difficult for regulators to evaluate large‐scale infrastructure/industry development data submitted by proponents. Proposers and consultants should be given specific instructions on how to communicate with all stakeholders in the project impact zone. Additional information within the broad category of “Information” is sought. As a result, the researchers sought to gather data for the Environment Information System (EIS). Climate change and grassroots communication are two areas being studied. Information is critical in environmental matters. Despite public opinion, authorities ignore environmental planning. The policy decision cycle should priorities data. To better communicate about the environment, the author proposes a proper chain and system of information (Information Modeling). The reporting agencies strictly adhere to the EIA's policy. After their purpose is served, these reports are useless.

Challenges in Implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment Among Islamic Countries

Environmental destruction caused by development activities has become a major concern among the global community. To overcome the problem, environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been introduced as a tool that can help manage the environment in the development activities. EIA has been implemented in more than 100 countries around the world including Islamic countries. However, the implementation of EIA among Islamic countries has not been comprehensively understood. The objective of this study is to identify the implementation of EIA among Islamic countries and identify the challenges faced in implementing EIA. This study looks at the implementation of EIA from the point of EIA policy and legislation. As well as challenges from an enforcement perspective, the quality of EIA reports, awareness related to EIA and the adequacy of experts in the field of EIA. This study uses scoping literature review approach to evaluate past and recent studies in the implementation of EIA. The results of the study found that Islamic countries, which are categorized as high and middle income, already have laws, policies and regulations related to EIA. The study found that there are four main challenges faced in the implementation of EIA among Islamic countries, there are weaknesses in terms of enforcement of EIA-related laws, low quality of EIA reports, low awareness of project proponents on EIA and lack of Islamic experts in perform EIA-related studies. This study has identified the gaps on the EIA implementation in Islamic countries. To overcome the challenges cooperation among Islamic countries to share experiences and enhance mutual capabilities is urgently needed.

COMPLIANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS BY A GOLD MINING COMPANY IN ZAKA DISTRICT, ZIMBABWE - A TRAVESTY OR TRIBUTE TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE

Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management Act has provisions promoting the conduct of environmental impact assessment (EIA) prior to project implementation to protect the environment and environmental rights. Using data collection methods inspired by phenomenological study, this paper discusses if EIA processes by a gold mining company had mainstreamed or marooned ‘access rights’ which are the cornerstone of environmental democracy. While the Zimbabwe’s EIA policy is applauded for covertly mainstreaming environmental democracy, research findings suggest that there exist gaps in the policy framework, policy and practice in promoting comprehensive environmental democracy. EIA processes are done to fulfil legal obligations but with little motivation to protect community interests as participation is symbolic. It is recommended to redesign EIA policy and embed broader attributes of environmental democracy such as locals’ participation in all EIA stages and inclusion of experts on community issues in the EIA review panel to promote fairness, inclusivity, transparency during EIA. 
 
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Promoting the Participation of Indigenous Peoples in Environmental Impact Assessment: Effectiveness of Akwé: Kon Guidelines in Finland

Indigenous peoples’ participation in public policy and planning is ascribed in numerous international and national legal instruments as essential to the realisation of their self-determination. This study examines how the Akwé: Kon guidelines (AK) can promote effective indigenous peoples participation in environmental management, especially during environmental impact assessment (EIA). Special focus is drawn on the Finnish context, home of the Sámi indigenous people. The study applies an effectiveness review package by Lee and Colley (1999), supplemented by interview and questionnaire surveys, to analyse how effective the AK have been. It was found that although they were useful in promoting further interaction of the Sámi with authorities, the AK did not address their most fundamental political and legal grievances. This leaves room for EIA policy and practice, in Finland and all other jurisdictions with indigenous peoples, to consider how they can more effectively harness the potentialities in AK.

