Puntland Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation, 2016

The Regulation provides that all undertakings, projects or activities specified in its First Schedule shall require environmental impact assessment. Some of these projects and activities included, waste disposal, transportation, ports and harbours, energy, agriculture, etc. It provides for the Environmental Impact Assessment Unit to be established within the Ministry of Environment to perform the following functions including, to receive processes and safeguard all documents related to the environmental impact assessment, recommend to the Ministry that a proposed major project be objected to commence or continue due to the unacceptable environmental impacts of the potential or existing project, set environmental standards, and guidelines, monitor and inspect the compliance of environmental impact assessment, etc. The Regulations provide for the contents of an environmental impact assessment. Environmental impact assessment licences are transferable on the payment of a fee. In the course of an environmental impact assessment, a developer is required to encourage community participation in the geographical area of the proposed undertaking through meetings with interested members of the public in which information is provided to the public regarding the project and the concerns of the local community are recorded.