Why are projects rarely rejected in environmental impact assessments? : narratives of justifiability in Brazilian and Canadian review reports.
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Data
2021
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Resumo
Projects that undergo environmental impact assessment (EIA) are rarely rejected.
Online registries and anecdotal evidence suggest that authorities approve almost all
proposed and assessed projects, though often with mitigation requirements. The
objective of this study was: 1) to identify the rules or criteria that reviewers and
authorities must observe when considering the acceptance or rejection of projects;
and 2) to understand how rare cases of rejection decisions are justified by
reviewers. Data were collected through literature and regulatory reviews, and
content analysis of review reports related to five Canadian and seven Brazilian
rejected projects. Reviewers from Canada and Brazil adopted similar approaches to
decision-making based on qualitative reasoning. Rejection recommendations were
based on reasons, such as significance of biophysical impacts, sensitivity of
locations and community values. The influence of reviewers’ recommendations on
final decisions remains unknown. The study highlights practical implications and
calls for greater transparency and rigor in EIA decision-making.
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Palavras-chave
Decision-making, Project approval, Rejection, Brazil, Canada
Citação
FONSECA, A. de F. C.; GIBSON, R. B. Why are projects rarely rejected in environmental impact assessments?: narratives of justifiability in Brazilian and Canadian review reports. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2021. Disponível em: <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09640568.2020.1852073?journalCode=cjep20>. Acesso em: 29 abr. 2022.