Impact Assessment Legislation in Facilitating Sustainable Development

This book examined whether and to what extent, Tanzanian impact assessment process facilitates sustainable development in practice, by critically examine the Tanzanian laws and policies on impact assessment and examples of EIAs and SEAs conducted in the country. The main objective was to make recommendations, based on the findings, on how to improve impact assessment legislation, in order to be more effective at promoting sustainable development. It was found that many of the key factors which are required to promote sustainability were lacking. The author recommended different measures to be taken to improve impact assessment legislation, including the review of existing legislation in terms of their efficiency in integrating sustainability dimensions into the decision-making process. Also, important was the introduction of mechanisms to promote participation of stakeholders, as well as benefit-sharing, social equity and poverty alleviation. This should go together with strengthening coordination mechanisms, as well as institutional reform which should focus on enhancing the culture of law abidingness, enforcement and accountability.