EDIAIS :Conference papers

Although today projects likely to have impacts are routinely subject to EIA, few undergo significant social, political or human rights impact assessments. These continue to be undermined within the EIA evaluation framework, which tends to dictate what information should be gathered and what should be prioritized, privileging certain information or knowledge over others. Decision-makers who in general show little enthusiasm for incorporating mechanisms for social-political and human rights issues into the terms of reference of impact assessment procedures appear to reinforce this. This paper focuses on the methodological problems associated with integrating rights issues into impact assessment. In particular it considers the influences of the rights to development agenda on the spatial context of development and its associated economic and political changes. It argues that there is a disjuncture between the universality of a rights based approach to development, and project level assessment and suggests that social-political and human rights impacts assessment and relevant mitigation policy measures should be addressed at strategic and as well as project level. This paper examines these tensions in the context of the impact assessment of large development projects, specifically in the context of displacement and resettlement, drawing on evidence from several topical case studies such as the Ilisu dam in Anatolia, Turkey.

to top of page

The Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded by clicking here