TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigating communication of findings in Environmental Impact Assessment and developing a research agenda for improvement
AU - Bond, Alan
AU - Retief, Francois
AU - Morrison-Saunders, Angus
AU - Pope, Jenny
AU - Alberts, Reece C
AU - Roos, Claudine
AU - Cilliers, Dirk
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims to embed consideration of the significance of predicted environmental consequences (the findings) of proposed developments into approval decision making. Achieving this aim relies on adequate communication of the findings of the EIA to the stakeholders, especially the decision makers responsible for the approval decision. However, the naïve assumption that this communication of findings can be effectively achieved through the publication of a written report pervades legislation worldwide, despite decades of evidence to the contrary. As a first step towards improving such communication, this research identifies the contingent conditions associated with effectively transferring EIA findings from an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to decision makers and other stakeholders based upon literature review. The transmission of meaning is found to be the major theme underpinning good communication, subdivided into discourse, readability, and legitimacy. Based on a clearer understanding of the limitations associated with an EIS as a communication medium, and acknowledging there are likely to be better mechanisms for transferring the meaning of the findings of an EIA to decision makers and other stakeholders, a pragmatic research agenda is outlined. This includes some initial suggestions of other research fields (like semiotics and social psychology), or technologies (like AI) that may provide learning and improvement opportunities.
AB - Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims to embed consideration of the significance of predicted environmental consequences (the findings) of proposed developments into approval decision making. Achieving this aim relies on adequate communication of the findings of the EIA to the stakeholders, especially the decision makers responsible for the approval decision. However, the naïve assumption that this communication of findings can be effectively achieved through the publication of a written report pervades legislation worldwide, despite decades of evidence to the contrary. As a first step towards improving such communication, this research identifies the contingent conditions associated with effectively transferring EIA findings from an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to decision makers and other stakeholders based upon literature review. The transmission of meaning is found to be the major theme underpinning good communication, subdivided into discourse, readability, and legitimacy. Based on a clearer understanding of the limitations associated with an EIS as a communication medium, and acknowledging there are likely to be better mechanisms for transferring the meaning of the findings of an EIA to decision makers and other stakeholders, a pragmatic research agenda is outlined. This includes some initial suggestions of other research fields (like semiotics and social psychology), or technologies (like AI) that may provide learning and improvement opportunities.
KW - environmental impact assessment
KW - ; environmental impact statement
KW - communication
KW - meaning
KW - semiotics
KW - social psychology
KW - verbatim
KW - gist
U2 - 10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107453
DO - 10.1016/j.eiar.2024.107453
M3 - Article
VL - 105
JO - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
JF - Environmental Impact Assessment Review
SN - 0195-9255
M1 - 107453
ER -