Uganda: Are Uganda's Environmental Impact Reports Just a Box-Ticking Exercise? What a Study of 108 Projects Reveals
A study of Uganda's environmental impact assessments reveals significant shortcomings in how developers consider project alternatives. Despite the legal requirement to evaluate less harmful options, many reports provide limited attention to these alternatives and often prioritize economic factors over environmental concerns. The findings suggest that biodiversity is frequently overlooked, and the assessments do not effectively influence project decisions.
- ▪Uganda's environmental impact assessment system aims to protect the environment from harmful development projects.
- ▪A study of 108 environmental impact statements found that alternatives to proposed projects are often given limited attention.
- ▪Biodiversity is frequently overlooked in these assessments, with economic considerations taking precedence.
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Uganda's environmental impact assessment system is meant to protect the environment from harmful development projects. For nearly 30 years, the law has required developers applying for approval to consider alternatives to their proposed projects, such as different sites, designs, technologies or even whether the project should go ahead at all. This is intended to make sure that the least environmentally damaging option is chosen. Biodiversity and environmental impact assessment researcher Mulumba M. Agaba examined 108 environmental impact statements submitted between 2001 and 2023 to assess whether developers were complying with this requirement.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at AllAfrica.
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