STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE INDIA ECODEVELOPMENT PROJECT: EXPERIENCES, PROSPECTS AND LESSONS LEARNT

摘要

The India Ecodevelopment Project (IEP), supported from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and International Development Aid (IDA), funds of The World Bank is a major initiative to promote the conservation of biological diversity through the implementation of the ecodevelopment strategies around select Protected Areas (PAs) in India. The environmental review of the IEP became a mandatory requirement for fulfilling the investment eligibility criteria of the donor agencies. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was applied as an environmental appraisal tool for the evaluation of proposed investment under IEP. The paper discusses the lessons learnt from the application of SEA to IEP in two select PAs viz. Gir National Park and Sanctuary and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. SEA led to the identification of the impact potential of some of the activities proposed under IEP. Accordingly, appropriate strategies and feasible alternatives have been suggested for reducing undesirable changes in the ecological, economic and social fabric of the two PAs' environment. The SEA has been undoubtedly recognised as a powerful means to steer the IEP along environmentally sustainable path.