Regional Guidelines for Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment

These draft Regional Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) have been collaboratively developed by the Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) on EIA comprised of 25 government and non-government members from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, and are now being made publicly available for feedback and comment from interested stakeholders. These regional EIA guidelines have been developed in response to the shared concern for increasing meaningful public participation in development planning, in the context of increasing investment projects across the Mekong region. Their purpose is to provide practical guidance for implementing meaningful public participation in the EIA process in the Mekong region, in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the EIA process, while reducing risks for projects as well as all stakeholders involved. The use of the guideline is envisioned to result in improved, sustainable, and more equitable development outcomes.