Key steps in environmental impact assessment: a comparative study of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has evolved as an environmental management and sustainability tool. Despite common principles shared by EIA globally, there are considerable variations in EIA processes across countries. In this paper, we reviewed and compared EIA processes of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal considering five key steps (selection of consultants, report preparation, public participation, report review and approval, and monitoring and evaluations) of EIA. Our review indicated that the EIA is well recognised in legal instruments in all state and countries under consideration and there are both similarities and differences in key steps of EIA. Monitoring of EIA recommendations and the integration of feedbacks from the past and current practices are important in improving EIA processes. This study also found that there are elements for possible improvement in existing EIA processes by each state and country introducing the best practices from others' EIA system. Some of the practices that Nepal can follow from the EIA processes of Queensland and China are licensing and accreditation of individuals and firms to conduct EIA, establishment of separate monitoring unit within regulating department, development of clear guidelines for approvals and monitoring, and the use of independent third-party auditing in EIA monitoring. The findings of this paper are useful in revising and improving EIA policies, practices and processes in the selected state, countries and elsewhere.

EIA Practices in the Natural Gas Extraction Sector in Tanzania: Does Local Community Contribution Matter?

Community participation is an important element for implementation of various development projects including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes. However, involvement of the local community in contributing to the EIA processes is minimal. This paper sought to explore local community contribution in the EIA practices in the natural gas extraction sector in Tanzania. Household survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document review were employed in this study. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents have inadequate understanding of the EIA process and therefore undermine its significance, their role and contribution towards the exercise. Procedures for engaging the community were also lacking according to standard measure practices. Various factors emanating from policy implementers, EIA consultants and the community were attributed to low participation. Views and opinions of participants were not considered during implementation of the gas exploration and extraction project which left communities dissatisfied with implementers and practitioners. Therefore, implementation of the EIA policy in regard to procedures should be emphasised to ensure adherence for smooth and effective community participation in the EIA processes. This will guarantee respect for community contribution and mainstreaming of suggestions in the implementation of natural gas exploration and extraction projects to avoid adverse effects and reduce on mitigation consequences.

Policy Implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Case Study on Mining Activities in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia)

The purpose of this study is to explain the implementation of EIA policies by Mining Companies in Gorontalo, Indonesia. This study uses a case study research design by conducting participatory observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation on the phenomenon of EIA policy implementation in Gorontalo. The results of the study were analyzed descriptively qualitatively. The results of the study found that the implementation of the EIA policy in Gorontalo was predominantly intervened by the government with a command-and-control approach starting from the process of issuing environmental permits to regular supervision carried out to measure the level of compliance of mining companies in monitoring and handling ecological impacts. However, community participation was only involved in scoping mining activities and assessing EIA documents. In its implementation, mining companies are less open and responsive to the local government and overlapping supervision between provincial and district governments. Keywords: Implementation, Environmental Impact Assessment, Mining Activities DOI : 10.7176/PPAR/9-6-06 Publication date :June 30 th 2019

Land take and the effectiveness of project screening in Environmental Impact Assessment: Findings from an empirical study

Land take is emerging as a global environmental concern, and is particularly critical in intensively developed and land-scarce regions. This paper seeks to understand the effectiveness of the screening stage of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in addressing land take. Screening is the stage where a decision is made as to whether an EIA is required for a project. In many jurisdictions, screening results in three pathways: full EIA directly, preliminary EIA only, or preliminary EIA followed by full EIA. We compared the land take of 217 projects triggering the different pathways in a study region in Italy over a 15-year time interval. Land take was quantified by overlaying the footprint of the projects with a land cover map.The results show that while more attention was given to projects with larger land take impacts overall, the cumulative land take from smaller projects not triggering full EIA was considerable (40% of overall land take). The case-by-case examination conducted through the preliminary EIA was found to work better for some project types (ski areas and small urban development), than for others (quarries). Our findings lead us to advocate improvements in current screening procedures to ensure that the land take impacts are quantified and made explicit in preliminary EIA reports. Our evidence-based approach to determining land take in EIA provides a compelling basis for understanding ways to improve EIA policies, guidance and practice.

