China's environmental watchdog has issued a set of guidelines on public participation in environmental impact assessment, encouraging the direct involvement of the general public in the country's environmental affairs.

 

"This is the first official document on public involvement in the environmental sector, which will make government decisions in the sector more transparent and democratic," according to Pan Yue, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

 

The document stipulates that construction managers and environmental protection departments are obliged to seek public opinion on the potential impact of a project on the environment.

 

The guidelines provide that public involvement must be carried out in "an open, equal, extensive and convenient way".

 

It reads: "The public must be given at least 10 days to voice their opinions before a project manager submits its report for approval."

 

This is a major shift from the situation previously where, despite their eagerness to participate in China's environmental affairs, the public was largely ignored.

 

"The lack of transparency in decision-making has resulted in disputes on environment impact and even mass unrest after the completion of many construction projects," Pan said.

 

Pan pledged that the SEPA will set up a comprehensive system to disseminate environmental information and makes procedures more specific to ensure effective public involvement.

 

China first looked into a way of involving the public in 2005, when a construction project in Yuanmingyuan, a former imperial garden in the western suburbs of Beijing, caused an uproar around the country.

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2006)