UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB PROJECT

Transcription

1 United Nations Environment Programme Global Environment Facility UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB PROJECT ADDRESSING LAND BASED ACTIVITIES IN THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN REGIONAL TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) The Report of the 3 rd Regional Meeting Somerset-West, South Africa, 9 th November 2007

2 First published in Kenya in 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme. Copyright 2008, United Nations Environment Programme This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Nairobi Convention Secretariat UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project Management Unit United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O Box 47074, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: / wiolab@unep.org DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of UNEP or the GEF. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the UNEP, or of the GEF, or of any cooperating organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, of its authorities, or of the delineation of its territories or boundaries. The report was prepared by Dr. Johnson U. Kitheka and Dr. Peter Scheren of the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Management Unit. For citation purposes this document may be cited as: UNEP, Addressing Land-based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean. Report of the 3 rd Meeting of the Regional Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Task Force. UNEP/GEF/WIO- LaB/EIA.3/2007

3 UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...1 RESUME ANALYTIQUE...2 DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 3 RD REGIONAL MEETING OF THE TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT...3 DECISIONS ET RECOMMANDATIONS DE LA TROISIEME REUNION REGIONALE DU GROUPE DE TRAVAIL SUR L EVALUATION DE L IMPACT ENVIRONNEMENTAL OPENING OF THE MEETING ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA PRESENTATION ON THE REGIONAL EIA GUIDELINES REVIEW OF THE FINAL DRAFT REGIONAL REPORT ON POLICY, REGULATORY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS WITH REGARD TO EIA IN THE WIO REGION DISCUSSION ON THE REGIONAL REPORTING/NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES ON EIA DISCUSSIONS ON THE STRATEGIES FOR THE DOMESTICATION OF REGIONAL EIA GUIDELINES ADOPTION OF THE DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MEETING CLOSURE OF THE MEETING...11

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 3 rd meeting of the Regional Task Force on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was held in Somerset-West, South Africa on 9 th November The meeting was attended by representatives of national institutions charged with the mandate of coordinating and regulating Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Kenya, Seychelles, Comoros and Mauritius. The meeting was hosted by the Southern Africa Institute for Impact Assessment (SAIEA ). The main goal of the meeting was to discuss the progress made in the implementation of the EIA Component of the WIO-LaB Project, particularly with regard to the following; (a) Finalization of the Regional Guidelines for EIA in the transboundary context; (b) Finalization of the Regional Report on policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks governing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the WIO Region; (c) Establishment of Strategies for the domestication of Regional EIA Guidelines in the WIO Region, and; (e) Discuss and chart the way forward for the development of notification procedures for transboundary impact assessments. The Regional Task Force also provided useful suggestions and recommendations for the finalization of the Guidelines as well as the regional report (see decisions and recommendations of the meeting in the following section). Southern Africa Institute for Impact Assessment UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 1

5 RESUME ANALYTIQUE La Troisième Réunion du Groupe de travail sur l Evaluation de l impact environnemental (EIE) s est tenue le 9 novembre 2007 à Somerset-West en Afrique du Sud. Y ont assisté les représentants des institutions nationales ayant pour mandat de coordonner et de contrôler l Evaluation de l impact environnemental (EIE) au Kenya, aux Seychelles, aux Comores et à Maurice. La réunion était organisée par l Institut sud-africain d évaluation de l impact environnemental (SAIEA ). L objectif majeur de la réunion était de débattre des progrès réalisés au niveau de la mise en œuvre de la composante EIE du Projet WIO-LaB, et plus particulièrement des points suivants : (a) La finalisation des Lignes directrices régionales en matière d EIE dans le contexte transfrontalier ; (b) La finalisation du Rapport régional sur les cadres politiques, réglementaires et institutionnels qui gouvernent l Evaluation de l impact environnemental (EIE) dans la région de l océan Indien occidental (OIO) ; (c) Le Rapport régional sur les cadres politiques, réglementaires et institutionnels qui gouvernent l Evaluation de l impact environnemental (EIE) dans la région de l OIO ; (d) L établissement de stratégies pour la transposition des lignes directrices régionales en matière d EIE dans la région de l OIO ; et (e) La discussion et la marche à suivre pour le développement des procédures de notification dans le cadre des évaluations de l impact transfrontalier. Le Groupe de travail régional a également émis des suggestions et recommandations utiles pour la finalisation des Lignes directrices ainsi que du Rapport régional (voir les décisions et recommandations de la Réunion au point suivant). Southern Africa Institute for Impact Assessment UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 2