Facilitating the transition to sustainable construction: China's policies

China faces a challenge to balance its future urbanization process with resource conservation and environmental protection. Promoting sustainable construction is identified by the Chinese government as an important strategy to tackle such challenges. To promote sustainable construction, the Chinese government has released a large number of laws, policies and regulations. This paper investigates the policy system in China which aims to facilitate the transition to sustainable construction. The related laws, policies and regulations are analyzed and three main functions are identified, namely regulation and control, economic incentives and supporting activities. The results show that the behaviours of various participants in the construction industry, including the government, developers, builders, suppliers, and designers, are regulated and controlled by these laws and regulations. Subsidy policies, award policies and economic innovation policies are adopted by the government to promote renewable energy applications in buildings and infrastructure construction. The key supporting activities for sustainable construction include strengthening technology innovation, improving standards and evaluation, establishing demonstration projects, and publicity. Two emerging challenges of the current policy system are also identified. They are: a lack of considering social and economic dimensions of sustainable construction, and the ineffectiveness of some key policies such as the environmental impact assessment policy. This paper provides a useful reference for construction corporations and policy makers in China to facilitate sustainable construction in future urbanization process. Similarly, policy makers in other emerging economies can understand how sustainable construction is promoted in China.

Investigating the citizens’ intention level in environmental impact assessment participation through an extended theory of planned behavior model

<div> <p>This study aims to measure citizens’ behavior intention (BI) in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) participation. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), which includes perceived government support and perceived environmental concern, is used as the predictor model. A total of 240 questionnaire data, gathered from citizens of Indonesia, was analyzed by using structural equation modeling. The analysis result shows that the TPB model revealed 60 percent of citizens’ BI in EIA participation. Another finding revealed perceived behavior control as a key determinant factor. Practical recommendations suggested based on the result can be used as references by EIA policy makers and practitioners to increase citizens’ intention in EIA participation.</p> </div> <p> </p>

Analisis Mutu dan Kriteria Kelayakan Dokumen AMDAL di Kabupaten Bogor dan Kota Bogor

The rapid development activities that occurred in Indonesia has the potential to put pressure on the environment. It therefore requires sustainable development efforts with one instrument is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Along with the development and adjustment of environmental conditions, EIA policy has undergone several changes. With EIA policy changes, evaluation on EIA performance needs to be done. The performance evaluation conducted on 15 EIA documents EIA document issued by the District and City of Bogor in 2012 through 2014. The analytical method used is the analysis of the quality of the test quality criteria document and focused on quality test aspects of consistency, necessity and relevance, feasibility analysis with weighting criteria, Pearson correlation analysis of the two respondents certified appraiser to see the similarity assessment method. From the analysis it can be seen that the quality of the documents are best seen from the EIA documents to categories of tourist accommodation facilities with a score of 81 and the analysis of the eligibility criteria resulted that three documents are not worth the environment seen from discussion of the feasibility of the benchmarks in the EIA document, also PerMenLH 08 of 2013 carried out by equally from both respondents with a positive correlation results 0.681. Keywords: quality document, eligibility criteria, Bogor, Environment Impact Assesment (EIA)

Analisis Mutu dan Kriteria Kelayakan Dokumen Amdal di Kabupaten Bogor dan Kota Bogor

The rapid development activities that occurred in Indonesia has the potential to put pressure on the environment. It therefore requires sustainable development efforts with one instrument is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Along with the development and adjustment of environmental conditions, EIA policy has undergone several changes. With EIA policy changes, evaluation on EIA performance needs to be done. The performance evaluation conducted on 15 EIA documents EIA document issued by the District and City of Bogor in 2012 through 2014. The analytical method used is the analysis of the quality of the test quality criteria document and focused on quality test aspects of consistency, necessity and relevance, feasibility analysis with weighting criteria, Pearson correlation analysis of the two respondents certified appraiser to see the similarity assessment method. From the analysis it can be seen that the quality of the documents are best seen from the EIA documents to categories of tourist accommodation facilities with a score of 81 and the analysis of the eligibility criteria resulted that three documents are not worth the environment seen from discussion of the feasibility of the benchmarks in the EIA document, also PerMenLH 08 of 2013 carried out by equally from both respondents with a positive correlation results 0.681. Keywords: quality document, eligibility criteria, Bogor, Environment Impact Assesment (EIA)

Analisis Mutu dan Kriteria Kelayakan Dokumen Amdal di Kabupaten Bogor dan Kota Bogor

