Environmental Impact Assessment System: Case Analysis of Existing Legal Disputes

Abstract: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) refers to the process of assessing the possible impact of planning activities on the environment. This paper contends that the current international legal framework does not adequately delineate the activation criteria for EIA and overlooks the significance of international collaborative duties that come into play when sovereign states embark on the initiation and execution of EIA processes. Only in relation to the general principles of international law can the nature of the EIAs obligation be comprehended. When dealing with cross-border damage, the requirement for due diligence is complemented by an implicit responsibility to collaborate. This latter obligation arises under identical situations as the due diligence requirement, particularly in response to 'the likelihood of significant environmental damage,' and thus, it needs to be satisfied by the national government under equivalent circumstances. This paper argues that the courts interpretation of environmental impact assessment is incomplete which is reflected in two aspects: (1) the ambiguity in the court's grasp of the EIA threshold's unpredictability. The International Court of Justice fails to clarify the criteria for establishing a 'substantial environmental risk'. (2) The court's oversight in considering the duty to collaborate could result in an overemphasis on the material aspects of EIA-treating it merely as a technical instrument. By reintegrating the cooperation duty, a more balanced perspective on the procedural elements of EIA could be achieved. Delving into strategies to rectify these two deficiencies and obtaining a holistic insight into the International Court of Justice's approach to EIA will yield substantial implications and relevance for future EIA-related endeavors.