The National Human Rights Commission of Korea(Chairperson Lee Sungho) recommended to the Minister of Environment to devise and implement measures to effectively reflect opinion of local residents including provision of accurate and easy-to-understand information on environment to guarantee their right to information and participation, and enhancing local residents' participation through active PR activities.
The Commission from April to October, 2015, conducted a survey on 'status of and improvement measure for the right to environment of local residents in public project‘. During the survey, the provision of information and precess for receipt of opinion from local residents during environmental impact assessment and people's perception on the assesment was reviewed.
The Environmental Impact Assessment Act prescribes that in order to construct certain scale of public facilities, an environmental impact assessment has to be conducted, sufficient information on the facility has to be provided to local residents and their opinion have to be received. However, the survey shows that the local residents lack information and understanding on the public facilities that will be constructed and environmental impact that the construction would cause.
The Commission concluded that the following measures are needed to better provide accurate information on the construction to the residents, encourage their participation during the environmental impact assesment process and resolve people's concern after the construction.
First, accurate information regarding the planned construction has to be provided to the local community and press, and the contents have to be described in an easy-to-understand manner to resolve people's concern.
Second, in a bid to encourage people's participation to the environmental impact assessment process, the purpose of their participation has to be informed and the residents have to be considered when deciding the time and venue for the process.
Lastly, utilizing banner, mails and text message with which people are familiar can be a good methods to provide related information and encourage people's participation. In addition, as seen from foreign cases, systemic management and announcement of information through electric media can also be utilized.
The Commission believes that only when sufficient information on environment is provided to the local residents and people are participating to the project, their right to environment can be guaranteed. The Commission hopes that improvement of the system prevents unnecessary disputes and to strengthens transparency and credibility of the project.
