| Thematic Issues |
| Institutional Capacity | Natural Resources and Environment | Social Issues | Development |
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Environmental Impact Assessment Public Participation Political and Public Awareness |
Public Participation
Issue
The limited extent of public participation (and the limited awareness of how to manage it successfully) during the planning and implementation of infrastructure development projects – at the national and sub-regional levels
Background EIA, planning, decision-making, and environmental management processes provide opportunities to view sustainability in social, environmental and economic terms. While a country's economic strength, led largely by industrial development, enables it to afford environmental protection measures, environmental health is fundamental to long term economic health. The two are mutually dependent, suggesting that a balance between environment and economy is essential in environmental and developmental sustainability. Because the environment-economy trade-off involve social, value-based judgements and not merely the consideration of technical issues, an enlightened decision-making process would consider the range of interests in society, and try to accommodate those interests in final decisions. This is the underlying reason why public participation is an essential component of modern EIA, planning and environmental management processes. The public can greatly assist these processes by:
Decisions resulting from open, participatory processes are more informed, fairer and more stable than those made without engaging in appropriate public participation. Potential problems include delay, controversy, challenge, expense, and inferior decision outcomes. The key is to find the most practical and cost effective mechanisms for public participation. Public participation policy and regulatory requirements are limited throughout the GMS. As public participation concepts and practice are relatively new, economic and infrastructure developments can be delayed if public participation is not part of the development process. Two results are increased costs from project delays and the need often to implement remedial measures after the fact. Environmental and social awareness has increased over the past few years. This is placing greater pressure on government and private developers to consult the public at all levels (national, provincial and local) and during the planning, construction and operation phases of projects. It is gaining increasing focus in ODA and loan projects. Public participation is particularly important where developments may impact on people’s assets, livelihood and health which it often does in different ways according to locational and socio-economic factors. For this reason for successful public participation the process involves many different groups of people who are considered to be “stakeholders” - people affected indirectly as well as directly by a project. ‘Stakeholder’ groups include those who may influence and share control over development initiatives, and the decisions and resources affected. Thus, it includes affected poor and rich, indigenous people, government officers and NGOs. Different stakeholders have different power. Therefore, arrangements must be made to enable equitable debate. In the present study, public participation is “the process through which stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives, and the decisions and resources that affect them” (World Bank Sourcebook on Popular Participation, p.3) This relates to all levels in decision making, access to information and to judicial and administrative proceedings. However, in line with the concern of the ABD, special emphasis would be placed on participation of the more disadvantaged stakeholders, such as, indigenous peoples, women, and the poor affected by development projects through impact on livelihood or impact on health. |