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National Environmental Assessment Requirements and Relation to World Bank Policies. Relevance to Central Asia. Ruxandra Floroiu, Environmental Engineer, ECSSD The World Bank September 29, 2009 Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Topics. General Overview of National EA System in Central Asia (CA)
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National Environmental Assessment Requirements and Relation to World Bank Policies Relevance to Central Asia Ruxandra Floroiu, Environmental Engineer, ECSSD The World Bank September 29, 2009 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Topics • General Overview of National EA System in Central Asia (CA) • Relationship to WB EA policy • Weaknesses of CA System
National EIA System General Overview in CA • EIA Legislative Framework • EIA Process in CA • Summary of National EIA procedures
CA EIA Legislative Framework Main Environmental Laws • Law on Water/Drinking Water/Water Code • Law on Environmental Protection (framework)/Environmental Expertise/Environmental Code (KZ, draft in KG) • Law of Air Pollution Protection • Law on Specially Protected Natural Areas • Law on Industrial and Domestic Waste • Law on Fishery • Law on Subsoil/Fauna Land Code/Forest Code (KG) • Law on the Ozone Layer Protection/
CA EIA Legislative Framework • Ecological expertise • Environmental permitting and audits • Environmental Enforcement and liability • International and transboundary cooperation • EIA and SEA • Public access to environmental info • Environmental monitoring • Environmental quality standards, emissions, discharges, noise
EIA Key Players The Developer MENR/MEP/State Agency Local/Territorial Environmental Committees Environmental Review Expert Group, members of Academy of Science, experts, professors NGOs, the Public EIA Activities Mandatory for all new/existing activity regardless size/effect Construction/Rehabilitation extension/upgrading projects New technology development; Drafts of local programs on environment protection EIA Process in CA
EIA Process in CA Submission of application by Developer to obtain an Environmental Permit: • Initial examination decision on EIA Scope • Development of EIA Report/EMP • Review of EIA Report by MEP/SSE including public consultation and disclosure • MEP Decision on project approval/rejection • Construction and operational phase
Integration of WB EA requirements with Typical CA National Procedures World Bank NATIONAL LEGISLATION Identification/ Preparation Pre/Feasibility Study Preliminary EIA incl. mitigation measures EA/EMP Appraisal Detail Design Bidding Docs Final EIA Env. Permit (Monitoring) Construction Permit Implementation
Weaknesses of CA system • Lengthy EIA review/approval process • Public hearing quality not very satisfactory; public access to environmental information • Different degree of sector-specific integration to address environmental issues • Enforcement and compliance system - Capacity to comply with environmental requirements and Reporting • Limited capacity an inefficient internal organization of environmental institutions
Additional requirements of WB • More widespread adoption of environmental management and monitoring plans • Identification of more proactive best management practices • More explicit measures to address construction related (localized) impacts and mitigation • Greater public consultation, documentation and disclosure requirements