To start with

Africa has become more susceptible to climate threats than ever before despite contributing minimally to global emissions. The 2019 State of the Climate in Africa Report highlights that climate change is having a growing impact on the African continent. Similarly, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) found that weather and climate-related hazards in Africa have become more severe in recent decades. In addition, WMO reports that more than 110 million people on the continent were directly affected by weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2022. All of these point to one thing – climate change is not a myth, and Africa is not left untouched by its reality.

There were at least five major weather-related disasters in Africa in 2023. From flash floods in Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, cyclone in Mozambique, wildfires in Algeria, earthquake in Morocco and flooding in Libya, it has become evident that extreme weather conditions are a threat to the survival and livelihoods of African people and communities.

There is a close link between infrastructure development and climate change. In a joint report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the University of Oxford, it was revealed that infrastructure is responsible for 79% of all greenhouse gas emissions. However, the fear of climate risks is not a sound argument for neglecting infrastructure development in Africa. The important question should be how can we strike the right balance between developing essential infrastructure to meet critical needs while protecting the environment and securing the future from these climate risks? EIA has become one of the fundamental responses to building climate-resilient infrastructure.

What is EIA?

EIA, otherwise known as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is the process of identifying potential environmental risks associated with an infrastructure project. The 1991 Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (simply known as Espoo Convention) defines EIA as, “A procedure for evaluating the likely impact of a proposed activity on the environment.” The 1991 Convention takes a broad approach to define what ‘Impact’ means. Impact in this sense means, “Any effect caused by a proposed activity on the environment including human health and safety, flora, fauna, soil, air, water, climate, landscape and historical monuments or other physical structures or the interaction among these factors; it also includes effects on cultural heritage or socioeconomic conditions resulting from alterations to those factors.” To sum, anything that affects land, water, air, physical structures and/or health of people is sufficient to trigger an EIA process.

EIA allows decision-makers and stakeholders to holistically assess the project, paying close attention to any detrimental impact that might arise as a result of the project. It is important to note that infrastructure projects may not pose an immediate threat to the environment at the onset. Some environmental risks take several years and decades to materialise thus, EIA should be all encompassing and carried out for the short, mid and long-term.

The scope of EIA

EIA is carried out at the pre-development phase of an infrastructure project. Whilst the entire project development should feature an impact assessment before, during and after to allow for progressive reviews, it is of great necessity to undertake the EIA at the beginning – the horse that comes before the cart. If we consider the potential short, mid or long-term impact of infrastructure projects on the environment, we will interpret this as a mandatory requirement such that no project should be carried out without completing this important step.

The goal of EIA is multifaceted although it is often summed up as identification and prevention of future environmental risks. In reality, the goal of EIA is to have an evidential basis for why a project should be embarked upon, allowing the relevant decision-makers to arrive at a conclusion based on well-proven, detailed and documented facts. It is the basis relevant authorities decide whether to go ahead with the project or to bring it to a halt. Understanding the magnitude of this undertaking should compel the actors and stakeholders to ensure the EIA is done to superior standards and not a box ticking procedure.

Furthermore, EIA is not a universal requirement applicable to all kinds of projects. In fact, the scope of EIA is on a project-by-project basis as stated in respective national laws. What determines the scope of the application of EIA to any given project will be clearly stated in national legislations and policies – the law is the starting point!

Exclusive or shared responsibility

EIA is a multi-stakeholder process involving different key players. Generally, the project owner (often the developer or constructor) carries out the EIA by engaging an expert to complete an independent, unbiased assessment. At the end of this assessment, the project owner submits the EIA report to the relevant public authority as part of the application process to carry out the project. 

The onus of reviewing and certifying the credibility of the report as well as granting permission is on the concerned public body or authority who then decides the future of the project based on the report presented. Oftentimes, there are competing interests involved. On one hand, there is a project owner who is mostly a private business driven by profit and seeking to optimise the commercial value of the project. On the other hand, there is the public body charged with an important public duty to safeguard the environment and defend public interest. However, in between both actors is the general public whose input holds weight in the grand scheme of things.

You may wonder why and what role the general public, that is, you and I play in this process. Public consultation and participation is a crucial stage in EIA which allows members of the public to make inputs and have their voices heard in the process. This is achievable through access to information, public hearings and adequate representation of different aspects of the public, especially marginalised and underrepresented groups who are often discriminated against and may be disproportionately affected by the project. Members of the public who may be directly affected by the project must be provided with sufficient information and consulted – this is a transparent and inclusive process. Depending on the nature of the project, indigenous communities might have their ancestral and tribal lands affected which makes it all essential to protect their indigenous territorial rights.

Africa is doing alright

EIA used to be a mere fulfilment of donor-imposed criteria, that is, African states carried out impact assessments to appeal to donor organisations – such as the World Bank – providing funding for development projects. Over time, many African countries have become more deliberate in their approach to EIAs. As at 1999, the World Bank stated that EIA has become a standard requirement in 24 Sub-Saharan African countries, incorporated as part of their national legislations. 

Today, many African countries have now adopted legal and regulatory framework to ensure EIA is duly carried out in the course of development projects. For instance, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Gambia, Mauritius, Nigeria and others have included EIA provisions in one form or another within their national environmental laws. Other countries such as Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Zambia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo now have EIA requirements introduced in other forms of legislative framework which are implemented through administrative guidelines.

Nevertheless, adopting legislation is not the end but a means in itself. Despite legislative progress, many African countries have low capacity for monitoring compliance and implementing EIA provisions contained in their national laws. Most importantly, there is still a need to strengthen the public consultation process to be more democratic and equitable for all.

On a final note

EIA is a pathway to developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure. The goal for Africa as a continent is not just closing infrastructure gaps but ascertaining that in developing necessary infrastructure assets, the environment is adequately protected. Without this, the continent as a whole will only be moving in repetitive cycles such that eventual climate threats attributed to infrastructure projects may result in greater harm for people and their communities.