The doing and un-doing of public participation during environmental impact assessments in Kenya

Mechanisms that restrict public participation during environmental decision-making in Kenya still exist almost a decade after the inception of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA) of 1999. This paper analyses the current situation concerning public participation during environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It presents the barriers that may impede effective public participation in environmental decision-making in Kenya and draws attention to possible solutions, including the potential of SEA as a bridge to better public participation.     

An evaluation of environmental impact assessment in Eritrea

This paper reviews the environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in Eritrea against a set of evaluation criteria. It analyses the institutional aspects of EIA, the process of EIA, together with other features of the system. The review indicates that the current EIA system in Eritrea meets eleven of the 18 evaluation criteria, partially meets three and fails to meet four. The major weaknesses relate to; the lack of legal provision for EIA; inadequacy of resources; failure to make the EIA findings a key aspect of decision-making; and the lack of formal provision for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). To strengthen the current EIA system in the country, therefore, investment in training and continuing professional development in EIA for different stakeholders is needed. The most urgent priority is the establishment of a sound legal basis for EIA.     

Evaluation of the environmental policy and impact assessment process in Ethiopia

This paper reviews the Ethiopian Environmental Policy with focus on the institutional set-up and implemented Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. The evaluation of EIA is done against a set of evaluation criteria. Specific legal provision for EIA application is well documented and the Environmental Protection Authority exists as the legal body. A chronological evaluation of the establishment of the environmental policy reveals that this process was more a result of donor requirements than of political will. Inconsistency on institutional level, non-existence of complementarities between institutions, and of environmental and investment policy and proclamations, contradict the enforcement of the EIA law. Furthermore lack of multidisciplinary experts, missing environmental baseline data, and lack of monitoring and post-auditing adversely affect the effectiveness of the EIA law. The paper concludes that, besides other important measures, the Ethiopian EIA law needs to be adapted.     

From impact assessment to effective management plans: learning from the Great Brak Estuary in South Africa

In 1990, the environmental impacts of an upstream dam on the Great Brak town and estuary were assessed and a management plan and monitoring programme were devised. In a recent review of the monitoring results, planned water releases and interventions in the form of timely mouth breaching were found to have ensured that, although the estuary's abiotic functioning has altered, its biotic health has not deteriorated over the last ten years. The lessons learned are captured in the revised management plan of 2004, which exhibits a clear shift to explicit communication plans and operational procedures, indicating that the initial environmental impact assessment (EIA) products were rudimentary. We argue that learning-through-doing and active public participation in the Great Brak case are essential ingredients in the adaptive management that is fundamental to successful EIA follow-up.     

Comparative analysis of public participation in the EIA process for Thai overseas investment projects: Krabi coal terminal,Hongsa coal power plant,and Dawei special economic zone

While Thai overseas investment projects (TOIPs) have become a key form of development in the region, their environmental impact assessment (EIA) quality has been criticized. This research sought to analyze the differences in EIA practices in terms of public participation (PP) in two TOIPs – the Hongsa coal-fired power plant (Lao PDR) and the Dawei special economic zone (Myanmar) – versus a national-level project, the Krabi coal terminal. For Laos and Myanmar, which did not previously require PP, the Thai consultants did not apply the Thai PP framework, leading to poor public participation index (PPI) scores = 0.02, indicating a negligible PP process. However, the consultant on the Krabi coal terminal claimed to abide by the Thai regulations, yet the PPI scores claimed = 0.81 (substantive rationale), were quite different from those indicated by the affected villagers = 0.39 (instrumental rationale). These villagers’ concerns resulted in conflict between the affected villagers and project owners. Our findings have revealed the true necessity of PP regulation and systems to monitor consultant performance to ensure sustainability of TOIPs in neighboring countries.     

灾后公共空间的急救帐篷设计

目的为了合理解决用户在自然灾害后,生活层面、心理层面及管理层面的需求,对灾后公共空间的急救帐篷及其外延服务进行可行性提案设计。方法通过用户日常生活中的如厕、洗澡等所需时间来推算出急救帐篷的各空间面积及布局。同时,帐篷的造型、色彩、材料、结构、空间布局及功能等方面都围绕着HOMFLX帐篷系统的核心理念来设计。结论为用户提供合理的私密空间和便于交流的共享空间,从而帮助用户更好地适应灾后生活。     

基于公众参与的渐进更新工作坊研究——以杭州市上城区紫阳街道大马弄60号为例

传统城市规划视角及其方法已不太适用于当前城市存量空间的规划问题,如社区改造、居家养老、商业植入等城市有机更新工作已逐渐成为部分地区城市规划工作中的主要部分.以杭州市上城区紫阳街道大马弄60号为例,在生态化设计的视角下,通过社区规划设计模拟工作坊等形式,组织居民与其他利益主体参与到社区渐进更新工作当中,听取并收集市民、企业、街道组织等多方发展诉求,再结合建筑环境现状,以渐进更新为基本导向提出3个更新方案:市场调整方案、养老介入方案和民宿植入方案.研究结果表明:3个方案分别满足了研究对象不同的生产生活诉求,各有自身优势和不足之处.指出了生态化设计思维在当下城市规划工作中的重要性,为城市存量空间的有机更新提供了新的切入视角.     

基于公众参与的社区可持续设计研究与实践——以rPET再生品设计为例

目的 在可持续视域下,进行以公众参与为导向的社区可持续设计策略及设计实践研究。方法 通过对人民意识、社会创新要求和社区可持续发展需求分析,表明公众参与融入社区可持续设计的必要性,并结合文献研究围绕公众参与在社区实践中的参与主体、参与目标、参与阶段和参与方式进行核心特征分析,归纳出参与过程的三个阶段：共同体验、共同设计、共同反思。结果 针对公众参与的三个阶段分别从多元参与、协同创新、价值塑造三个方面提出三个目标路径,总结公众参与理念下的社区可持续设计策略,并以rPET再生品为例在社区进行可持续设计共创活动。结论 融合参与特征的社区可持续设计实践,提升了居民可持续行为的意愿,验证了公众参与在社区可持续设计上的可行性,赋予社区在“人”的可持续建设机制上更多的可能性。     

On the usefulness of guidelines and instructions for environmental assessment – a qualitative study of the helpfulness perceived by Polish practitioners

Guidelines and instructions for Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment (together referred to as EA here) are developed to improve the quality of legal requirements’ implementation and to support EA procedure accomplishment. However, to date, it has not been checked whether they are useful for practitioners. Therefore, the aim of the study underlying this paper was to verify, based on the experience of Polish EA experts, whether guidelines and instructions are useful in their everyday work. A qualitative study comprising of a questionnaire survey and interviews tested whether (1) EA practitioners know and use the Polish and EU guidelines, (2) how EA practitioners evaluate the validity and usefulness of such instructions, and (3) in which areas there is a lack of instructions and guidelines. The results show a low level of knowledge of national and EU handbooks. Those guidelines focusing on legal procedures, road investments and designing animal passageways are considered to be the most useful. Moreover, practitioners indicate that EU guidelines should be translated into Polish. Most important for practitioners is the linking of guidelines with the EA procedure, so that they can become a platform for dialogue of all stakeholders.     

Native involvement in strategic assessment of natural resource development: the example of the Crees living in the Canadian taiga

The James Bay Agreement reinforces the rights of the Crees to 500,000 km² of territory in the boreal forest and taiga of northern Quebec. In it, consultation and environmental assessment (EA) mechanisms were set up to ensure the Crees' direct involvement in environmental decisions. This paper addresses three matters: the influence of Native involvement in the EA process; updating the EA process under the Agreement to incorporate the apparently new tools of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs); and adaptation of the concept of SEA to the Native context. Our analysis focuses on the experience gained from large hydroelectric development projects, recent and planned mining developments, and forestry operations.     

大型公共建设项目投资决策听证过程的博弈分析

在研究讨价还价博弈理论原理的基础上,分析把该理论应用到大型公共建设项目投资决策听证会中的可行性,通过构建听证会中三方非共谋的讨价还价博弈模型,分析模型中各方的策略特征与收益,并对模型的均衡进行分析求解,最后站在不同参与方的角度给出相应的建议。