Exploring the Potential and Constraints to Implementing the International Best Practice Principles of EIA Follow-up: The Case of Pakistan

Abstract

Every Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out for development projects in Pakistan includes a long list of mitigation measures and an environmental management plan (EMP). The environmental approvals also contain numerous conditions including implementation of EMP during construction and operation phases of development projects. Without appropriate follow-up and compliance monitoring the entire exercise may go waste. That is why follow-up is considered essential to ensure positive outcome of EIA by protecting the environment and learning lessons for its improvement. In this regard, the International Association for Impact Assessment has suggested best practice guiding and operating principles. This paper attempts to explore the potential and constraints to implementing these principles in Pakistan. Various data sources including interviews with the officials of environmental protection agencies, project proponents, EIA consultants and representatives of some of the affected communities as well as review of EMPs have been used to provide empirical evidence for this purpose. This paper identifies some potential but overall it argues that a lot more is needed to be done to bridge the gap between the international best practice principles and the current state of EIA follow-up in Pakistan. Some imperative steps have also been suggested in this context to improve follow-up and hence strengthen the overall process for EIA. It is expected that other developing EIA regimes may also benefit from the suggestions. (Journal of American Science. 2010;6(12):108-121). (ISSN: 1545-1003).