Abstract
The literature on impact assessment (HIA) registers the importance of stakeholder participation in the assessment process, but still lacks a model for engaging stakeholders of diverse ethnic, professional and sectorial backgrounds. This paper suggests that the multicultural approach can contribute to HIA through a revision of the generic 5-step HIA model, and its implementation in a metropolitan plan in Southern Israel. The health issue scoped by the stakeholders in the HIA is related to land uses in the vicinity of the national hazardous industry and hazardous waste site. The stakeholders were representatives of the diverse populations at stake, including rural Bedouins and Jewish city dwellers, as well as representatives from the public sector, private sector, non-governmental organizations and academia. The case study revealed that a multicultural stakeholder participation process helps to uncover health issues known to the community which were not addressed in the original plan, and provides local knowledge regarding health conditions that is especially valuable when scientific data is uncertain or absent. It enables diverse stakeholders to prioritize the health issues that will be assessed. The case study also reveals ways in which the model needs revisions and improvements such as in recruitment of diverse participants. This paper presents a multicultural model of HIA and discusses some of the challenges that are faced when HIA is implemented in the context of current decision-making culture.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 112-120 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Environmental Impact Assessment Review |
Volume | 43 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was funded by a doctoral fellowship from the Environment and Health Fund, Israel , for which the first author is grateful. We thank the HIA and public health experts who reviewed the model and made useful suggestions: Dr. Eva Elliot, Dr. Milka Dunchin, Chloe Chadderton and Amy Lipman. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their extremely constructive comments that greatly helped shape and improve this paper. Above all, we are especially grateful to the participants in the HIA.
Keywords
- Complexity
- Health impact assessment
- Industry
- Multiculturalism
- Stakeholder participation
- Uncertainty
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Ecology
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law