The Fourth Consultative Workshop on the draft Cambodian Environmental Impact Assessment Law was held at the Emario Mondulkiri Resort in Mondulkiri Province on the 24 and 25 July 2014. This Consultative Workshop brought together 140 participants from across the provinces as well as NGO representatives and the corporate sector. The Workshop was hosted by Vishnu Law Group and the EIA Department of the Ministry of Environment.
The aim of the Workshop was to explain the details of the draft EIA Law and to receive feedback on the draft law. Previous workshops have been held in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville.
The Workshop was opened by His Excellency, the Secretary of State of the Environment Yin Kimsean.
Presentations on the draft EIA law were made by the Director of the EIA Department H.E Danh Serey. He took the Workshop through the operative sections of the draft EIA Law. And too questions from the floor, including a number of questions from indigenous groups.
Matthew Baird outline the key principles of EIA and mechanisms that can be used to achieve the principles of EIA. The key aim of EIA is to achieve sustainable development and create sustainable societies. Matthew identified the following seven key principles of EIA:
- Proponent Bears the Cost of the Application and Assessment;
- Public Participation at all stages of the process;
- Access to proponent information by civil society and government;
- Transparent process;
- Best available scientific information;
- Clear decision-making;
- Effective compliance and enforcement – Environmental Management Plan and Report.
Matthew also identified the application of five key mechanisms to achieve principles of EIA. These are:
1 Reliance on participatory approaches;
2 Precautionary principle;
3 Intergenerational Equity;
4 Conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity; and
5 Improved valuation, pricing, and incentive mechanisms.
Professor Richard Frankel presented on Transboundary Impact Assessment and the fees and charges for EIA.
There will be 2 further workshops looking at the form and contents of the draft EIA Law. It is anticipated that the draft EIA Law will be presented to the Council of Ministers in 2015.