The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has launched the first ever French version of the regional Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines in Noumea, New Caledonia.
The guidelines have been developed to assist SPREP's member countries and territories with developing stronger EIA processes to help achieve sustainable and resilient development outcomes. The newly launched French version will greatly help SPREP's French speaking members to fully utilise the guidelines.
"SPREP has developed these guidelines in response to a request from SPREP members for EIA capacity-building" said Ms Anne-Claire Goarant, Chargée de Mission, Regional Cooperation and External Affairs, Government of New Caledonia.
Mr Paul Anderson of SPREP, presenting the French version of the EIA Guidelines to
Ms Anne-Claire Goarant. Photo: SPREP
"These EIA guidelines will be really helpful for all stakeholders involved in development assessment, from consultants to local collectives, lawyers and NGOs. The main value of these guidelines is that they are tailored to the specific environmental conditions of Pacific islands. We are very grateful to SPREP for having translated these guidelines into French."
The publication builds on SPREP's long-running EIA assistance programme in the Pacific, and has been developed as a practical, user-friendly manual that includes a tool kit with step-by-step instructions and checklists for key stages of the EIA process such as screening new developments, developing terms of reference for EIA reports, and reviewing EIA reports.
The development of the French version was made possible by the European Union-funded African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Multilateral Environmental Agreements project, implemented through UN Environment, delivered by SPREP.
For more information please contact Ms Melanie Bradley, Environmental Planning Officer with the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Division, on [email protected].