{"title":"A Critical Review of the Adequacy of EIA Reports-Evidence from Pakistan","authors":"Obaidullah Nadeem, Rizwan Hameed","volume":23,"journal":"International Journal of Environmental and Ecological Engineering","pagesStart":146,"pagesEnd":154,"ISSN":"1307-6892","URL":"https:\/\/publications.waset.org\/pdf\/10001","abstract":"
The preparation of good-quality Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports contribute to enhancing overall effectiveness of EIA. This component of the EIA process becomes more important in situation where public participation is weak and there is lack of expertise on the part of the competent authority. In Pakistan, EIA became mandatory for every project likely to cause adverse environmental impacts from July 1994. The competent authority also formulated guidelines for preparation and review of EIA reports in 1997. However, EIA is yet to prove as a successful decision support tool to help in environmental protection. One of the several reasons of this ineffectiveness is the generally poor quality of EIA reports. This paper critically reviews EIA reports of some randomly selected projects. Interviews of EIA consultants, project proponents and concerned government officials have also been conducted to underpin the root causes of poor quality of EIA reports. The analysis reveals several inadequacies particularly in areas relating to identification, evaluation and mitigation of key impacts and consideration of alternatives. The paper identifies some opportunities and suggests measures for improving the quality of EIA reports and hence making EIA an effective tool to help in environmental protection.<\/p>\r\n","references":"[1] J. Glasson, R. Therivel, and A. Chadwick, Introduction to\r\nenvironmental impact assessment, 2nd ed., London: UCL Press. 1999.\r\n[2] Fuller, K., \"Quality and quality control in environmental impact\r\nassessment,\" in Handbook of environmental impact assessment, vol. 2,\r\nPetts, J., Ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1999.\r\n[3] I. Thomas, Environmental Impact Assessment in Australia: Theory and\r\nPractice, 3rd ed., Australia: The Federation Press, 2001, p. 279.\r\n[4] B. Sadler, International study of the effectiveness of environmental\r\nassessment: final report. Ottawa: International Association for Impact\r\nAssessment and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Ministry\r\nof Supply and Services, 1996.\r\n[5] Commission for the European Communities, \" Directive on the\r\nassessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the\r\nenvironment,\" official journal of the European Communities, 175,\r\npp.40-48, 1985.\r\n[6] N. Lee, and R. Colley, \"Reviewing the quality of environmental\r\nstatements,\" Occasional paper no. 24, EIA Centre, Manchester:\r\nUniversity of Manchester, 1990.\r\n[7] P. Modak and A. K. Biswas, Conducting environmental impact\r\nassessment for developing countries,\" Tokyo: United Nations Press,\r\n1999, pp. 185-191.\r\n[8] O. Nadeem, and R. Hameed, \"Good Environmental Governance\r\nThrough EIA: The Case of Public Sector Development Projects in\r\nPakistan,\" in Proc. 12 Annual International Sustainable Development\r\nResearch Conf. Hong Kong, April 6-8, 2006a.\r\n[9] Govt. of Pakistan, Pakistan environmental protection ordinance, 1983.\r\nIslamabad, the Gazette of Pakistan, 1983.\r\n[10] Govt. of Pakistan, Pakistan environmental protection act, 1997.\r\nIslamabad: The Gazette of Pakistan, 1997.\r\n[11] Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency-s Policy and procedures for\r\nthe filing, review and approval of environmental assessments,\r\nIslamabad: Pak-EPA, 1997a.\r\n[12] Pakistan environmental protection agency review of IEE and EIA\r\nregulations, 2000. Islamabad, 2001.\r\n[13] Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency-s Guidelines for the\r\npreparation and review of environmental reports, Islamabad: Pak-EPA,\r\n1997b.\r\n[14] O. Nadeem, and R. Hameed, \"Public participation in environmental\r\nassessment of development related initiatives in Pakistan,\" in Proc.\r\nGulf First Urban Planning and Development Conf. Kuwait, Feb. 20-22,\r\n2006b.\r\n[15] S. Momtaz, \"Environmental assessment in Bangladesh: A critical\r\nreview,\" Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 22, pp. 163-\r\n179, 2002.\r\n[16] C. Skeham, \"EIA in Ireland,\" presented at EIA conference, Bloomsbury\r\nHotel, London, Nov. 25-26, 1993\r\n[17] Beg, \"Effectiveness of EIA based decision making,\" paper presented at\r\nUNDP-Pak EPA, training workshop on EIA-A tool to achieve\r\nsustainability, Islamabad, Dec. 21-22, 2004\r\n[18] B. Alo, \"Environmental impact analysis: policy formulation and\r\nimplementation in Nigeria\" paper presented at the FEDEN National\r\nTraining Session, 1999\r\n[19] G. C. Lim, \"Theory and practice of EIA implementation: a comparative\r\nstudy of three developing countries,- Environmental Impact Assessment\r\nReview, vol. 5, pp. 133-153, 1985.","publisher":"World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology","index":"Open Science Index 23, 2008"}