Eyes Wide Shut – how effective are EIAs?

Plan for Police Bay development available on the internet

The public scoping for the proposed Police Bay hotel development (see my previous blog) has brought EIAs into the public eye with a bang. In fact, this area is listed in the law as an Ecologically Sensitive Area and therefore one that needs an EIA for any project undertaken there. The public meeting at Takamaka was arranged by the developers and therefore it was a response required by law.

Every once in a while an advert appears in the Seychelles Nation stating that an Environmental Impact Assessment for some proposed hotel or other development is available for public inspection. Environmental Impact Assessments or EIAs are necessary for many types of development under Seychelles law. The Environment Protection Act and the Environment Protection (Impact Assessment) Regulations, S.I.39 of 1996 defines the types of development requiring EIAS as well as the procedures necessary. EIAs have been undertaken under this law since 1996, the first one for a hotel development on Praslin which I undertook. EIAs are conducted by consultants hired by the developer.

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