The rapid development activities that occurred in Indonesia has the potential to put pressure on the environment. It therefore requires sustainable development efforts with one instrument is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Along with the development and adjustment of environmental conditions, EIA policy has undergone several changes. With EIA policy changes, evaluation on EIA performance needs to be done. The performance evaluation conducted on 15 EIA documents EIA document issued by the District and City of Bogor in 2012 through 2014. The analytical method used is the analysis of the quality of the test quality criteria document and focused on quality test aspects of consistency, necessity and relevance, feasibility analysis with weighting criteria, Pearson correlation analysis of the two respondents certified appraiser to see the similarity assessment method. From the analysis it can be seen that the quality of the documents are best seen from the EIA documents to categories of tourist accommodation facilities with a score of 81 and the analysis of the eligibility criteria resulted that three documents are not worth the environment seen from discussion of the feasibility of the benchmarks in the EIA document, also PerMenLH 08 of 2013 carried out by equally from both respondents with a positive correlation results 0.681.

Key actor perspectives on stakeholder engagement in Omani Environmental Impact Assessment: an application of Q-Methodology

Stakeholder engagement (SE), particularly with representatives of locally affected communities, is integral to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes, so critical evaluation of SE is necessary across a range of different socio-political contexts. EIA SE practice in the Sultanate of Oman is examined using Q-Methodology, a qualitative-quantitative discourse analysis technique, in order to evaluate key-actor perspectives and policy directions. Four discourses emerge, pertaining to (1) the institutionalisation of SE; (2) business as usual; (3) rights-centred engagement; and (4) decentralisation of EIA institutions. Consensus emerges that shows support for transparency and formalisation of SE; greater citizen-centred decision-making power; transparency in government guidelines; and the elimination of developer-led consultation processes. Policy options for reforming EIA policy are discussed, including a code of participation practice and a toolkit of suitable engagement methods.

Revision of three-stakeholder signaling game for environmental impact assessment in China

Since environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations were adopted in China 30 years ago, the implementation rate of EIA policies for development projects has been steadily increasing while national environmental quality keeps deteriorating. This contradiction prevents achievement of the goals that the regulations were originally created for, raising concerns regarding the EIA implementation process. One of the objectives of EIA is the evaluation of socio-economic costs introduced by various commercial activities. However, independent economic entities are inclined to break away from these cost related responsibilities, making it necessary for government agencies and EIA organizations to participate in the evaluation process. The practice of avoiding costs may also bring forth other issues, such as rent-seeking behavior and conspiracies. Reducing private costs and the tendency of the three EIA stakeholders to evade social responsibility are intertwined in every EIA process. Their activities are as follows: The government is the lawmaker whose attitude toward the EIA organization determines how business owners react in the EIA process. The government inclination can be interpreted as a signal from which enterprises can determine the nature of the government, which helps the enterprise owners formulate their future actions. A similar relationship also exists among the government, EIA organizations, and enterprise entities. Fundamentally, the correlations between the EIA stakeholders are determined by their socio-economic situation, namely, the economic costs and benefits they encounter. In this article, signaling game theory derived from the classic game theory is applied to describe the EIA process in China by analyzing the activities of the stakeholders and searching for game equilibrium solutions. The optimal reaction schema for stakeholders was obtained by transforming the equilibrium.

An evaluation of the environmental impact assessment system in Vietnam: The gap between theory and practice

Vietnam has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and has achieved significant socio-economic development in recent years. However this growth is placing increased pressure on an already depleted natural environment. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is recognised by the Government and international organizations as an important tool in the management of the impacts of future development on the country's natural resource base. The Government's commitment to EIA has been demonstrated through the development and adoption of the Law on Environment Protection (Revised) in 2005 which sets out the requirements for EIA and which represents a major step in the development of a robust legislative framework for EIA in Vietnam. The Law on Environment Protection (Revised) 2005 has now been operational for several years and we have undertaken an evaluation of the resulting EIA system in Vietnam. We argue that while significant improvements have been achieved in the EIA policy framework, an important gap remains between EIA theory and practice. We contend that the basis of the current EIA legislation is strong and that future developments of the EIA system in Vietnam should focus on improving capacity of EIA practitioners rather than further substantial legislative change. Such improvements would allow the Vietnamese EIA system to emerge as an effective and efficient tool for environmental management in Vietnam and as a model EIA framework for other developing countries.

Avaliação de impacto ambiental na legislação brasileira

A summary of the main questions concerning Environmental Impact Assessment policy and procedures in accordance with the Brazilian legislation .