Public Participation In Environmental Decision Making

Public Participation In Environmental Decision Making

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INTRODUCTION

The term public participation in the context of E.I.A typically describes local community involvement in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of potential impact a proposed project or plan may have on the immediate and distant environment (Brown and Wyckoff-Baird 1992). According to Smith (1983), public participation encompasses a range of procedures and methods designed to consult, involve, and inform the public to allow those that would be potentially affected by a decision or policy to have input into the process so as to obtain a wider acceptability and support for the particular action can be attain. Public participation is aimed at promoting productive use of inputs from private citizens and public interest groups to improve the quality of the environment.

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS?

This refers to any process of decision-making where consequent significant environmental impacts are a possibility. Includes law making, policy making, spatial planning, strategic planning, resource management planning, licensing of industry, environmental assessment (EIA), budgetary decisions etc. It involves all stake holders when it comes to issues of the environment.

A stakeholder(s) is a person or organization with a legitimate interest in a given situation, action or enterprise. They are those directly/indirectly affected and involved in the proposed action/project
Stakeholders are divided into two, they are;

•    Primary stakeholders
•    Secondary stakeholders

Primary Stakeholders

     These are those directly affected by the project. They include:

1. Local community inhabitant
2.  Local fishers and farmers
3. Local business men and labourers
4. Local regional authorities
5. Indigenous people.

Secondary Stakeholders

      These are those that are not directly affected by the project but has keen interest or indirectly affected by the project. They include;

1. Individuals or organization who have influence/ in or expertise to the project, although  not directly affected
2. The regulators, for example, Federal ministry of environment, state ministry of environment etc.
3. N.G.O’s and interest groups
4. Donor agencies
5. The media; electronic and print
6. Contractors and suppliers
7. Shareholders. 

REASONS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS

 Why involve the public when making decisions regarding the environment?

•    To promote productive use of input from private citizens and public interest group in order to improve the quality of the environment.
•    To educate the citizen on what environmental studies is about.
•    To identify problems, needs and important values related to determination of environmental resources important to various segment of the public.
•    To identify alternatives that may not have been considered in normal planning process.
•    To probe the public’s perception of the proposed  action.
•    To resolve existing conflict over the proposed action.
•    To evaluate and consider alternatives.


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