What is my role as a Swazi citizen in EIA Processes?
The participation of citizens in EIA processes is very important, as it will assist in the governance of adverse effects of proposed projects. As has already been mentioned above, Swaziland has recently seen a substantial growth of development projects. In the past year alone, about ten EIA Scoping notices for new development projects were advertised. Yonge Nawe observed that there was little participation by interested and affected parties in the EIA scooping meetings she attended. Participation in EIA scoping processes is a critical ingredient in EIA governance. Some possible reasons for little participation include among others; • EIA documents are too technical and difficult to understand, • Some documents are not found at specified locations for public comment, • Sometimes the venue chosen for meetings are not conducive to the intended communities, • Communities do not have a clear understanding of the EIA process, • Some people cannot afford to buy newspapers where the meetings a
