Evaluation of environmental impact assessment procedures and practice in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is a major developing country that is particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has implemented a number of environmental initiatives, and is prominent in the global push for sustainable development. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has a key role in achieving this goal. EIA has recently been introduced through the Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997 but there are a number of inadequacies with the current process. This paper critically examines the evolution of EIA in Bangladesh, the institutional structures supporting it, and case studies of EIA in practice. These data are used together with evaluation criteria to discuss the performance of the EIA process in Bangladesh and make a number of recommendations for improvement.