A study on the social impact assessment of infrastructure projects in China

Rapid urbanisation is a worldwide phenomenon nowadays, and this is particularly the case in developing countries like China, which have a dense population but an inadequate provision of infrastructure facilities. Over the years, China has been striving to improve its basic infrastructure for the betterment of national economy and living standard. Such rapid development necessitates careful planning and implementation to avoid the society being disadvantaged. In China, social impact assessment has been recognised by both the government and practitioners as an important aspect for infrastructure development these days as China's National Development and Reform Commission requires social impact assessment be contained within the feasibility study of any crucial investment projects since 2002. Today, many infrastructure projects including environmental improvements, transportation, energy scheme, water resources, and so on have incorporated social impact assessment in their planning. This paper first introduces the background of social impact assessment in China. The problems of the existing social impact assessment process in China are then highlighted by comparing its application in the U.S. Lastly, recommendations on SIA will be made with the aim to effectively and efficiently promote infrastructure construction in China.