Meaningful Engagement of Affected People and Communities: Exploring Tensions Between Formal Requirements and Lived Experiences of Public Participation in Impact Assessments

Studies indicate that impact assessment processes tend to be top-down and driven by the interests of companies or investors, rather than those of affected stakeholders. This chapter explores the need for affected stakeholders to understand and respond to impacts from their own perspectives, and sets out recommendations in that regard. We take point of departure in field work in locations across the High North, where environmental and/or social impact assessment (ESIA) is subject to fairly detailed regulation in laws and official guidance documents. These also typically harbour a fundamental objective of enabling affected stakeholders to participate in consultations in order for authorities to obtain a solid basis for decision-making. Despite this, affected stakeholders on the ground frequently feel alienated in the consultation process or experience it as tick-boxing. The chapter gives examples of affected communities’ experience of meaningfulness or lack thereof in regard to timing and information and describe tensions that arise in these contexts. We develop recommendations for ESIA consultation processes to become more meaningful by helping uncover affected communities’ concerns and needs with a contextualised understanding and assessment of impacts; and make it meaningful for them to provide local knowledge for a project and decision-makers.