EIA AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: THE PROMISES AND CHALLENGES IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT

Developmental activities are spatially and temporally specific in nature, and  are characterized by impact that are felt more in their areas of localization, and hence the imperative for the  involvement of the locals/ indigenous people in (whose domains such projects are situated  in)  the  impact assessment process of such projects. This is  because those who live on the land and harvest its resources have closer affinity to it, and therefore have more intimate knowledge of the land, and  its functioning, than the outsiders. These groups of people are therefore, on better stead to contribute to better and efficient management of their environment. This study assesses the roles, promises and challenges of the EIA tool, as well as indigenous knowledge in environmental sustainability and well being through content analysis, and recommends the incorporation of Indigenous Environmental knowledge (IEK) into the EIA processes, since most EIAs do not adequately serve their purposes lately.

Keywords:Environment; Development; Indigenous People; Environmental Impact Assessment.