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Collaborative Environmental Project in Indonesia ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT |
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Environmental
Impact Assessment for Tourism Developments: An Evaluation of the
Indonesian Example by:
Patricia J. Simpson (e-mail
address:
) Thesis
for Master of Environmental Studies University of Waterloo, 1998 This
thesis investigates the role of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for
developments in the tourism industry in developing countries.
Tourism, an important agent of economic growth, is being used in
many developing countries as a major tool of development.
However, as well as earning foreign currency and contributing to
national revenues, tourism can be a source of serious impacts on the
environment. EIA is a useful
tool for environmental management in that it can assist decision-makers to
incorporate environmental considerations into development planning. EIA
processes should provide alternative development options so that
“best” choices can be made. Many developing countries are starting to
legislate requirements for EIA before developments are approved.
EIA procedures must be developed that are specific to the
conditions in developing countries. Indonesia’s
EIA system (Analisis
Mengenai Dampak Lingkungan, or AMDAL) is mandatory for all new
developments that are expected to have significant impacts on the
environment, including tourism developments.
This thesis derives evaluation criteria for EIA processes in
developing countries from the literature.
Then the AMDAL process is evaluated by comparing the theoretical
process, as outlined in national regulations and guidelines, with the role
that it actually plays, as revealed by observation and interviews with key
informants, and as demonstrated in two case studies of tourism
developments in the country. The
AMDAL training process is also examined and evaluated for its ability to
prepare individuals to assess the impacts of tourism developments. This
investigation reveals that although the AMDAL process is well designed and
has the potential to effectively assess the environmental impacts of
tourism developments, in practice several obstacles prevent the process
from being used for optimal effectiveness.
These obstacles include a lack of national commitment to
implementation of environmental policy, insufficient understanding of
tourist behaviour and the impacts of tourism, and insufficient guidelines. Finally,
recommendations are formulated for improvements to the AMDAL process as it
is applied to tourism developments. |
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