The role of public involvement in environmental impact assessment in Vietnam: towards a more culturally sensitive approach

Abstract

This paper explores the extent to which Western approaches to public involvement in environmental impact assessment (EIA) have been transferred to Vietnam, constraints on their use, and their appropriateness for the Vietnamese context. The research is based on an analysis of the public involvement content found in 26 EIA reports from development banks and interviews with 26 key informants. The study found that public involvement in Vietnam is generally technocratic, expert-driven and non-transparent, similar to the early days of EIA in the West and emerging economies. Public involvement usually occurs through authorised state channels such as commune leaders, mass organisations and professional organisations. The lack of a participatory culture for EIA, the nascent nature of grassroots democracy in the country, and Vietnamese cultural norms regarding respect for authority provide a challenging context for involving the public in EIA. The paper concludes by offering a number of suggestions for culturally appropriate public involvement at a time when Vietnam has just introduced mandatory public consultation for EIAs.

Keywords:

• environmental impact assessment
• public involvement
• Vietnam

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Adam Watson and Curtis Puncher for their assistance in arranging and conducting several interviews. They also thank Jay Roop for reviewing a previous draft of this paper and three anonymous reviewers for providing valuable comments.

Notes

1. According to the UNDP (2008), the adult literacy rate is the percentage of the population aged 15 and above who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.