Contextual phases in the institutionalization of the environmental assessment of road development in Cameroon

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the institutionalization of the environmental assessment (EA) of road development in Cameroon is context-sensitive. A content analysis of literature and key stakeholders' interviews reveals that socio-economic processes of the 1990s guided by, among...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Impact assessment and project appraisal 2007-06, Vol.25 (2), p.139-148
Main Authors: Bitondo, Dieudonné, André, Pierre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cameroon
Content analysis
context-sensitive
environmental assessment
Environmental impact
Environmental impact analysis
Highways - Environmental aspects
Infrastructure - Cameroon
Institutionalization
road development
Roads & highways
Studies
Sustainable development
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Summary:The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the institutionalization of the environmental assessment (EA) of road development in Cameroon is context-sensitive. A content analysis of literature and key stakeholders' interviews reveals that socio-economic processes of the 1990s guided by, among others, the concepts of sustainable development, poverty reduction and good governance shaped the context of forestry and environmental policy reforms that led to the institutionalization of EA of road development. The Rio Earth Summit, the involvement of donors and non-governmental organizations in release mechanism programmes and projects enhanced this process. With this background, three phases were determined: the marginality phase (before 1992), when roads were constructed without EA, a general formalization phase (1992-1994), during which a nationwide EA framework was promulgated, and a specialization phase (after 1996), when the implementation of EA of road development became operational, even before the nationwide system. An understanding of the context must be included in the institutionalization process of EA, especially in developing countries.
ISSN:1461-5517
1471-5465
DOI:10.3152/146155107X210917