Public participation

Public participation in deliberations which lead to important environmental planning and development decisions is a characteristic of the planning and EIA systems in many countries. That governments were elected to govern and should be free to govern without public ‘interference’ has tended to wither in democratic countries. Democracy is increasingly seen as a continuous and dynamic process in which governments carry ultimate responsibility but only with the most careful public scrutiny. Constant vigilance is necessary for, as Lord John Acton stated, ‘All power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’

This is true of most democracies in which a freedom to change governments exists, but many governments are autocracies or dictatorships in which opposition or even criticism of a project might readily be seen as disloyal or even treasonable. In such political systems, there is little hope for EIA in the enlightened forums that this book describes and recommends. Agenda 21, which resulted from the UN conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and its associated declaration of principles, is not simply a statement of immediate and urgent tasks; it represents the agenda for the whole of the twenty-first century.

However, in many democratic countries progress should be recognised; some have long histories of public participation, a cornerstone of the US National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Since 1969, under NEPA regulations, agencies are required to make ‘diligent’ efforts to involve the public in the various statutory procedures and provide notice of hearings, public meetings, and the availability of environmental documents.