Critical challenges to consultants in pursuing quality of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) in Cambodia

Abstract

The challenges faced by consultants in improving ESIA quality in Cambodia are discussed in this paper. Despite progress since its introduction in 1996, ESIA practice and the role of stakeholders in Cambodia remain inconsistent, resulting in assessment reports that show significant gaps in critical information. Based on interviews, observations and report reviews, the role of the consultant is found to be vital. Certain shortcomings need to be addressed: consultancy roles are legislatively mandated; there is undue political influence; the socio-economic and environmental databases and amount of time for assessment are restricted; there is limited expertise among hired assessors; financial constraints; and a lack of serious regard by project proponents for ESIA and its consultants. Resolving these issues would greatly improve the potential contribution consultants toward good practice in ESIA.

Improving the quality of environmental impacts assessment reports: effectiveness of alternatives analysis and public involvement in JICA supported projects

“…The total number of EIARs was not given. The sample size was decided with reference to past case studies, which showed 112 samples were used in European countries (Wood et al 1996), 72 in Greece (Cashmore et al 2002), 50 in Estonia (Peterson 2010), 46 in Portugal and Spain (Canelas et al 2005), 45 in Egypt (Badr et al 2011), 39 in Cambodia (Chanthy & Grünbühel 2015), 30 in Bangladesh (Momtaz & Kabir 2013), and 28 in South Africa (Sandham & Pretorius 2008). The sample size exceeded the largest size of any previous study and was judged sufficient for the study.…”

“…2008; Badr et al 2011;Momtaz & Kabir 2013;Sandham et al 2013;and Chanthy & Grünbühel 2015). Previous studies used the summary tables to illustrate grades and the portion of grades that were satisfactory and unsatisfactory, and then went on to discuss the improvement in quality.…”

Assessing the impact

“…The EIA process in Cambodia was established with the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management, 1996 (Swangjang 2018). In 1999, a sub-decree was developed regarding environmental and social impact assessment (Chanthy and Grünbühel 2015). While these laws remain in place, environmental law in Cambodia has been under review since 2012.…”

“…Problems have been identified with this process, as the consulting firms are potentially affected by political influence and local elites, and they generally lack expertise, time, access to data, and financing (Chanthy and Grünbühel 2015).…”

The significance of Environmental Agencies in the Environmental Impact Assessment process

“…Conducting an assessment requires teamwork and the collaboration of its members, the technical aspects alone do not determine the success or failure of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) performance [26]. Depending on the complexity of the project, sub-contracting of additional experts may be needed for full coverage of all technical aspects, and harmonization among various technical and management specialists is a must [25].…”