Good governance quality in Namibia’s environmental impact assessment process

Abstract

EIA is a well-known environmental governance tool. EIA in Namibia started in the 1980s, voluntarily, till independence, when legislations were developed. Since its implementation, no study has assessed the quality of Namibia’s EIA process. This study assesses the quality of the EIA mechanism in Namibia and the extent to which the process satisfies governance principles. The evaluation criteria used were obtained from sources in the literature and based on the United Nations governance principles. Data were collected through a survey and subsequent interviews with experts. Out of 12 criteria used to examine adequacy, only four were scored as adequate. Important EIA requirements on cumulative impacts, alternatives, and follow-up were rated as inadequate. Namibia’s EIA process partially satisfies eight out of ten qualities of good governance, with accountability and transparency rated as poor. These inadequacies may have implications on the quality of assessment and the decisions thereof. An EIA process that fails to meet good governance qualities can be deemed unfit to achieve the intended purpose. Experts suggested that EIA quality can improve when legislation is supported with guidelines, financial input, and a plan to decentralize.