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There are several different kinds of impact assessments
(see Figure 17). Many countries have domestic
legislation for environmental impact assessments. Most
companies and research institutions also have wellestablished policies and procedures for conducting
environmental and social impact assessments. Cultural
and wellbeing impact assessment are not often used by
project proponents, but should be advocated for or
undertaken by communities themselves.
Despite these provisions, it is often difficult for
communities to participate effectively due to externally
imposed constraints. Assessments are often conducted
by professional consultants hired by the project
proponents and supporters, which are usually
government agencies and companies. They tend to use
Western scientific methods, sophisticated technology,
and complicated forms of analysis. They rarely provide
sufficient timeframes or appropriate types of
information and often fail to sufficiently account for
social and cultural considerations, including Indigenous
worldviews, local languages, and customary authorities
and systems of decision-making. If the consultants are
hired by the same agency or company that is proposing
the project, it is likely that the impact assessment will
be biased and not fully representative of communities’
concerns.
Large-scale extractive or development
projects such as mines, oil reserves,
dams, or highways
Conservation initiatives such as national
parks or forest reserves
Business ventures such as monoculture
plantations or tourist resorts
Box 41: Examples of proposed activities that
require impact assessments
Environmental
Wellbeing
Impact
Assessments
Social
Cultural
Figure 17: Types of impact assessments
Due to these concerns, some communities refuse to
engage at all because they know that the project
proponents will then approve of the project, having noted their ‘participation’, but regardless of what the
community says. Other communities are proactively developing and conducting their own impact
assessments and attempting to engage with project proponents in multi-stakeholder dialogues and
negotiations.
Key Resources on Public Participation in Environmental Assessment Processes
A One-Stop Participation Guide: A Handbook for Public Participation in Environmental Assessment in
Southern Africa (SAIEA, 2004)
Case Studies on Public Participation in the SADC Region (SAIEA, 2004)
A Legal Guide to Opportunities for Public Participation in Environmental Assessment Processes in the
Southern African Development Community (SAIEA, 2005)
If your community is faced with an externally imposed impact assessment or has the opportunity to
conduct your own, discuss the different options and approaches with the leaders and broader community
and make a collective decision based on the local context and priorities. Before making a decision about
whether or not you will engage in the process in the first place, consider the guiding questions outlined in
Box 42 as well as the community experiences and tools described in the following pages.