Procedural Environmental Obligations
Created: February 6, 2021 1:30 PM Tags: BRI, Cambodia, China, Environment
The 2008 policy brief by Pheakkdey Ngoun and Yuvaktep Vann looked at the ways that public participation of infrastructure development projects connected to the Belt and Roads Initiative could be improved. The paper looked at development of airports in China and Cambodia respectively by conducting a desk review, examining the Environmental Impact Assessment process, field visit, and semi-structured interviews with related actors in each country. The case study found that China allocated 5% of its total investment to environmental protection,
Research Problem: What are the ways effective public participation could enhance in infrastructure development projects connected to the Belt and Road Initiative?
Goal: To analyze environmental concerns related to projects connected with BRI.
Unit of Analysis: BRI related construction projects
Research Questions:
- What is the state of public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for BRI related constructions inside China?
- What is the state of public participation in EIA for BRI related constructions for China’s BRI partners such as Cambodia?
- What can Cambodia learn of public participation obligations for its EIA process from China?
Hypothesis: A robust EIA process where public voice is heard is important for economic development with minimal environmental impacts.
Type of Research: qualitative
Methodology:
- Research Design: cross-sectional study and field research
- Sample: specialized and related officials and experts
- Data Analysis Method: Prescriptive Analytics
Findings: The paper conducted case studies on both China and Cambodia’s airport construction related to BRI and found that, although China’s public participation in EIA is not perfect, Cambodia have much to learn from China. The paper provided four policy recommendations to Cambodia, those includes
1). Ensure full enforcement of the regulatory frameworks for construction.
2). Strengthen compensation and responsibility towards the affected.
3). Increase transparency by disclosing project information and its EIA reports publicly
4). At minimum have the same social and environmental standards as china.