- Title
- The effectiveness of the Laotian EIA system in the context of sustainability and hydropower development
- Creator
- Phaengsuwan, Aengphone
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2018
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Economic development is recognized generally as a measure of progress. In developing countries, this form of development is often given priority over other concerns such as environmental health and social welfare. Following recommendations from intergovernmental agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, many developing countries have embraced foreign direct investment as a means to quickly grow their economies. One such country is Laos. Over the past two decades, Laos has been at the centre of a major extractive boom and as a result, significant impacts from large-scale development projects such as hydropower, mining and rubber plantations have threatened local communities and the long term viability of the natural environment. Managing the impacts of projects therefore, is essential if development is to be recognized as ‘sustainable’. One of the key tools for addressing the negative environmental and social impacts of development projects is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Initially formulated in the developed world in the late 1960s, EIA has gradually been introduced into the developing world. This has given rise to research into the effectiveness of EIA in very different contexts from that in which EIA was originally conceived. This thesis contributes to this body of work by examining the design and operation of the EIA system in Laos, a country that has had an EIA system in place only since 2000. In so doing, this thesis also contributes to a nascent body of research on EIA effectiveness in Laos and the LMB more broadly (e.g. Wayakone & Makoto, 2012; Campbell et al., 2015; Wells-Dang et al., 2016). The research proceeds by drawing on the seminal work of Ahmad and Wood (2002), which outlines a framework for assessing EIA effectiveness in developing countries. The framework is applied to the EIA system in Laos in the context of hydropower development, a timely focus given that the Government of Laos aims to use the energy generated from hydropower to be the ‘Battery of ASEAN’. Currently there are hundreds of hydropower dams at various stages of planning, construction and in operation throughout the country. The research focuses on three major components of the EIA system, its legal context, institutional arrangements, the procedural elements within the contextual setting of Laos. As suggested by Ahmad and Wood (2002) these components are essential for an effective and transparent EIA system. Consistent with many other studies of EIA in developing countries, the research reviews legal documents directly related to the laws, guidelines and decrees made by the government to implement EIA. This desk-top research is complemented by qualitative research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 52 key stakeholders including government officials at the national, provincial and district levels, and representatives from non-government organizations, environmental consulting firms, developers, international organizations and villagers. Observations of EIA practice were also conducted during field site visits with a focus on the activities associated with the monitoring of the impacts of hydropower development and public participation events. The findings of this research acknowledge, as Ahmad and Wood (2002) suggest, that the most effective EIA systems should include strong legal, institutional and procedural arrangements. In Laos, however, the effectiveness of the EIA system is not solely reliant on strict procedural and legal measures, but also on the capacity of the institutions that are enacting the EIA system ‘on the ground’ and the political will of the government for not just development but for sustainable development. This research finds that ‘on paper’ the EIA system in Laos has the potential to contribute to more sustainable hydropower projects. However, the effectiveness of the system falls down at the institutional and procedural levels where those applying the laws, practicing EIA and implementing critical stages of the EIA process (such as monitoring of impacts and public participation) are severely hampered in their work. Unlike EIA processes in developed countries (often held up as models of ‘best-practice’), in Laos insufficient financial resources, under-resourced departments, unqualified or inexperienced staff and a system that essentially relies on the good-will and financial support of developers has allowed national economic development priorities to take precedence over rigorous and transparent EIA implementation. Thus, this research argues that while it is possible to regulate for more sustainable hydropower outcomes, little meaningful change will occur until there is national recognition that long-lasting sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing the short-comings that exist in the current EIA system.
- Subject
- environmental impact assessment; Laos; EIA effectiveness; hydropower development
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1389058
- Identifier
- uon:32846
- Rights
- Copyright 2018 Aengphone Phaengsuwan
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 5 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 71 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |