Critical challenges to consultants in pursuing quality of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) in Cambodia

Abstract

The challenges faced by consultants in improving ESIA quality in Cambodia are discussed in this paper. Despite progress since its introduction in 1996, ESIA practice and the role of stakeholders in Cambodia remain inconsistent, resulting in assessment reports that show significant gaps in critical information. Based on interviews, observations and report reviews, the role of the consultant is found to be vital. Certain shortcomings need to be addressed: consultancy roles are legislatively mandated; there is undue political influence; the socio-economic and environmental databases and amount of time for assessment are restricted; there is limited expertise among hired assessors; financial constraints; and a lack of serious regard by project proponents for ESIA and its consultants. Resolving these issues would greatly improve the potential contribution consultants toward good practice in ESIA.

Keywords::

• Cambodia
• challenges
• consultants
• ESIA
• quality

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from a Norwegian Scholarship provided through the Norwegian Embassy in Thailand, the Ministry of Environment, Royal Government of Cambodia, the participants in the study, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Notes

^1. Ministry staff were aware that the author was conducting a study and that he was going to use his experiences to inform the analysis.

^2. Prior to August 2014, there were more than 10 consulting firms, but there had been no formal requirement to register with the MoE. After the July election in 2013, licensing was reinforced and only eight firms appeared on the final list of registered firms. No clear registration criteria were publicised, and it cannot be determined whether or not the process was transparent.

^3.Dirty money used to buy the decision in the report. Many key informants suspected that this was a form of corruption exercised by both the government and private sector. Naturally, it is difficult to prove this since such payments do not leave a paper trail.