Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment: Review of 2005 to 2010 Legislative and Policy Framework and its Compatibility to International Best Practice

Abstract

Public participation (PP) is an integral aspect of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. PP in
EIA process facilitates environmental protection and sustainability of development projects. The study
from which this paper is derived was conducted from 2008 to 2010. The paper focuses on a component
of the study that used qualitative data to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of EIA legislation and
policy in Botswana from 2005 to 2010. Documented data and key informants interviews were the
principal methods used to gather the data used in the paper. The study established that there were useful
mandatory provisions for public participation in the Botswana 2005 EIA A`ct (which was repealed in
2011). It was also established that the legal and policy framework in Botswana was consistent with
international best practice principles of effective public participation drawn from the literature. The
conclusion drawn is that the provisions for public participation in the EIA system based on the 2005
EIA Act were generally effective.