6 DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE 3 rd REGIONAL MEETING OF THE TASK FORCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT The 3 rd meeting of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regional Task Force held in Somerset West, South Africa on 9 th November 2007, made the following decisions and recommendations taking into account the decisions made in previous meetings of the Task Force held in Maputo (July 2006) and Zanzibar (January 2007). The Regional Task Force; 1. Noted with appreciation the launching of the EA Guidelines for the assessment of transboundary environmental problems in the WIO region during the Joint Conference of Parties of Nairobi and Abidjan Convention held in Johannesburg, South Africa in November 2007 and also during the IAIA conference held in Somerset West in November Endorsed the final EA Guidelines for the assessment of transboundary environmental problems in the WIO region developed with the support of the UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project, and urged for participating countries in collaboration with Nairobi Convention to come up with appropriate strategies for their implementation at the national level. 3. Discussed the strategies for the domestication of EA Regional Guidelines for the assessment of transboundary environmental problems in the WIO region and recommended the appropriate national institutions in participating countries to establish strategies for the implementation of the same. 4. Reviewed and endorsed the final regional report on the review of policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks related to the application of the Environmental Assessment (EA) in the WIO region and urged the participating countries to implement the recommendations contained in the report. 5. Recommended the development of the notification procedures as a tool for operationalization of Article 13 of the Nairobi Convention and the proposed new Protocol on Land-based Sources and Activities and urged the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project in collaboration with the Nairobi Convention Secretariat to investigate and implement appropriate steps for the development, negotiation and adoption of the same. 6. Appreciated the effort made by WIO-LaB Project Management and the Regional EIA Consultant for the preparation of the EIA Guidelines and the Regional Report on the approaches for the application of EIA in the WIO Region, and urged for the publication and wide dissemination of the final version of the two documents. 7. Recognized the need for training at technical and decision making levels so that the guidelines can be implemented appropriately. Training relating to the EIA Guidelines generally and the review of EIA processes and reports specifically, is urgently required. It is proposed that such training be hands on and linked to real EIA case studies. EA means both project and strategic level assessment UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 3

7 8. Expressed appreciation to the Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) for hosting the 3 rd Regional meeting of the EIA Task Force. UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 4

8 DECISIONS ET RECOMMANDATIONS DE LA TROISIEME REUNION REGIONALE DU GROUPE DE TRAVAIL SUR L EVALUATION DE L IMPACT ENVIRONNEMENTAL La Troisième Réunion du Groupe de travail sur l Evaluation de l impact environnemental, qui s est tenue le 9 novembre 2007 à Somerset-West en Afrique du Sud, a pris les décisions et émis les recommandations suivantes, tout en tenant compte des décisions prises au cours des réunions précédentes du Groupe de travail qui se sont déroulées à Maputo (en juillet 2006) et à Zanzibar (en janvier 2007). Le Groupe de travail régional a : 1. Pris bonne note de la mise en application des Lignes directrices pour l Evaluation des problèmes environnementaux transfrontaliers dans la région de l OIO pendant la Conférence des parties conjointe des conventions de Nairobi et d Abidjan qui ont eu lieu en novembre 2007 à Johannesburg en Afrique du Sud, ainsi que pendant la Conférence de l Association internationale pour l'évaluation de l'impact (AIEI) tenue en novembre 2007 à Somerset-West. 2. Approuvé la version finale des Lignes directrices pour l Evaluation des problèmes environnementaux transfrontaliers dans la région de l OIO établies avec le soutien du Projet WIO-LaB PNUE/FEM et a encouragé les pays participants à collaborer avec la Convention de Nairobi afin d établir des stratégies appropriées pour la mise en œuvre au niveau national. 3. Débattu des stratégies pour la transposition des Lignes directrices régionales pour l Evaluation des problèmes environnementaux transfrontaliers dans la région de l OIO et a recommandé aux institutions nationales concernées des pays participants d établir des stratégies pour sa mise en œuvre. 4. Examiné et approuvé le Rapport régional final sur l examen des cadres politiques, réglementaires et institutionnels relatif à l application de l Evaluation de l impact environnemental dans la région de l OIO et a encouragé les pays participants à mettre les recommandations reprises dans le rapport en œuvre. 5. Recommandé le développement des procédures de notification en tant qu instrument permettant l application de l Article 13 de la Convention de Nairobi et du nouveau Protocole proposé sur les Activités et sources de pollution terrestres, et a encouragé le Projet WIO-LaB PNUE/FEM à collaborer avec le Secrétariat de la Convention de Nairobi afin de définir et mettre en œuvre les étapes requises pour le développement, les négociations et l adoption de ces procédures. Apprécié l effort fourni par la Direction du Projet WIO-LaB et le Consultant régional en EIE pour la préparation des Lignes directrices EIE et le Rapport. L évaluation environnementale comprend l évaluation aussi bien au niveau du projet que sur le plan stratégique UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 5

