A review of the status of environmental impact assessment in Pakistan
Laraib Ehtasham, Sadia Hassan Sherani, Kiran Younas, Umama Izbel, Amna H. Khan, Anila Bahadur, Ali Akbar
Abstract
Abstract Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a process that examines the potential impacts of development projects on society and the environment. The concept of EIA originated in 1969 by the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), followed by other developed and developing countries all over the globe. This paper reviews the legal status of EIA and its implementation, effectiveness, and deficiencies in Pakistan. EIA received legal status in Pakistan when the Environmental Protection Ordinance (PEPO) was drafted in 1983. This ordinance was then converted into the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) in 1997. Currently, EIA is conducted for many development projects in Pakistan, including infrastructure and industry projects. Environmental protection acts containing sections related to EIA and Initial Environmental Examinations (IEE; a small preliminary study for an EIA project) have been established by all Pakistani provinces, which conduct its systematic facilitation in the country. The effectiveness of the EIA/IEE process in Pakistan can be enhanced by ensuring stakeholder participation, guaranteeing transparency, providing resources to environmental agencies, and post-monitoring of EIA/IEE processes. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:314–318. © 2021 SETAC KEY POINTS Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is considered a vital part of many large-scale development projects in Pakistan. The legal framework of Pakistan on national and provincial levels make the process of environmental assessment mandatory for the projects that are described in schedule I and II of Regulations 2000. Factors such as ineffective public participation, poor quality of EIA reports, and insufficient resources (financial and human) in environmental agencies are obstacles in the sound implementation of EIA.