Integrating sustainable development goals into environment impact assessment in India: A conceptual analysis

Abstract

The paper presents a systematic exploration of the linkages between environment impact assessment (EIA) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the Indian context through a critical analysis of the socio‐ecological impacts of development projects and the policy climate for environmental clearances. A conceptual framework portraying the interlinkages of the systemic disruptions in the socio‐ecological realms, policy challenges, and SDGs is developed, which argues for integrating the SDGs into the EIA framework in India. The paper argues that the legal fluidity and dilution in the design and enactment of EIA retrogrades the crucial socio‐political transformation required for achieving sustainability. The systematic literature review of empirical, conceptual, and grey literature, undertaken on Indian EIA, highlights its instrumental role as a political tool for achieving developmental sustainability. The paper concludes by highlighting the urgent need to mainstream ecological decision‐making into all governance processes for achieving the SDGs in a transforming society like India.

Sustainability in transforming societies

“…While the role of policymaking has been acknowledged widely and an abundance of policy tools have been designed since the publication of the Brundtland Report to tackle environmental and social problems, some alarming tendencies can also be observed regarding government intervention even in the case of such long-established tools as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as described in the third article of this special issue by Vannadil and Prasanna (2023). EIA is a crucial tool for ensuring that all kinds of development projects are sustainable and do not harm the environment by evaluating the potential environmental and social impacts of a proposed project and recommending measures to mitigate those impacts.…”

“…To address this challenge, there is a need for studies of how a robust and transparent EIA process can be created that considers the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Inner Development Goals (Jordan, 2021), and incorporates the views and concerns of all stakeholders, including local communities and civil society organizations. Vannadil and Prasanna (2023) have undertaken such a study in India and argue that the government must ensure that the EIA process is implemented effectively and is not diluted to favor economic growth at the expense of the environment, local communities, and civil society. They find that the legal fluidity and dilution in the design and enactment of EIA retrogrades the crucial socio-political transformation required for achieving sustainability.…”

“…While the authors conduct their analysis in the presence of a neoliberal developmental agenda in the country, such deviations from the original principles of EIA are increasingly spreading in illiberal democracies as well. Vannadil and Prasanna (2023) identify a number of recommendations based on the literature to utilize the potentials of EIAs as intended originally including knowledge sharing, improved participation and legal reform.…”