9 UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean 1. OPENING OF THE MEETING 1.1 The meeting was called to order by Dr. Peter Tarr of the Southern Africa Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA). The WIO-LaB Project Manager Dr. Peter Scheren expressed concern over non participation of Tanzania, Madagascar, and Mozambique in the meeting despite earlier indications that their delegations would attend the meeting. Non turnout of representatives of these countries led to the WIO-LaB Project incurring unnecessary losses. 1.2 The members of the EIA Regional Task Force from Kenya, Mauritius, Comoros and Seychelles, briefed the meeting on the experience and lessons learnt from their participation in the Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) held in the period 4 th to 9 th November 2007, in Somerset-West, South Africa. The participation of the members of the Regional Working in the IAIA Conference was supported by the WIO-LaB Project. 1.3 The members of the Regional Task Force who participated in the above mentioned conference expressed appreciation to the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project for supporting their participation. They reported that they gained new insights on matters related to environmental impact assessment that indeed contributed in building their capacity to manage impact assessment processes in their respective countries. 1.4 The members of the Regional Task Force also reported that through their participation in the conference they managed to establish new contacts and shared lots of ideas and information with other participants. They also indicated they learned a lot about the challenges faced by countries in the implementation of EIA. The members of the Regional Task Force also reported that mainstreaming of the application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) came out very strongly in the conference. In view of the high usefulness of the conference, they expressed willingness to participate in other forthcoming IAIA international conferences. 2. ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING 2.1 The members of the Regional Task Force on the development of Environmental Assessment Guidelines elected Mauritius to Chair the meeting. Mr. Keshore Kumar Heeramun of the Mauritius Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit accepted to chair the meeting on behalf of Mauritius. 3. CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA 3.1 The Chair, Mr. Keshore Kumar Heeramun introduced the provisional agenda and requested members of the Regional Task Force to propose any changes. However there were no proposals for changes and the provisional agenda prepared by the WIO-LaB Project Management Unit was adopted without amendments. The final version of the agenda is presented as Annex 1 of this report. UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 6

10 4. PRESENTATION ON THE REGIONAL EIA GUIDELINES 4.1 The Chair invited Dr. Peter Tarr, the Regional Consultant tasked with the responsibility of drafting the Regional EIA Guidelines for assessment of transboundary impacts to update the Regional Task Force on the current status with regard to the finalization of the guidelines. 4.2 Dr. Tarr took members of the Regional Task Force through the updated version of the Guidelines and indicated changes that have been effected in the document based on the feedback received from the participating countries as well as the WIO-LaB Project Management Unit. 4.3 Dr. Tarr informed the meeting that the final version of the guidelines was almost complete and that the final text would be posted on the Nairobi Convention, WIO-LaB Project and SAIEA websites. Dr. Tarr also reported that he would alert environmental impact assessment practitioners to make them aware of the availability of the guidelines in the above mentioned websites. It was noted that posting the guidelines on the internet would make them more accessible to a wide range of users. In addition to publishing hard copies, copies of the guidelines will also placed in CDs for wider distribution. During the meeting it was agreed that WIO-LaB Project Management would prepare the preface to the final version of the guidelines. 4.4 The meeting was also briefed on the official launching of the Regional Guidelines in Johannesburg on 6 th November 2007 during the Joint Conference of Parties to Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions and also in Somerset-West during the Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) held in the period 4 th to 9 th November 2007, organized by the Southern Africa Institute for Environmental Assessment. The dual launch of the guidelines was considered a major achievement, not only for the WIO-LaB Project, but also the Regional Task Force on Environmental Impact Assessment that spearheaded the preparation of the guidelines. 4.5 Mr. Jason Jacqueline, the Director in charge of Policy, Planning and Services Division in the Seychelles Ministry of Environment briefed the meeting on the key decisions related to the application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that was made during the Joint Conference of Parties to Nairobi and Abidjan Conventions. It was noted that this decision was a clear demonstration of the commitment by the governments of the WIO Region to implement the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as an important management tool. 4.6 Following the above mentioned discussions, the Regional Task Force approved the final version of the Guidelines and the WIO-LaB PMU was requested to proceed with the arrangements for the publication and distribution of the same. 4.7 The meeting noted that there was a need for specific training programmes for countries on use of the guidelines. Such training would facilitate appropriate use of the guidelines. It was also noted that through the application of the guidelines, countries would be able to provide further feedback on the challenges they face in the application of the regional guidelines. UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 7

