Bas-Uele: Environmental and social impact assessments at the centre of a workshop

Buta, May 28^th, 2025 (CPA).- Environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) prior to any development project affecting indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have been discussed at a workshop in Buta, Bas-Uele province, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),  has learned  on Wednesday by CPA from the organisers. ‘The ESIAs are a legal requirement aimed at anticipating and mitigating the negative impacts of projects on the environment and communities, while Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the protection of local communities’ rights is a fundamental right recognised for indigenous peoples and local communities,’ has said Mr Patient Biselenge, a trainer at the non-governmental organisation ‘Tropenbos RDC’. According to Mr Biselenge who is also a legal expert, this activity aimed, in particular, to prevent conflicts related to land use, strengthen community participation in natural resource management, and guarantee the protection of their rights in the development process. He has said that Tuesday’s workshop was one of a series of three sessions planned in Bas-Uele province by the NGO Tropenbos RDC, in collaboration with the authorities in charge of land use planning and other relevant state services.  The meeting brought together public administration officials, magistrates, members of environmental civil society organisations, and representatives of PACLs from the territories of Aketi and Buta, with a view to strengthening their capacities on these crucial issues. The environmental and social impact assessment is a document that presents, in particular, an analysis of the initial state of a site and its natural and human environment, a statement of the measures envisaged to eliminate, reduce compensate or indemnify the harmful consequences on the environment, and an estimate of the costs involved.