Abstract
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) by various sectors for development activities still needs operational guidelines to avoid failures. The High Aswan Dam in Egypt and the Calaca Thermal Power Plant in the Philippines were examined to delineate lessons. Three sorts of methodological failures were identified in these cases, although they differ in many aspects. They are (1) preoccupation with the previous case, (2) oversimplified assumptions about cause and effect, and (3) lack of a holistic viewpoint. These cases were also influenced by political biases, which led to inappropriate assessment methodologies and, subsequently, to erroneous conclusions. Care should be taken to avoid these universal failures in carrying out an assessment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abdel-Wahad, M.F. (1982). Schistosomiasis in Egypt. Boca Raton, Fl: CRC Press.
CIA. (1993). 1993 Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Washington, D.C.: CIA.
Cline, B. et al.(1989). “1983 Nile Delta Schistosomiasis Survey—48 Years after Scott.” American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 41, 56–62.
COAPS. (1998). “ENSO Index According to JMA SSTA.” Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS), Florida State University (available at http://www.coaps.fsu.edu/~legler/ jma index.html).
Farvar, M.T. and J.P. Milton. (1972). The Careless Technology—Ecology and InternationalDevelopment. New York: National History Press.
Fujikura, R. (2000). “Sulfuroxides Emission ControlMeasures at Calaca Coal-Fired Thermal Power Plant in Philippines” (in Japanese). Journal of International Development 9(2), 145–156.
Fujikura, R. and M. Nakayama. (Forthcoming). “Factors Leading to anErroneous Impact Assessment.” EIA Review.
Gardner, G.R. and J.B. Parker. (1985). AgriculturalStatistics of Egypt 1970–84. Washington, D.C: USDA.
Grosse, S. (1993). “Schistosomiasis and WaterResources Development—A Re-evaluation of an Important Environment–Health Linkage.” EPAT/MUCIA-Research and Training, Madison, WI.
Kojima, N. (1991). “Calaca—ODA Fuels a Dirty Power Plant.” AMPO 23(1),54–58.
Kojima, N. and M. Suwa, (1996). Kore de iinoka ODA (in Japanese). Tokyo: San-ichishobou. Tokyo
Mainichi Sinbun. (1992). “Kankyo Ha Ima (In Japanese).” Mainichi Shinbun, Tokyo, 20January.
Manson, E.S. and R.E. Asher. (1973). The World Bank Since Bretton Woods. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution.
Miller, F.D. et al. (1978a). Schistosomiasis in Rural Egypt, EPA-600/1-78-070. Athens,CA: US-EPA.
Miller, F.D. et al. (1978b). “Aspects of Environmental Health Impacts of the Aswan High Dam onRural Population in Egypt.” Progress in Water Technology 11, 173–180.
Nakayama, M. (1997). “OnGenerally Perceived Environmental Issues Associated with High Aswan Dam from the Viewpoint of Environmental Impact Assessment Methodologies” (in Japanese). Journal of the Japanese Society of Hydrology and water Resources 10(3), 238–247.
NDMC. (1998). “ENSO and Drought Around theWorld.” National Drought MitigationCenter (NDMC), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (available at http://enso.unl.edu/ndmc/enigma/elnino.htm).
OECF. (1999). Post-Project Review of Yen Loan Projects 1999. Tokyo: Research Institute of DevelopmentAssistance (RIDA), OECF.
Rashid, M.M. (1995). “Some Additional Information on Limnology and Fisheries ofLake Nasser (Egypt) and Nubia (Sudan).” In R.C.M. Cruel and F.C. Roest (eds.), Current Status of Fisheries and Fish Stocks of the Four Largest African Reservoirs. Rome: FAO.
Richards, A. (1982). “Egypt's AgriculturalDevelopment 1800–1980.” Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Scott, J.A. (1937). “The Incidence andDistribution of the Human Schitosomes in Egypt.” American Journal of Hygiene 25, 566–614.
Scudder, T.(1972). “Comments.” In M.T. Farvar and J.P. Milton (eds.), The Careless Technology. New York: National History Press.
Shibl, Y.A. (1971). The Aswan High Dam. Beirut: Arab Institute for Research andPublishing.
Sterling, C. (1971a). “Super-Dams Pile Up Myriad Problems.” Washington Post, 6 January.
Sterling, C. (1971b). “Aswan Dam—Predictions Came True With a Vengeance.” Washington Post, 15 February.
Sterling, C. (1971c). “Health Menace Created by HighDamat Aswan.”Washington Post, 17February.
Sterling, C. (1971d). “Aswan Dam is Losing Water It Was Designed to Save.” Washington Post, 20February.
Sterling, C. (1971e). “The Lake at Aswan Is Not Filling Up.” Washington Post, 24 February.
Sterling, C. (1971f). “The Aswan Disaster.” National Parks and Conservation Magazine, August, 10–13.
Sterling, C. (1972). “Superdams—The Perils of Progress.” The Atlantic Monthly 229, 35–41.
TokyoShimbun (1991). “Pinatubo funka” (in Japanese). Tokyo Shimbun, Tokyo, 17 June.
van der Schalie, H.(1972). “World Health Organization Projecy Egypt 10—A Case History of a Schistosomiasis Control Project.” In M.T. Farvar and J.P. Milton, The Careless Technology. New York: National History Press, pp. 131–132.
Warkentin B. (1996). Power and Democracy in the Philippines: The Business of Japanese Foreign Aid.London: Routledge.
WHO. (1993). The Control of Schistosomiasis. Geneva: World Health Organization.
World Bank. (1976). Egyptian Agriculture Development Problems: Constraints and Alternatives. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank. (1993). Arab Republic of Egypt—An Agricultural Strategy for the 1990s.Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
World Bank. (1995). Mainstreaming the Environment. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nakayama, M., Fujikura, R. Political Bias and Methodological Failure in Assessing Environmental Impacts of Development Projects: Comparative Analysis of the High Aswan Dam and Calaca Thermal Power Plant Development Projects. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis 3, 291–310 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012353401699
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012353401699