11 5. REVIEW OF THE FINAL DRAFT REGIONAL REPORT ON POLICY, REGULATORY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS WITH REGARD TO EIA IN THE WIO REGION 5.1 The chair invited Dr. Peter Tarr, the Regional Consultant tasked with the responsibility of preparing the regional report on policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks with regard to EIA in the WIO Region to brief the meeting on the status of finalization of the report based on the feedback received from the participating countries and the WIO-LaB Project Management Unit. 5.2 Dr. Tarr took members of the Regional Task Force through the updated version of the report and indicated specific areas where changes had been effected based on the feedback received from participating countries. Members of the Task Force were requested to confirm whether the amendments done were satisfactory. 5.3 Following discussions on the regional report, the regional Task Force endorsed the final draft regional report on policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks with regard to EIA in the WIO Region and requested WIO-LaB Project Management Unit to proceed with the appropriate arrangements for the publication and dissemination of the report. 6. DISCUSSION ON THE REGIONAL REPORTING/NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES ON EIA 6.1 Dr. Peter Scheren, the WIO-LaB Project Manager provided background information on the need for development of regional reporting/notification procedures on EIA. He highlighted the linkages with the Article 13 part 7 of Nairobi Convention that urges the contracting parties to develop appropriate reporting procedures for the implementation of environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. 6.2 Dr. Scheren noted that although Article 13 obliges countries to report to each other, there were no reporting procedures in place. In order to comply with the requirements of Article 13 and to facilitate the operationalization of the Regional EIA Guidelines developed under the auspices of the WIO-LaB Project, the Procedures for Notification/Reporting on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context in the Western Indian Ocean Region were prepared on the basis of a similar Procedures prepared for the Caspian Sea Regional Seas Programme. 6.3 Dr. Johnson U. Kitheka, the UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Officer/Environmental Scientist briefed the meeting on the contents of the Procedures for Notification/Reporting on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context in the Western Indian Ocean Region. He highlighted the key sections of the Procedures including the notification templates. The Regional Task Force was requested to consider whether the WIO Region requires the notification procedures and also establish whether there were similar Procedures in place for the coastal and marine environment. 6.4 Following the above introduction, the members of the Regional Task Force on EIA noted that the development of the notification procedures was necessary as it would enable countries in the WIO Region to formally communicate with each other on matters related to environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. It was also reported that there were no similar notification procedures in the WIO Region that were specific to the coastal and marine environment. Although it was noted that the East African Community and UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 8

