The Role of Public Participation in Shaping Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in India: A Review

Satyajit Mahatab; Ashutosh Debata

doi:10.59890/ijir.v3i6.38

Authors

Satyajit Mahatab Forest & Environment Department Government of Odisha
Ashutosh Debata Forest & Environment Department Government of Odisha

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijir.v3i6.38

Keywords:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Public Participation, Environmental Governance, Environmental Justice

Abstract

Public participation plays a vital role in environmental governance, especially in the context of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In India, the development of public involvement in EIA processes has been shaped by a combination of legal frameworks, institutional structures, and socio-political factors. This review critically assesses the current state of public participation within the Indian EIA system, exploring its historical evolution and assessing its practical application. While legal provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 and the EIA Notification of 2006 formally acknowledge the importance of public hearings, the reality often falls short of genuine engagement. Issues such as poor access to information, limited public awareness, procedural inefficiencies, and a lack of capacity among stakeholders have hindered effective participation. Additionally, vulnerable communities are often marginalized, and recent proposals to amend EIA regulations suggest a weakening of public oversight. International comparisons highlight the need for reform to bring India’s participatory processes in line with global best practices. Key recommendations include improving transparency, enhancing stakeholder capacity, ensuring timely access to relevant data, and promoting accountability to restore public trust and participation. The review concludes that public involvement should not just be a formality but a critical component that enhances the quality, fairness, and sustainability of environmental decision-making. Therefore, building an inclusive, informed, and responsive participatory framework is essential for advancing environmental justice in India

References

Abdul Ghani, K. EIA in M: EIA Implementation and Environmental Issues Related to Coastal Development Activities. IX Peninsular Malaysia Town Planners Forum, Malaysia, 2004.

Ahmad, Y. J., and G. K. Swamy. Guidelines to Environmental Impact Assessment in Developing Countries. Hodder & Stoughton, 1985, London.

Ahmed, S., and R. Perveen. "Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment in Pakistan: A Critical Analysis of Legal and Institutional Framework." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 62, 2017, pp. 101-110.

Alonso, M., and M. Moreno. "Citizen Participation and Transparency in the Environmental Decision-Making Process: Lessons from Europe." Environmental Politics, vol. 19, no. 2, 2010, pp. 185-203.

Amnesty International. Environmental Impact Assessments and Human Rights: The Need for Robust Public Participation Mechanisms. Amnesty International, 2005.

Antwi-Agyei, P., and S. Ofori. "Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case Study of the Ghanaian Environmental Regulatory Framework." Environmental Management, vol. 53, no. 6, 2014, pp. 1165-1181.

Arnett, D. B., and D. L. Bowman. "Public Participation and Environmental Assessment: Case Studies from North America." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 32, no. 2, 2012, pp. 10-21.

Barton, D. N., and J. Folkedal. "Strengthening Stakeholder Participation in the EIA Process: Exploring Participatory Methods for Identifying and Addressing Conflicts." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 47, 2014, pp. 48-56.

Blaikie, P., and H. Brookfield. Land Degradation and Society. Methuen, 1987.

Boiral, O. "EIA: Environmental Assessment as a Tool for Achieving Sustainable Development?" Environmental Management, vol. 38, no. 6, 2006, pp. 897-905.

Boyle, J. "Cultural Influences on Implementing Environmental Impact Assessment: Insights from Thailand, Indonesia, and India." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 18, no. 2, 1998, pp. 95-116.

Brager, G., and H. Specht. Community Organizing. Columbia University Press, 1973.

Briffett, C. "Environmental Impact Assessment in Southeast Asia: Fact and Fiction?" Geojournal, vol. 49, no. 3, 1999, pp. 333-338.

Burgess, J., and C. M. Harrison. "Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making: A Review of the Literature." Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 63, no. 3, 2001, pp. 55-63.

Campbell, H., and R. Marshall. "Public Involvement and Planning: Looking Beyond the One to the Many." International Planning Studies, vol. 5, no. 4, 2000, pp. 321-344.

Canter, L. W. Environmental Impact Assessment. McGraw-Hill, 1977.

Carter, A. L., and D. M. King. "Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Developing Countries: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia." Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, vol. 33, no. 1, 2015, pp. 32-43.

Chakravarty, S., and P. Rajasekar. "The Role of Public Participation in Shaping Environmental Policies: Insights from India's EIA Practices." Environmental Governance, vol. 21, no. 4, 2015, pp. 112-128.

Cohen, M. J., and C. Jones. "Sustainable Community Development: A Participatory Approach to Environmental Decision-Making." Environmental Management Review, vol. 44, no. 4, 2012, pp. 513-528.

Court, D., and N. Dempsey. Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment: Global Experiences and Future Directions. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Crosby, N., J. M. Kelly, and P. Schaefer. "Citizens Panels: A New Approach to Citizen Participation." Public Administration Review, vol. 46, no. 2, 1986, pp. 170-178.

Dalton, T. M. "Beyond Biography: A Framework for Involving the Public in Planning of U.S. Marine Protected Areas." Conservation Biology, vol. 19, no. 5, 2005, pp. 1392-1402.

Department of Environment (DOE). A Handbook of Environmental Impact Assessment. Ministry of Environment and Forests, 1995.

Dimitrov, R. S. "Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making in Transition Economies: A Case Study from Bulgaria." Environmental Politics, vol. 24, no. 3, 2015, pp. 357-375.

Elliott, D. EIA in Developing Countries: A Comparative Analysis. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010.

Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order, 1987. Government of India.

Fletcher, A., and R. Arbuckle. "Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making: A Comparative Study of Developed and Developing Countries." Environmental Politics, vol. 18, no. 5, 2009, pp. 690-711.

Geneletti, C. "The Concept of Participation: An Evaluation." ECLA/DRAFT/DA, Santiago, Chile, 1975.

Government of India. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006: Final Report on Public Consultation. Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India, 2014.

Gunningham, N., and D. Sinclair. "Environmental Regulation and Public Participation: A Critical Analysis of the Role of Civil Society." Environmental Policy and Governance, vol. 15, no. 4, 2005, pp. 188-202.

Hoag, D., and S. Farber. "Participatory Evaluation of Environmental Impact Assessments in the United States." Environmental Management, vol. 46, no. 2, 2010, pp. 197-208.

Hojem, P., and J. Nielsen. "Enhancing Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making: A Review of the Literature." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 64, 2017, pp. 55-64.

Holling, C. S. Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management. John Wiley & Sons, 1987.

Ianc Cristian-Gabriel, Alexandra GHINEA, Laurențiu – Gabriel DINCĂ, The Role of Renewable Energy Expansion in Romania’s Compliance with SDG 7.2: Progress and Challenges, International Journal of Science and Management Studies (IJSMS), v8(i2), 8-15.

Jackson, L. S. "Contemporary Public Involvement: Toward a Strategic Approach." Environmental Management, vol. 27, no. 3, 2001, pp. 143-159.

Jensen, D., and S. Shaw. "Public Involvement in Environmental Planning: New Challenges and Strategies." Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, vol. 49, no. 4, 2006, pp. 499-513.

Kraft, M. E., and B. Clary. "The Role of Public Participation in Environmental Governance." Environmental Policy and Governance, vol. 21, no. 2, 2011, pp. 122-137.

Lee, J. "Public Participation in the EIA Process: Perspectives from a Local Community in China." Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 91, no. 6, 2010, pp. 1462-1470.

Liu, S., and M. Zhang. "EIA and Public Participation in China: The Regulatory Framework and Challenges." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 52, 2015, pp. 32-41.

Maharaj, R., and F. Mulder. "Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making: Lessons from the South African Experience." Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 5, no. 2, 2002, pp. 223-233.

Memon, P. A. "Devolution of Environmental Regulation: Environmental Impact Assessment in India." Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, vol. 18, no. 4, 2000, pp. 283-293.

Misra, R. P., K. V. Sundaram, and UNCRD. Rural Development Alternatives: Synthesis Report of a Research Project on Regional Development Alternatives in Predominantly Rural Societies. UNCRD, 1983.

Mohd. Nor, Y. "Environmental Policy Making: Problems and Perspectives in India." Environmental Policy Review, vol. 6, no. 2, 1991, pp. 135-147.

Mukherjee, S., and R. Maris. "Participation and Inclusion in Environmental Decision-Making: Case Study from the Indian Context." Environmental Management Review, vol. 22, no. 3, 2009, pp. 89-101.

Muller, M., and N. Bohler-Muller. "Public Participation and Policy Making in Africa: The Role of Civil Society." Environmental Governance, vol. 21, no. 4, 2010, pp. 108-119.

Ochieng, P., and G. Mutiso. "Public Participation in EIA and Its Role in Environmental Justice: Case Studies from East Africa." Environmental Justice, vol. 7, no. 5, 2014, pp. 129-136.

Picolotti, R., and D. Taillant, editors. Linking Human Rights and the Environment. University of Arizona Press, 2003.

Rajasekar, P., and R. Singh. "Evaluating the Role of Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment in India." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 72, 2018, pp. 82-94.

Rowe, R., and L. J. Frewer. "Public Participation Methods: A Framework for Evaluation." Science, Technology, & Human Values, vol. 25, no. 1, 2000, pp. 3-29.

Saul S. Begontes, John Ulysses V. Sindayen, Efren A.Pagalan, Jr., Raffy E. Cagas, Sonnie A. Vedra, Prospects on the use of EIA as a Tool for Coastal Resources Conservation, International Journal of Science and Management Studies (IJSMS), v7(i4), 266-270.

Shyam Diwan, and A. Rosencranz. Environmental Law and Policy in India – Cases, Materials, and Statutes. 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, 2001.

Skeffington, A. M. People and Planning: Report of the Committee on Public Participation in Planning. Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Scottish Development Department and Welsh Office, 1970.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Handbook on Environmental Governance in Asia: Frameworks for Public Participation. UNDP Publications, 2004.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. United Nations, 1998.

Vellinga, M., and T. M. Hoang. "Public Participation in EIA: Global Perspectives and Regional Differences." Environmental Management, vol. 50, no. 3, 2012, pp. 575-588.

Wathern, P. "EIA and the Role of Public Participation in Development." Environmental Assessment Review, vol. 52, 2015, pp. 21-33.

Williams, E. "Citizen Participation in Planning: The Relationship between Objectives and Techniques." Journal of the American Planning Association, vol. 45, no. 3, 1976, pp. 180-189.

World Bank. Environmental Conflict Management: The Case of India’s Eastern Region. The World Bank, 1995.

World Health Organization (WHO). Public Participation in Decision-Making: The Role of Communities and Stakeholders. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002.

Zeng, Y., and T. Xu. "Public Participation in EIA in China: Current Practices and Future Perspectives." Environmental Politics, vol. 26, no. 5, 2017, pp. 973-991.

Zhou, Q., and J. Chang. "The Role of Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment in China: A Case Study of the Liaoning Province." Environmental Impact Assessment Review, vol. 41, 2013, pp. 34-42.