In Cameroon, Decree Nº2005/0577 of 23 February 2005 governs environmental impact assessments (EIAs). There are two types of EIAs in Cameroon: summary and detailed. The conduct of an EIA is mandatory for specific development projects; and these categories of development projects are listed by an order of the Minister in charge of the environment. The basic EIA procedure is as follows:
- The promoter of the project deposits a file of the proposed project with the competent Ministry (depending on the nature of the project) and another file at the Ministry in charge of environment, against a receipt;
- The technical Ministry transmits the file to the Ministry in charge of the environment, giving its reasoned opinion on the terms of reference of the study. If the Minister in charge of environment has no comments, the promoter may consider the terms of reference for the study to be accepted;
- The EIA report for the proposed project is completed according to the terms of reference;
- The promoter deposits the EIA report of the proposed project at the competent Ministry and the Ministry in charge of environment;
- Upon the receipt of the EIA report, each Ministry creates a team to verify, gather opinions of concerned populations, and draft an evaluation report which is transmitted to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment;
- The competent Ministry sends a copy of its opinion to the Ministry in charge of environment;
- The Ministry in charge of environment deliberates and issues its opinion regarding the acceptability of the EIA report, and it notifies the promoter of its acceptance or its request for correction. If there is silence on the part of the Ministry in charge of environment, the EIA report is presumed to have been accepted;
- The Ministry in charge of environment transmits to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment the files considered admissible, including the EIA report that has been declared acceptable, the impact study evaluation reports, and the evaluation reports and registers of consultations and public audiences;
- The Inter-Ministerial Committee gives its opinion on the impact study.
- Upon receipt of the opinion of the Inter-ministerial Committee, the Minister in charge of environment then issues its decision on the EIA report either by:
- granting a favourable decision;
- giving a conditional decision; or
- giving an unfavourable decision, which means the that the project cannot be executed; and
- The favourable decision becomes time-barred if the promoter does not start executing the project within three years.
While the EIA process in Cameroon is similar to that in many States, two aspects are particularly important. First, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment plays a key role in coordinating the process; and second, opportunities are provided for public review and comment on the draft EIA. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment includes the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP) and other technical ministries. The Deputy Minister (Ministre Délégué) of MINEP presides over the Committee.
There is a public participation process by which MINEP consults with the local communities in the area near the planned site for the project. NGOs are included in the public participation process, and the public is informed several weeks before the actual date of the consultation, so that they have an opportunity to review the draft EIA and to prepare their comments. The results of the consultation are forwarded to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Environment.
The opportunities for public involvement in the EIA process are usually undertaken through a public hearing process that brings together the various stakeholders, including the neighboring and affected communities, who understand the social, economic, and ecological aspects of the area. Issues emerging from the public participation process are integrated into the project environmental management plan, for example for monitoring of the impacts.
For more information, see http://www.spm.gov.cm or contact Ms. Prudence Galega galegapru@yahoo.com or Mr. Samson Neckmen s_neckmen@hotmail.com