12 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) had reporting protocols, the same lacked specific details on how countries should report to each other and were not specific to the coastal and marine environment. Also, not all countries that were party to Nairobi Convention were members of EAC or SADC. 6.5 It was agreed that the development of the notification procedures should be the next step following successful preparation and delivery of the Regional Guidelines for impact assessment in a transboundary context. In view of the fact that WIO-LaB Project lifespan is limited, it was agreed that Nairobi Convention Secretariat should lead this work in partnership with other institutions. 6.7 It was also agreed that the draft version of the reporting notification procedures be circulated to the participating countries so that they could undertake national level review and consultations. It was agreed that the document should be sent to the National Focal Points who will organize national stakeholder s consultations. A consultant should be contracted to review the relevance of other reporting protocols. 6.8 It was also noted that in order to facilitate national level consultations in non-english speaking countries, the draft version of the notification procedures should be translated into French and Portuguese. Involvement of France/Reunion in the process for the development of the notification procedures was urged. 6.9 There was also an agreement that the final version of the notification procedures should preferably be ready by the time of 6 th Conference of Parties of Nairobi Convention where it would be approved and launched by the contracting parties. The submission of the document to the 6 th COP should take place after the notification procedures have been discussed and agreed upon at regional level. 7. DISCUSSIONS ON THE STRATEGIES FOR THE DOMESTICATION OF REGIONAL EIA GUIDELINES 7.1 During the discussions of the above mentioned agenda item, the representatives of the participating countries were requested to brief the meeting on the extent to which the regional EIA Guidelines could be domesticated in their countries. 7.2 Mr. Benjamin Langwen who is the acting Director of the Compliance and Enforcement Department in the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) informed the meeting that Kenya had already started implementing the guidelines by selecting the review criteria. However, he noted that the objectives of the guidelines need to be understood by NEMA officers as well Provincial and District Environment Committees, including the line ministry s officers involved in EIA in order to have consistency across the board with regard to implementation. In this regard, specific capacity building activities would be required. He also reported that the guidelines would be used to inform the EIA Consultants on what is expected of them. 7.3 Mr. Keshore Kumar Heeramun, the Head of the EIA Department in the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit in Mauritius reported that the guidelines would form the basis for capacity building for all officers involved in the EIA Process in Mauritius. He noted that in the absence of formal training, the guidelines would be useful to all agencies involved with the EIA Process. He noted that the guidelines would be available to all the concerned parties. He also reported that effort would be made to promote wide use UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 9

13 of the guidelines. The representative of Mauritius also noted that the guidelines would need to be reflected in the EIA Regulations through amendment of the relevant regulations. He noted that the document would provide Mauritius with an opportunity to finalize their sector guidelines. He finally noted that the EIA guidelines need to be understood by all the concerned stakeholders in Mauritius. 7.4 Mr. Jason Jacqueline who is the Director in charge of Policy, Planning and Services Division in the Seychelles Ministry of Environment reported that the guidelines would be useful if incorporated in the legal document. He noted that effort would be made to incorporate them in the EIA Regulations in Seychelles. He reported that the process had already begun in the Seychelles. 7.5 Mr. Farid Anasse who is Head of GIS Department in the Ministry of Environment, Comoros reported that although Comoros has 2001 decree, most of the government officials and EIA consultants were not fully familiar with the EIA Process and in this regard there was need to build the necessary capacity in the Comoros. He urged the WIO-LaB Project to assist Comoros come up with capacity building activities that would help Comoros implement the guidelines. He also noted that in order for the guidelines to be used, there was need to translate them into French. 7.6 Mr. Anasse noted that although there was an EIA Department in the Comoros, the capacity for EIA implementation was limited. The representative of the Comoros also urged for cooperation between countries in the region particularly with regard to sharing of expertise on the assessment of transboundary impacts. He noted that Comoros needed assistance to carry out certain environmental impact assessment studies because the capacity available in the country was limited. 7.7 There were further discussions on capacity building and it was agreed that capacity should preferably be built using real examples that would demonstrate how to use the guidelines. In this regard, countries were asked to identify an upcoming EIA that could be used as a capacity building case study. It was noted that this approach had been tried in some countries in Africa with the support of the Southern Africa Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA). 7.8 In summary, the key elements of the discussions were as follows; Translation of the guidelines into appropriate languages in the WIO Region and in particular French and Portuguese in order to facilitate wider application in the WIO Region. Capacity building through design and implementation of training programmes aimed at promoting the use of the guidelines as well as sensitizing policy makers and politicians on the importance of the guidelines. Updating or review/amendment of relevant national legislations, regulations and guidelines in order for the guidelines to be officially recognized as legal instrument. Awareness creation through wide dissemination of the guidelines, through stakeholder s workshops and also through updating of the official websites of relevant national institutions. 7.9 Dr. Peter Tarr informed the meeting about a pilot regional training course aimed at building awareness and sensitizing politicians on the application and use of EIA. He requested the representatives of the participating countries to submit names of interested UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 10

