The days of “consultant shopping” by project developers hoping to hire experts to provide favourable Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, may soon come to an end.
The proposal has been dubbed by environmental groups as “a much-needed change in sustainable development”.
Under the current practice, private developers pay consultants to conduct EIAs for their projects and produce assessment reports. Under the proposed reform, the Department of Environment will collect payment directly from developers and select consultants to carry out the assessments.
While the amendment – which is among those proposed to improve transparency when it came to EIAs – is still being mulled by the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, environmental groups say it was a step forward in the nation’s environmental awareness.
B.E.A.CC.H – Biodiversity, Environment, Agroecology, Climate Change, Habitats – the environmental cluster of the Civil Society Organisations for Reform in Malaysia said, currently, developers could ‘shop around’ for consultants. Developers, the group added, could also pressure EIA consultants to provide a favourable report for their projects, raising concerns about credibility and objectivity.
“The public are also not engaged for feedback and to provide meaningful suggestions during the evaluation process.”
“It is necessary to make these changes due to the effects of climate change caused by human activity, which has led to disastrous consequences, such as the floods threatening the lives of Malaysians, as seen in recent days,” the group said in a statement.
An EIA is the study conducted to identify, predict, evaluate, and communicate information about the impact to the environment of a proposed project, and to detail the mitigating measures, prior to project approval and implementation. The EIA procedure in Malaysia was developed primarily as an aid to the environmental planning of new development projects, or for the expansion of existing development projects.
B.E.A.CC.H said the proposed amendment is just one of the measures needed to make the EIA more effective, adding that other processes should also be reviewed.
The group also recommended that the qualifications of the EIA consultant, the person’s track record (including any conflicts of interest) position, experience, expertise, and capacity, be made public, and with a robust monitoring system in place.
“The government must also ensure that EIAs are conducted before considering any project, including mega projects and projects that are of national interest,” the group said. It added that the EIA review should not be limited to certain aspects only, and must be done in its entirety.
B.E.A.CC.H added that EIA reports must always be made available to the public with enough time for them to review the report to improve accountability.
“Town halls should also be conducted to explain the findings (of the EIA) to the layman and other stakeholders.”
