As part of the environmental assessment of the Yahchouch municipal activity, the Rene Moawad Foundation team organized an environmental scoping session on the 21st of December, 2016 at the Yahchouch Municipality premises.
The session aimed at making the Yahcouhch community representatives aware of the proposed Cultural and Rural Tourism Center that will be established as part of USAID BALADI and its environmental and/or other impacts; and, note any feedback or concern they have regarding the activity.
The session was attended by the Community Project Committee representatives, who are also representatives of the local community and municipality partners in this activity.During the session, the RMF team explained to the participants the process of environmental scoping, and presented the environmental profile of the activity area, a description of the center components, its potential environmental impacts that might result from the construction and operation of the center.
Overall, the session was very interactive and beneficial to the participants. As a result of the session, the community representatives became more aware of the activity as well as the requirements of environmental monitoring during the project’s implementation phase. The attendees did not provide any negative comments in relation to the proposed activity.
The environmental scoping session is essential in maintaining transparency in the project’s implementation phase, as well as involving the local community (in this case the CPC) in the decision making process in terms of project location, design, and adopted technologies.