India's New Environment Minister stresses on Transparency in Decision Making
The new Minister for Environment and Forest in India, Jairam Ramesh offers some hope for those struggling to ensure greater transparency in the environmental decision making process. The key challange is how far the lofty promises being made are actually implemented. On an optimistic note, the past ministers never really made any promise nor performed in any respect. This time we can atleast we can try to ensure that the some changes do take place.
A news report in a leading daily “the Mint” gives an interesting overview of the plan of action of the new Minister
India: Unholy Misuse of Public Funds by Environment Tribunal
The murky goings-on in the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA), the only judicial body in the country allowed to hear a grievance against environmental clearances given to projects by the environment ministry, have emerged as replies to RTIs. Created by a special Act of Parliament, the authority has the dubious record dismissing all but one petition that have come before it in the last 12 years.
Here is how members to the judicial body were last selected.
TAI Bolivia delivered a workshop for the Vice-Ministry of the Environment
The Access Initiative Coalition in Bolivia this year has been focusing on building the National System of Environmental Information (NSEI) because one of the main constraints in the country for access to environmental information is the lack of data and systematized information.
