Asia-Pacific Nations Diluting Environment Laws for Growth

Asia-Pacific nations are speeding up project approvals and removing environmental protections to spur economic growth dented by the coronavirus, moves that will hurt rural and indigenous communities. "It is not clear that fast-tracking actually saves time in the long run, and there is little evidence that it provides us with good outcomes,” said Elizabeth Mossop, Dean at the University of Technology in Sydney. Indonesia has issued a law that makes it easier to take over community land, including those of indigenous groups, and for forests to be cleared for industry. India has opened coal mining to the private sector in forest land, while a new environment impact assessment (EIA) notification allows speedier project approvals and less compliance. Australia will fast-track approval for roads and other projects including the expansion of BHP Group's Olympic Dam, while the Cook Islands will grant seabed mining licences to bolster its tourism-dependent economy. Across the region, there are also efforts to boost rural livelihoods, and to mitigate worsening climate change impacts. In Thailand, more than 6 million trees will be planted over the next few years to increase green cover in the country, the environment minister said last week, while Laos is to build the largest wind energy farm in Southeast Asia. Australia has fast-tracked approval for a $16 billion solar power project, and India is mapping rural land to give titles to hundreds of millions of people. Jharkhand state's Chief Minister Hemant Soren has filed a petition in India's top court challenging the coal auction, calling for an assessment of the social and environmental impacts on the indigenous population and the forest land first. “Besides addressing jobs and infrastructure issues, stimulus projects must deliver "broad, long-term community value, reduce inequality and help counter climate change," said Elizabeth Mossop