Comparative study for Environmental Impact Assessment in Environmental Iraqi and Saudi legislation

Abstract

Abstract Countries are developing the spatial development of their societies through the projects that they undertake in various ways, and this development may be cause great impact on the environment, which also depend on the type of development, whether industrial, agricultural, or service and after the problems that occurred as a result of development on the environment, most of the countries currently did to legislating laws Environmental and some other procedures before granting environmental approvals for the purpose of establishing spatial development projects. One of the most important of these laws and regulations is Environmental impact assessment (EIA). The environmental impact assessment in Iraq consider is modern with a comparison with the legislation in the developed world countries. The research problem is the presence of gaps and weaknesses in the law of environmental impact assessment in comparison with regional or global environmental laws, the research hypothesis supposes that regional laws for instance Saudi Arabia are more sobriety and technical instructions than Iraqi regulations. After studying laws and regulations we found that the environmental impact assessment was initiated only as an item within the Law of Protection and Improvement of the Environment in Article Ten of the Law for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment No. 27 of 2009. It does not include the sustainability principles or their detailed methods or the steps of the environmental impact assessment used internationally. The research summarized the most important recommendations that the departments (decision-makers) should follow the procedures and steps for environmental impact assessment and follow a clear methodology, in addition to legislating a special law and special instructions attached to regulations and forms that are studied in detail and covering all environmental, economic and social aspects.