Naeem: EPA’s freedom is limited to what government officials allow

The level of independence the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enjoys is limited to that allowed by the leaders of incumbent Maldivian administrations, says Ibrahim Naeem, the director general of the environmental watchdog.

EPA was formed in 2008, as a semi-independent regulatory organization affiliated with the then-Ministry of Environment, and functioning under the guidance of a governing board.

On Tuesday, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu issued a presidential directive, renaming EPA as the Environmental Regulatory Authority (ERA), and deciding the institution will operate directly under the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, instead of a governing board.

The additional changes made on Tuesday also curtail the institution’s powers when it comes to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that are required before starting infrastructure projects. As such:

Applications for conducting EIAs before proceeding with projects must be submitted to a party decided by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment or the Minister for Tourism and Environment.

Work required up until applications for EIA reports must be expedited for projects deemed by the Minister for Tourism and Environment as priority government projects.

Projects deemed by the Minister for Tourism and Environment as priority government projects requires cabinet approval.

The move has received pushback from environmental protection advocates, who had been pushing for years to have the EPA granted greater autonomy.

These changes, especially to the EIA process, has sparked fears that environmental damage may get ignored at the cost of running developmental projects.

Naeem, who remains in charge of the institution until new arrangements are made, said that the level of independence of the environmental watchdog has always depended on that allowed by the government officials in charge.

Naeem said that the EPA was never an independent institution, and has always relied on the government for funding and resources.

“All that depends on the people in power at the time. Independence is limited to what they allow. What we can do, the work we can do to protect the environment, is also limited to what they allow,” he said.

Naeem added that EIAs aren’t just a formality, but an important assessment that collects crucial information regarding the potential environmental impact from projects.

“That’s not completely accurate. It produces a lot of information. First of all, the state of a particular area itself does not become clear until it gets done. And the EIA tells us about the living organisms there and the measures that need to be taken to protect it,” said Naeem, responding to claims downplaying the importance of EIAs.

The change from EPA to ERA comes with additional structural changes, including that the authority must be headed by a chief administrator – a civil service post.

Naeem, who has been heading the EPA since 2000, has yet to decide if he will apply for the role.