APFED Booklet on Good Practices and Innovative Activities 2005 ...

Bangladesh
2006
Showcase
Promotion of Access to Environmental Information
Project Site Location All over Bangladesh
2009
Background - Problems Addressed and Policy Responses
Effective environmental law enforcement is a prerequisite
for protecting the environment in Bangladesh. The Right
to Information Act of 2008 was expected to ensure public
access to such information, but the administrative processes
involved make this very difficult. It is therefore essential to
raise public awareness, prompt proactive participation, and
train lawyers and environmental leaders.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Director of BELA
Project Outline - Objectives and Activities
The project is intended to promote stakeholder dialogues on public access to environmental information,
to undertake an assessment of policy and institutional frameworks and to conduct case studies and
provide training for environmental lawyers, practitioners and environmental leaders. The Bangladesh
Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) has undertaken activities including 12 studies to cover
issues such as mining, waste, aquaculture, and participatory resource management, and to provide the
government with recommendations for improving environmental legal systems.
2005 2006 2007 2008
Impacts and Achievements
The assessment delineated gaps and challenges in enabling the public to obtain environmental
information, to promote participatory decision-making and to ensure social justice in proceedings; Twelve
case studies elucidated the driving forces in environmental damage and depletion of natural resources and
provided countermeasures; Societal and community-based network organisations were strengthened;
Awareness of decision makers, officials and stakeholders on ways to promote effective environmental law
implementation was raised; Platforms to build partnership for undertaking collaborative activities were
created; and the 2009 Goldman Environment Award was awarded to the BELA Director.
Future Challenges
The Right to Information Act of 2008 must be operationalised to foster the flow of environmental
information to the public; Legislative or administrative measures need to be strengthened to compel
agencies and businesses to disclose environmental information; The mechanisms need to be strengthened
to eliminate corruption in environmental law administration; Legal provisions on public participation
must be further elaborated; Compliance with information-disclosure requirements and development of
enforcement procedures need to be monitored.
General Information
Name of the Implementing Organisation:
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
Type of Organisation: Other (Coalitioin of Civil Society Groups)
Contact: Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Director, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
House no-15/A, Road-3, Dhanmondi-R/A, Dhaka-1205
Tel: 88-2-8614283, 8618706 Fax: 88 -2-8612957 E-mail: bela@bangla.net
Website: http://www.belabangla.org/
Project Reviewer (NetRes / Collaborators) that monitors the project:
Masanori Kobayashi, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
E-mail: m-kobayashi@iges.or.jp
Area
Climate Change 3R Biodiversity & Ecosystem Water Capacity Development etc. Others
65