Roles and stakes in environmental impact assessment follow-up

This article presents some of the innovative practitioner experiences with environmental impact assessment (EIA) follow-up discussed at a workshop during the recent IAIA’01 conference in Colombia. Key issues raised included how EIA follow-up is initiated and who is responsible. Examples driven by proponents, regulators and the community are presented. Key points are that a focus on environmental management is essential, both proponents and the community directly benefit from EIA follow-up outcomes, preparation for follow-up should occur early in the EIA process and follow-up is particularly important to ensure implementation of mitigation measures and in cases where cumulative effects occur.