AFG: Administrative Guidelines for the Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments
The following public information guidelines have been issued in terms of the Environmental Law of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (Official Gazette No. 912, dated 25 January 2007). These guidelines have been prepared as a companion to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (Official Gazette No. 939, dated 10 March 2008). The guidelines are provided to assist those undertaking development projects that may have a potential impact on the environment, and will guide proponents on the various aspects of dealing with the National Environmental Protection Agency as the competent environmental authority in Afghanistan. It will also provide guidance on how the public should be consulted and the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the process.
These guidelines should be read in conjunction with:
-
The Environment Law, 1385 (Official Gazette No. 912, dated 25 January 2007)
-
The Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 1386 (Official Gazette No. 939, dated 10 March 2008)
-
The National Environmental Impact Assessment Policy – “An Integrated Approach to Environmental Impact Assessment in Afghanistan” (issued in terms of Executive Order No. 1/86, dated 25 November 2007).
The role of environmental impact assessment is also described in the abovementioned documents and provides the basis for deciding what kind of projects should be subject to an EIA, who has responsibility for undertaking the EIA process, and what role the proponents are expected to play in this process.
To date EIA in Afghanistan has been mainly undertaken by development agencies and alike with occasional reference to the National Environmental Protection Agency. With the promulgation of the Environment Law and the EIA regulations and the issuing of the EIA policy, it is now expected that donors and their contractors, United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations will make concerted efforts to follow these guidelines and implement the laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.