Mekong EIA “Dream Team” Reaches the Final Mile

After an eighteen month journey, a team of civil society and government experts from across the Mekong Region is poised to transform the way communities are engaged in development.

The team has developed the Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Mekong Region, which lays out a practical approach for governments, companies and communities looking to improve the social and environmental impacts of development projects such as dams, mines, power plants and economic zones.

Myanmar government and civil society hold landmark consultations on public participation in infrastructure development

Representatives from government and civil society jointly held the first-of-its-kind public consultations in Yangon to solicit feedback on draft Regional Guidelines on effective Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment processes. When finalized, the guidelines will help ensure that the voices of local people are heard about large-scale infrastructure development projects, such as dams, mines, power plants, and industrial zones, planned in their communities.

Public Consultations Underway to Improve Environmental Impact Assessment for Infrastructure Development

More than 50 representatives from private sector companies, communities, civil society organizations, government agencies, environmental impact assessment (EIA) consulting firms gathered today at a public consultation in Hanoi to provide feedback on draft Regional Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment processes as a way to ensure these processes involve affected communities. The participants’ input will help improve an effort that is seen by many as critical for the region to address the environmental and social impacts of the growing array of regional development projects such as dams, mines, power plants, and industrial zones.

Draft Regional Guidelines for Public Participation in EIA Released for Public Comment

USAID-funded Mekong Partnership for the Environment (MPE) has invited public comment on the draft Regional Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), via mekongcitizen.org/EIA. These regional EIA guidelines have been developed by the Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on EIA in response to the shared concern for how to increase meaningful public participation in development planning, particularly in the context of rising levels of investment for development projects across the Mekong region.

Regional Experts Ready to Launch Public Participation Guidelines for Public Input

Regional experts from government and civil society finalized the draft set of guidelines for engaging the public in Environmental Impact Assessment processes. The Guidelines will next be reviewed by the public in a coordinated series of region-wide public consultations in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam beginning in late September and wrapping up in October.