Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): Western Samoa's Experience

Abstract

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an environmental management and a planning tool which has been used by many countries in the world to assess potential adverse impacts of development proposals and activities on the environment. The main objective of EIA is to provide decision makers with adequate information to guide them in their final decisions. EIA is still evolving as countries develop their own specific EIA systems to suit local conditions. Further, there are vast differences in the EIA systems of developed and developing countries, even though they follow the same basic EIA principles. It is therefore inappropriate for developing countries to adopt directly or follow EIA systems of developed countries because of the differences in their local conditions. Although most countries have been practising EIA for quite some time, there are still some obvious weaknesses in the way it is implemented. In developing countries, issues such as, lack of public participation, lack of political commitment, skilled staff and resources result in inadequate and ineffective EIAs. It is crucial to address these constraints and weaknesses in order to have effective and efficient EIA systems. Practical measures to enhance EIA systems may include: the provision of specific EIA training for those involved in EIA work and especially the decision makers; strengthening of the role of the public within the EIA process as well as public access to relevant EIA information; effective and efficient decision making process; mandatory monitoring requirements and political commitment to EIA. The primary aim of this thesis is to use the information gathered from the review of EIA in both developed and developing countries to assess and evaluate the proposed EIA system for Western Samoa. Western Samoa does not yet have a formal EIA system in place though EIA is practised on a voluntary basis. EIA constraints, such as, those experienced by other developing countries are also prevalent in Western Samoa. These have hampered effective implementation of EIA. Furthermore, these constraints have also delayed the passing of the EIA Regulations. It is essential that Western Samoa learns from the wide experience of those countries with well-established EIA systems to ensure that their proposed EIA system will be effectively implemented. An effective EIA system for Western Samoa is the focus of this thesis.