ID: 2102
Presenting Author: Yulita Muspitasari
Session: 622 - “Science isn’t just for scientists”: IA and advancing technical literacy
Status: pending
The study examines the way in which technical information is presented in EIAs and their influence on the comprehensibility and reliability of the information for the public.
Distrust of government information is a growing problem, including in the field of environmental impact assessment (EIA). The EIA instrument is intended to provide the public with objective environmental information and support decision-making processes. However, information in an EIA report is often presented in a technical, complex and sometimes biased manner. For example: using unclear language obscuring the actual impacts of a project; or adapting impact thresholds or subregion boundaries to reduce the significance of certain impacts. The study examines the way in which technical information is presented in EIAs and their influence on the comprehensibility and reliability of the information for the public.
The research highlights examples of ‘public-friendly’ and ‘complex-technical’ presentations of the EIA results. The research is performed through a qualitative document analysis of ten EIA reports from the past five years in the Netherlands. The four main criteria for this analysis are: clarity of the language that was used, structure of the report, use of visual presentation means, and the level of objectivity in the presentation of environmental impacts. Following the qualitative document analysis, the results were analyzed and discussed with relevant stakeholders.
With the findings and recommendations, the research has potential to improve the quality and accessibility of the information in EIA and reduce presentation bias. The more accessible and understandable the EIA is, the better it can contribute to trust in government information.
Yulita Muspitasari is a Spatial Planning Advisor for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands. This department is responsible for EIA and SEA implementation
Coauthor 1: Heather Huijting
Coauthor 2: Maartje van Ravesteijn