By NCEA
038-i

Advisory review: EIA for coastal resource management - Sri Lanka

Project details

Status

Issued

Country

Sri Lanka

Activity type

ESIA/SEA advice

Subject

Coastal zone management, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Flood protection

Last modified

02 April 2019

The NCEA issued an advisory review of an EIA for coastal resource management in Sri Lanka. It concluded that the EIA report is relatively well done given the current stage of the project, and that no serious adverse environmental impacts may be expected to undermine the project's objectives.

Significant details

While reviewing the EIA-report and the draft final report, the Commission kept in mind that the CRMP is essentially a feasibility study and that the designs and layouts of the various coastline stabilization works are (and can be) only conceptual at this stage. The same is applicable to the EIA-report, which was prepared in conjunction with the draft final report. The latter is comprehensive but not site-specific and does not allow for identification and formulation of site-specific adverse environmental impacts and mitigation measures. The Commission is of the opinion that at this stage the draft final report and the EIA-report give a good description of the problems and possible solutions.
The Commission concludes that although the environmental impacts and possible mitigation measures are dealt with rather generally, the project is environmentally sound and technically feasible and no constraints are expected, which cannot be solved. Provided detailed site-specific EIAs will be prepared as part of the design studies of both the Coastline Stabilization component and the CERM activities, and provided these EIAs will meet the standards required for environmental clearance (to be reviewed according to the rules of the Coastal Conservation Act and the National Environmental Act), there is no reason to believe that serious adverse environmental effects will undermine or hamper the achievement of the Projects’ objectives.
With regard to project implementation, the Commission recommends to adopt a phased approach. This is justified because on the one hand a number of proposed project interventions have not yet been worked out in sufficient detail to be properly assessed, but on the other hand, a number of interventions need urgent follow up (e.g. coastline stabilization works in certain areas, implementation of completed Special Area Management plans).

Advisory reports and other documents

17 Mar 2000: Advisory review

Parties involved

Members of the working group

prof. dr. ir. Eco Bijker

ir. Lambartus Piet van Lavieren

Jan Willem Overbeek

Wijeskera

Chair

mr. Jan-Willem Kroon

Technical secretary

ir. Ineke Steinhauer

Proponent

Coast Conservation Department (CCD)

Competent authority

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs