Drawbacks of Social Impacts Assessment in Brazil: Is It Time for a New Approach?
- 1 Studies of Environmental Policy, Sao Carlos School of Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 2 Institute of Energy and Environment, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 3 Studies of Environmental Sciences and Policies, Ribeirao Preto Faculty of Philosophy Sciences and Letters, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
Abstract
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has shown a progressive improvement in addressing environmental impacts worldwide. However, EIA practice in Brazil and in other developing countries has been recognized as insufficient to deal with relevant issues related to the implementation of projects. One of the reasons found in the literature is related to the difficulties to integrate the biophysical environment and social issues within the decision-making process. In this paper, the practice of EIA in Brazil is analyzed in order to verify the relevance that social, cultural and economic impacts have been given for the acceptability of development projects. Firstly, a quality review of 23 randomly selected Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) from federal and state levels were checked in order to verify the range of social issues that have been encompassed. Secondly, seven EIS were scrutinized to check the adherence to international principles of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) best practices and guidelines applied to this instrument. The outcomes reveal a gap between the legal and empirical frameworks that describe the practice of SIA in Brazil and the main principles and guidelines for best practice in SIA. The paper concludes for the need to improve the effectiveness in the assessment of the social dimensions of environmental impacts in order to better inform the decisions. Also, the practice of EIA Brazil would benefit from guidelines for SIA and its integration to the EIA process.
- Wood, C. (1995) Environmental Impact Assessment: A Comparative Review. Longman, Harlow.
- Barker, A. and Wood, C. (1999) An Evaluation of EIA System Performance in Eight EU Countries. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 19, 387-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0195-9255(99)00015-3
- Morgan, R.K. (2012) Environmental Impact Assessment: The State of the Art. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 30, 5-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2012.661557
- Becker, H.A. (1997) Social Impact Assessment. UCL Press, London.
- Burdge, R.J. (2002) Why Is Social Impact Assessment the Orphan of the Assessment Process? Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 20, 3-9. https://doi.org/10.3152/147154602781766799
- Vanclay, F. (2003) Conceptual and Methodological Advances in Social Impact Assessment. In: Becker, H.A. and Vanclay, F., Eds., The International Handbook on Social Impact Assessment: Conceptual and Methodological Advances, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham.
- Barrow, C.J. (2004) Environmental Management and Sustainable Development. 2nd Edition, Routledge, Abingdon.
- Esteves, A.M., Franks, D. and Vanclay, F. (2012) Social Impact Assessment: The State of the Art. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 30, 34-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/14615517.2012.660356
- Barrow, C.J. (2010) How Is Environmental Conflict Addressed by SIA? Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 30, 293-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2010.04.001
- Richardson, T. (2005) Environmental Assessment and Planning Theory: Four Short Stories about Power, Multiple Rationality, and Ethics. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25, 341-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2004.09.006
- Doelle, M. and Sinclair, A.J. (2006) Time for a New Approach to Public Participation in EA: Promoting Cooperation and Consensus for Sustainability. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 26, 185-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2005.07.013
- Hanna, P., Vanclay, F., Langdon, E.J. and Arts, J. (2014) Improving the Effectiveness of Impact Assessment Pertaining to Indigenous Peoples in the Brazilian Environmental Licensing Procedure. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 46, 58-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2014.01.005
- Cashmore, M., Bond, A. and Sadler, B. (2009) Introduction: The Effectiveness of Impact Assessment Instruments. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 27, 91-93. https://doi.org/10.3152/146155109X454285