ABSTRACT

In this paper, the authors reflect on public participation (PP) in environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes in Malawi, where EIA is implemented as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Who is invited and who is actively contributing to PP meetings is explored. In this context, 12 ESIAs are examined, six from rural and six from urban areas. While PP principles ask for a balanced approach towards the inclusion of both interested and affected individuals and bodies, in the 12 projects, participants were mostly development and planning experts in urban projects and traditional leaders (chiefs) in rural projects. People without societal positions that were directly affected by developments only represented 15% of those being present in PP meetings. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that PP policy needs to be improved and enforced in order to allow ordinary people potentially directly affected by development to be better represented.

摘要

在本文中，作者反思了马拉维环境影响评估 (EIA) 过程中的公众参与 (PP)，其中 EIA 是作为环境和社会影响评估 (ESIA) 实施的。探讨了谁被邀请以及谁积极参与 PP 会议。在此背景下，审查了 12 项环境影响评估，其中 6 项来自农村地区，6 项来自城市地区。虽然 PP 原则要求采取平衡的方法来包容感兴趣和受影响的个人和机构，但在 12 个项目中，参与者大多是城市项目的发展和规划专家以及农村项目的传统领导者（酋长）。没有社会地位、直接受事态发展影响的人仅占参加 PP 会议的人数的 15%。基于这些发现，