CISDL

Integrated Eco-Health Assessment in the Americas:

A hemispheric partnership to evaluate and strengthen health and environmental impact assessment laws in the Americas

(in cooperation with the CISDL health law research programme)

The CISDL, in partnership with the IISD and the United Nations Environment Programme, has undertaken a research and capacity building initiative in collaboration with eight legal research centres across Latin America and the Caribbean. The project is advised by the Organisation of American States, and focuses on how to translate the results of integrated assessment of trade agreements into new regulations in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on how to strengthen law making and implementation capacity of sub-regional environment and development institutions. For further information on the antecedes to this initiative, see the lead partner website, at IISD Americas Capacity Assessment and Action .

In 2005 – 2010, the partners have undertaken a new initiative, seeking to strengthen eco-health impact assessment law and policy in the Americas. They are jointly developing and launching a research project which will lead to the development of a hemispheric course on trade aspects of sustainable development law, an international symposium on the integration of health and environment issues in impact assessment laws and policies in the Americas, and a larger research project on linkages between health, environment and economic liberalisation laws in the Americas.

As recognised by the 34 Ministers in the first HEMA meeting, effective and integrated health and environment impact assessments (IA) have the potential to help mitigate serious health and environment risks of new trade and economic development policies, and open space for greater public participation. There is an important need to strengthen laws and policies in this respect, and to build awareness of, and compliance with, these laws. At present, very few IA laws are adequately implemented in the Americas, only a few agencies consistently apply IA guidelines, and most agencies remain unsure how to integrate health aspects into environmental impact assessment laws. To fill this gap, an inter-disciplinary coalition of research institutes from across the Americas, who have a demonstrated track record of successful collaboration, will seek to jointly refine and develop an essential new tool – health and ecological impact assessment laws and guidelines - through a five year research and capacity-building project with the IDRC and other partners. The project has three objectives.

•	First, through joint multi-disciplinary field research and information exchange, the research partners will investigate and analyse how IA laws and policies are functioning in practice.
•	Second, the research partners will organise and host joint capacity building and awareness-raising workshops to build expertise and knowledge in LAC developing countries on health and environment IA research methods and laws.
•	Third, the research partners will provide recommendations to hemispheric policy-making, through side events at Americas Health and Environment Ministerials, Americas Trade Ministerials, and other upcoming opportunities for consultation with policy makers related to the Summit of the Americas process.

The international law and policy research will be sensitive to gender considerations, and the pressing needs of most vulnerable groups, such as indigenous peoples and the urban poor. It will be conducted with active collaboration between the partners; and will seek to incorporate the relationship between all components of an ecosystem, for recommendations on how impact assessment laws and policies can better define and assess priority impacts on the health of people and sustainability of their ecosystems.

The project will culminate with a symposium in 2008 - 2009 to share results, develop final recommendations for policy-makers, and evaluate the achievement of capacity-building and partnership objectives. The research project will also culminate in the publication of a joint book featuring the results of the research. In essence, this innovative hemispheric research project will build on, monitor and analyse existing experiences with integrated health and ecological impact assessment in Americas laws and policies. The partnership seeks to refine and develop a crucial new tool for Americas communities and authorities – integrated health and ecological impact assessment law. The research will be used to influence policy-makers, and can make a significant difference toward protection of eco-health objectives and priorities in the Americas integration process.

The ACA Project relies to a great extent on partnership with leading research institutes and organizations throughout the Americas, including the CEMDA in Mexico, the CINPE in Costa Rica, the CEDA in Ecuador, the RIDES in Chile, the ECOS in Argentina, the CIEDUR in Uruguay, the CEDHA in Argentina, the CEHI in the Caribbean, as well as advice from the Organization of American States.