Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) is required for investment projects which may have material adverse effect on the environment. An EIAR must contain, among others, basic information of the relevant project; technology applied; construction items and activities which are likely to adversely affect the environment; assessment of the project’s impacts to the environment; and measures to mitigate the impacts and protect the environment. An EIAR may run over hundreds of pages.

The EIAR once approved (Approved EIAR) could serve as commitments on environmental protection that the project owner must comply with during the project term. However, due to the time gap between the Approved EIAR and the construction of a project, there may be many deviations to the description of the project or the technology applied in the project. Certain deviations from the Approved EIAR may trigger requirement for further approval or consent from the EIAR Approving Authority.  Those deviations under Vietnamese environmental protection law could be summarized below:

This post is contributed by Nguyen Bich Ngoc, a VILAF associate.