Stringer, Lindsay Carman orcid.org/0000-0003-0017-1654, Dougill, Andy orcid.org/0000-0002-3422-8228 and Angombe, Simon (2024) Good governance quality in Namibia’s environmental impact assessment process. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal. pp. 111-122. ISSN 1471-5465
Abstract
EIA is a well-known environmental governance tool. EIA in Namibia started in the 1980s, voluntarily, till independence, when legislations were developed. Since its implementation, no study has assessed the quality of Namibia’s EIA process. This study assesses the quality of the EIA mechanism in Namibia and the extent to which the process satisfies governance principles. The evaluation criteria used were obtained from sources in the literature and based on the United Nations governance principles. Data were collected through a survey and subsequent interviews with experts. Out of 12 criteria used to examine adequacy, only four were scored as adequate. Important EIA requirements on cumulative impacts, alternatives, and follow-up were rated as inadequate. Namibia’s EIA process partially satisfies eight out of ten qualities of good governance, with accountability and transparency rated as poor. These inadequacies may have implications on the quality of assessment and the decisions thereof. An EIA process that fails to meet good governance qualities can be deemed unfit to achieve the intended purpose. Experts suggested that EIA quality can improve when legislation is supported with guidelines, financial input, and a plan to decentralize.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 IAIA. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the University’s Research Publications and Open Access policy. |
Keywords: | accountability,context,decision-making,EIA process,Namibia |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Environment and Geography (York) The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 15 May 2024 12:00 |
Last Modified: | 02 Jan 2025 09:30 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2024.2320587 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/14615517.2024.2320587 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:212541 |
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