scholarly journals Public Participation in Biodiversity Impact Assessment in the State of West Bengal, India: Present Status and Finding Ways for Improvement

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Rajarshi Chakraborty ◽  
Andre Lindner ◽  
Wolfgang Wende
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Present Status ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Local People ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
Public Hearings ◽  
Simple Matrix

The present status of public participation in EIA particularly concerning biodiversity in West Bengal, India was studied. The issues raised in 50 public hearings were analyzed and chapters on biodiversity in 20 EIA reports were studied. Areas needing improvement were identified. Scientific literature was studied to gather best practices/concepts. It was observed that, despite all enabling legal provisions, public participation in EIA has not grown to its full potential. The discussion was mostly on jobs and benefits (and little on biodiversity impact). EIA reports did not provide any spatial information on biodiversity-rich/sensitive areas or impact on bio-resources that are used by people. We identified four pillars of effective public participation in EIA as: (i) institutional opportunity and conducive environment for participation; (ii) interest of local people to participate; (iii) capacity building of local people; and, (iv) support of clearance process. Specific recommendations under each are provided. A simple matrix for Biodiversity Impact Assessment and a list of components for the improvement of biodiversity, for use of local people, have been developed.

scholarly journals Beyond Public Particpation: The disjuncture between South Africa's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Law and Sustainable Development

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
T Murombo
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
The Public ◽  
Legal Provisions

One of the key strategies for achieving sustainable development is the use of the process of evaluating the potential environmental impacts of development activities. The procedure of environmental impact assessment (EIA) implements the principle of integration which lies at the core of the concept of sustainable development by providing a process through which potential social, economic and environmental impacts of activities are scrutinised and planned for. Sustainable development may not be achieved without sustained and legally mandated efforts to ensure that development planning is participatory. The processes of public participation play a crucial role in ensuring the integration of the socio-economic impacts of a project into the environmental decision-making processes. Public participation is not the only process, nor does the process always ensure the achievement of sustainable development. Nevertheless, decisions that engage the public have the propensity to lead to sustainable development. The public participation provisions in South Africa’s EIA regulations promulgated under the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 show a disjuncture between the idea of public participation and the notion of sustainable development. The provisions do not create a framework for informed participation and leave a wide discretion to environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs) regarding the form which participation should assume. In order for environmental law, specifically EIA laws, to be effective as tools to promote sustainable development the laws must, among other things, provide for effective public participation. The judiciary must also aid in the process by giving content to the legal provisions on public participation in the EIA process.

Impact Assessment of Lead on Water Quality of River Ganga in West Bengal, India

2005 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Dutta ◽  
R. K. Kole ◽  
S. Ghosh ◽  
D. Nath ◽  
K. K. Vass
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
River Ganga

scholarly journals Watershed regulation and local action: analysis of the Senegal River watershed management by a regional organisation and public participation

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1917-1946 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Sène ◽  
S. Bonin ◽  
O. Soubeyran
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Local People ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Senegal River ◽  
Action Analysis ◽  
Participative Approach ◽  
Regional Organisation ◽  
Set Up

Abstract. Several social scientists have dealt with the usefulness of a participative approach in development plans. The call for sustainable development has increased the focus on this type of approach in a very classical way, which is the case for the creation of new water tanks. Most of these scientists have also pinpointed the major difficulties and failures faced during the execution of this new approach in developing countries. This study is a concrete example which underlines the lack of this type of approach as far as water management in the Senegal River is concerned, mainly in relation to watershed. We base our study on the analysis and criticism of the regional organization OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River) which is in charge of water management in the Senegal River. The results of the study can, therefore, be summed up as follows: (i) An on-site direct observation, individual interviews, group discussion and information analysis point out the lack of participation of local people in water management in the Senegal River and, in general, the harmful socio-economic impacts resulting from it. (ii) The reasons for this lack of participative approach are mainly due to the model set up by the OMVS in terms of water management in the Senegal River, a model that has excluded or tackled in a very light way the issue of public participation in decision-making through out its juridical and regulation instruments. (iii) Elements of consideration on some measures, which could possibly improve the level of participation of local people in river water management.

Tracing the Impact of Krishnalila Narratives on Bengal Temple Architecture: A Study of Terracotta Temples of Baranagar

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-70
Author(s):  
Bikas Karmakar ◽  
Ila Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Local People ◽  
Visual Data ◽  
Literary Sources ◽  
The Impact

The Krishnalila narratives have an indelible impact on the architectural imaginations and designs of artisans of Bengal from seventeenth to nineteenth century. The article attempts to identify such portrayals on the front facades of the Baranagar temples of eighteenth century in Murshidabad, West Bengal. It explores the specific reasons for their inclusion and the changing nature of narratives and iconography under the varying impact of Krishna cult. It relies on literary sources, on site interviews with the priest, temple caretaker and local people and visual data collected during field visits. While romance was the primary theme of the seventeenth century temples, the eighteenth century Baranagar temples saw a diversification of themes to include heroic exploits of Krishna; portrayal of other deities attracted the devotees of Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta sects. Such depictions while revealing the secular nature of the chief patron also acted as a tool for legitimization of her authority.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document