We all have at some time or the other experienced the ‘bystander effect’ – a situation where something was happening where help was needed and everyone thought that someone else would make a call or step in – but in the end, no one did or someone did when it was too late.With the rise of industrialization and its numerous resulting impacts, sustainable use of the world’s natural resources has been the driving factor and priority of many international agreements. What is evident in these agreements is that the responsibility for resource use and their effects have shifted from being solely that of governments to that of increasing stakeholder participation. As such, it has become increasingly necessary to establish mechanisms to allow for increasing community participation to achieve environmental management goals. Through a ‘bottom-up’ approach, it is possible to capture the invaluable contribution of communities in the environmental decision-making process.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mechanisms that seek to involve communities in many of its decision-making processes. For example, the community participation is factored into the process for the permitting of new projects. If the EPA determines that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not needed for a new project, a notice is published in at least one daily newspaper to inform the public of the EPA’s position. Members of the public can then make any appeals to that decision to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) within 30 days of the notice. The EAB will then confirm or reject the decision.
When an EIA is required, a notice of the project is provided to the public in the newspapers to invite public submissions on issues of interest to inform the EIA process within 28 days. A summary of the project is also made available to the public via the EPA, developer and sectoral agency. When the EIA is submitted, the public is again informed and given 60 days to make submissions regarding the EIA. The EAB considers these submissions when reviewing the EIA as part of the permitting process.
As a member of the public you can also file complaints confidentially regarding the breach of environmental standards and environmental nuisances within your community.

Don’t be a bystander! Never miss your opportunity to voice your concerns on issues which may affect you or your community.

Adapted from the UNEP-International Environment Technology Centre (IETC), Environmental Management and Community Participation: Enhancing Local Programmes See more on community participation at http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/kms/data/1459.pdf

Share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com or you can contact the Agency on 225-5467-9.