14 members of Parliament to participate in this course. The course will be held in the period July-August 2008 and will target parliamentarians Dr. Peter Scheren urged the representatives of participating countries to also look for opportunities in other projects that will be implemented in the WIO Region such as ReCoMaP. It was noted that the guidelines developed by the WIO-LaB Project should be the basis for capacity building components of other upcoming projects With regard to the creation of awareness at national level, he reported that the National Focal Points have been provided with financial resources for this purpose. He urged the members of the Regional Task Force to liaise with their countries National Focal Points in this regard. 8. ADOPTION OF THE DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MEETING 8.1 Dr. Peter Tarr presented the draft decisions and recommendations of the meeting drafted by the WIO-LaB Project Management Unit. The members of the Regional Working went through all the draft decisions and recommendations and provided suggestions for amendments. 8.2 Following the presentation and discussions, the draft decisions and recommendations were adopted with amendments. The final version of the same is presented in this report. 9. CLOSURE OF THE MEETING 9.1 The Chair thanked the members of the Regional Task Force on environmental assessment for their participation in the meeting. On behalf of the Regional Task Force, he also expressed appreciation to the Southern Africa Institute for Impact Assessment (SAIEA) for hosting the meeting. 9.2 Dr. Johnson U. Kitheka, on behalf of the WIO-LaB Project, also thanked members of the Regional Task Force on EIA for their support and participation in the process of preparation of the Regional Guidelines as well as the Regional Report on the application of EIA. 9.3 In the absence of any other business, the Chair declared the meeting closed at 4.55 pm on 9 th November UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 11

15 UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean Annex 1 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/01 The 3 rd Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Environmental Impact (EIA) Assessment Somerset-West, South Africa, 9 th November Opening of the meeting. PROVISIONAL AGENDA 2. Organization of the meeting and election of officers (Chair and Rapporteur). 3. Consideration and adoption of the provisional Agenda. 4. Presentation on the Regional EIA Guidelines. 5. Review of the final draft regional report on policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks with regard to EIA in the WIO Region (break-up sessions per country). 6. Discussion on the need and potentials for regional reporting/notification procedures on EIA. 7. Discussions on the strategies for the domestication of Regional EIA Guidelines. 8. Adoption of the Decisions and Recommendations of the meeting. 9. Administrative matters and Any Other Business. 10. Closure of the meeting. UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 12

16 UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean Annex 2 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/02 The 3 rd Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Environmental Impact (EIA) Assessment Somerset-West, South Africa, 9 th November 2007 Country Participant COMOROS 1. Mr Farid Anasse Point Focal National de la Convention de Nairobi Chef de Département SIG -Ministère chargé de l'environnement BP 41 CEFADER Mdé Union des Comores Tel: Fax: Mob: KENYA 2. Mr. Benjamin Langwen Ag. Director - Compliance and Enforcement Department National Environment Management Authority P.O. Box Nairobi, Kenya Tel: /7 blangwen@nema.go.ke 3. Mr. Zephaniah Ouma National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Kapiti Road, off Mombasa Road P.O Box City Square, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254) oumaozeph@yahoo.com MAURITIUS 4. Mr. Keshore Kumar Heeramun Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit Port Louis, Mauritius Tel : Mobile : Fax: keheeramun@mail.gov.mu 5. Mrs. Doolaree Boodhun Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit Port Louis, Mauritius Tel: Fax: dboodhun@mail.gov.mu SEYCHELLES 6. Mr. Jason Jacqueline Policy, Planning and Services Division Ministry of Environment P.O. Box 1145, Promenade House Mahe, Seychelles Tel: Fax: / j.jac@pps.gov.sc UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 13

17 Country Participant EIA Expert 7. Dr Peter Tarr Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment P.O. Box 6322 Ausspannplatz Windhoek, Namibia Tel: Fax: address: UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Management Unit 8. Dr. Peter Scheren Project Manager WIO-LaB Project Management Unit United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) P.O Box Nairobi, Kenya Tel: Fax: Dr. Johnson U. Kitheka Project Scientist WIO-LaB Project Management Unit United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) P.O Box Nairobi, Kenya Tel: Mobile: Fax: UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project 14

18 UNEP-GEF WIO-LaB Project Addressing Land Based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean Annex 3 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/03 The 3 rd Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Environmental Impact (EIA) Assessment Working Documents LIST OF DOCUMENTS DISTRIBUTED TO THE PARTICIPANTS UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/1 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/2 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/3 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/4 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/5 UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/6 Provisional Agenda Provisional List of Participants List of Documents Decisions and recommendations of the 3rd Regional meeting Final Draft Regional Report on Environmental Assessment approaches in the WIO Region Final Regional Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in the WIO Region Information documents UNEP/GEF/WIOLAB/EIA.3/INF.1 Draft Procedures for Notification and Reporting on Environmental Assessment in a Transboundary Context in the Western Indian Ocean Region UNEP/GEF WIO-LaB Project 15