ID: 48
Presenting Author: Tokunbo Olorundami
Status: pending
Explores how place & power shape communication in EIA. Nigerian cases show procedural consultation can reinforce hierarchies; EIA should enable co-production of knowledge with local voices and experie
EIA is intended as a participatory process that integrates environmental considerations into decision-making. Yet, in practice, questions of place and power often shape whose voices are heard, how information circulates, and which outcomes are legitimized. This paper critically examines the communicative dimensions of EIA, exploring how the spatial context of assessment consultation, the cultural, political, and ecological characteristics of place, intersects with institutional power structures to influence public consultation and environmental governance. Drawing on a review of EIA reports, practice, and policy frameworks, with a focus on case studies from Nigeria, the analysis reveals how formal mechanisms of participation can reproduce existing hierarchies when communication is treated as procedural rather than dialogical. The paper argues that meaningful impact assessment requires moving beyond tokenistic consultation toward genuine co-production of knowledge, where local place-based experiences inform decision-making on equal terms with technical expertise. By situating EIA within broader debates on environmental justice, power, and communication, this study highlights the need to reframe assessment processes as spaces of negotiation and shared learning, rather than mere regulatory compliance.
Dr. Tokunbo Olorundami is a Lecturer and Academic Director for the MSc in Env Mgt & Sustain, with over a decade of experience teaching Geography & Environmental Planning.