Background to the environmental impact assessment eia evaluation in. Life cycle assessment a process where the potential environmental effects or impacts. Consequently, considerable research and deliberation. Background to the environmental impact assessment eia evaluation in south africa the national environment management act, 1998 act no. General guide to the eia regulations, 2006 ii table of contents. Environmental impact assessment eia, integrated environmental. Pdf aspects of environmental impact assessment practice in. South africas environmental impact assessment eia law and sustainable development t murombo 1 introduction. Traditionally, controls and abatement technologies which would be used in europe or america are often not. In 2006, the eia regulations under the national environmental management act were passed.
South africas experience with eia dates back to the 1970s, but the. How is climate change incorporated into environmental impact assessments eias in south africa. Example of simple manner in which impacts could be priorities. Aspects of environmental impact assessment practice in the limpopo provincesouth africa article pdf available in african journal of environmental assessment and management 10 march 2005.
Through south africas green economy strategy, the dea continues to promote equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and social development. In conclusion the overall profile of eia cost in the south african context is described in relation to four broad project categories. Pdf aspects of environmental impact assessment practice. It follows the logical progression of an eia using international best practice techniques and principles, and now includes the most uptodate 2012 regulatory information. Csp is the renewable energy source with the largest potential in south africa. Note that in south africa there are two main eia processes that are followed, namely, the basic assessment and scoping and environmental. Apparently, almost one ton of concrete is used for each person in the world each year w02.
Environmental scientist, occupational health nurse, research consultant and more on. Draft report 19 november 2008 table of contents page executive summary i abbreviations 1 chapter a. The integration of social, economic and environmental factors into planning, implementation and decisionmaking so as to ensure that development serves present and future generations. The visual assessment was done through visits to the mine sites and the levels of heavy metals in the mine tailings soil and stream sediments was. Environmental risk assessment and risk management strategies. The year 2018 marked 20 years since the adoption of the environmental impact assessment as a tool to advance sustainable development. Examples of specialist studies commonly included in environmental impact assessment in south africa.
The specialists in the evaluation of the impacts apply the revised definitions. A call for responses to governments legislative and policy framework to strengthen environmental governance and the sustainability of our developmental growth path have your say in highlighting the strengths and weaknesses in the current eia system in south africa. Component a sets out the rationale for the research, the approach and objectives, a conceptual framework and. How is climate change incorporated into environmental impact. Environmental impact assessment eia for the proposed construction, operation and decommissioning of a seawater reverse osmosis plant and associated infrastructure at lovu, kwazulunatal south coast appendix a appendix b appendix c appendix d appendix e appendix f summary chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7. Aug 18, 2018 environmental impact assessment management strategy eiams. Training course in environmental impact assessment. The impact assessments are based on the professional opinions of the specialists, fieldwork and desk top analysis available information. A further factor that constrained the implementation of environmental evaluation procedures in south africa was the recognition by proponents of eia that the direct transfer of united states and european models to south africa would not be appropriate. The cost of environmental impact assessment eia in south africa 53 international perspectives the dif. Sustainable development the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of. In the national policy on the environment npe, fepa adopted a strategy that guarantees an integrated holistic and systemic view of environmental issues that leads to prior environmental assessment of proposed activities. Pdf environmental impact assessment and sustainable. Environmental health impact assessment guideline may 2010 iv list of boxes box 1.
Pdf aspects of environmental impact assessment practice in the. Furthermore, the recommendations made in the guidelines should not take the place of. Social impact assessors hennie alberts street alberton, gauteng south africa tel. Since 1996, environmental authorisations have been a mandatory requirement for a wide variety of development activities, in south africa and increasingly in the rest of the african continent. Page 2 the impact of cement kilns on the environment introduction concrete, a vital element of which is cement, is the second most consumed substance in the world. Evaluating south african environmental impact assessment eia. Environmental impact assessment sets a baseline for eia in south africa. Environmental impact assessment in southern africa saiea. There are severe criticisms and perceptions of inadequacy about the success of the current eia system as a tool for environmental impact management. Below is a summary of potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed project. Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree masters in geography and environmental management at the potchefstroom campus of the northwest university. It all starts when the applicant appoints an environmental assessment practitioner to manage the application. Ecia has the primary aim of preventing or minimising the negative impacts of a proposed development on biodiversity, and possibly enhancing. Eap environmental assessment practitioner eca environment conservation act, 1989 act no.
Environmental impact assessment eia is the tool that is most commonly utilised across africa and in most developing countries for the purpose of integrating environmental concerns in development projects. Enviroafrica cc is a dynamic, professional environmental consultancy passionate about promoting the sustainable protection, management and development of south africas natural environment while providing a costeffective service to clients. The significance and status of social impact assessment sia in a south african context. Several seas have recently been undertaken in south africa, or are currently in progress.
Review of environmental impact assessment and monitoring in. Setting up an ehia committee for decisionmaking and assessment of ehia. How is climate change incorporated into environmental. Policies which regulate ehia and environmental impact assessment in south africa 10 box 2. Nema environmental impact assessment regulations september 2007 3.
Department of environmental affairs, 2014, environmental impact assessment and management strategy for south africa draft. Environmental impact assessment for nuclear new build programme in south africa perspectives from the nuclear1 eia reuben heydenrych environmental practitioner. Note that in south africa there are two main eia processes that are followed, namely, the basic assessment and scoping and environmental impact reporting processes. Monitoring of environmental impact assessments in africa. Aspects of environmental impact assessment practice in the limpopo province south africa. Section 24 of the constitution of the republic of south africa, 1996, calls on the state to secure everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or wellbeing. Draft environmental impact assessment report purpose of this report.
Guideline for involving social assessment specialists in eia processes february 2007 guideline on public participation. The environmental impact assessment eia identified specific areas of concern that could be affected by implementation of the proposed project in all the three phases. The recommendations do not necessarily carry the full support of all the sectors represented. In 2003 saiea in cooperation with dannida has compiled a comprehensive though by now slightly outdated overview of the state of environmental assessment in the sadc region. Environmental impact assessment eia western cape government. Environmental assessment in eastern and southern africa. The environmental impact assessment eia process, which originated in the united states in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has been adopted extensively in the rest of the world. Government is committed to making even further improvements to the eia system, which will. This study evaluates the environmental impact assessment eia legislation of south africa and zambia against the modified criteria developed by wood 1995 to determine the extent to which they. This draft environmental impact assessment report forms part of a series of reports and information sources that are being provided during the environmental impact assessment eia process for the proposed atlantis gastopower project, western cape. The analysis focuses on selected key aspects of the eia process which require more thorough analysis and which provide the greatest opportunities for learning in the context of the gautrain eia.
The south african national roads agency limited sanral is the proponent for the proposed. Scoping is included in both of these eia processes, but it is undertaken as the first part of an integrated scoping and assessment procedure during the basic assessment process. Evaluating south african environmental impact assessment. The eia process is a tool which requires the integra. South africa eskom renewable energy investment project. Abdulhakim aljareo a research report submitted to the faculty of science, university of the witwatersrand, johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of masters of science by coursework and research report. Introduction and background the constitution of the republic of south africa, act no. Environmental impact assessments, or eias, are a key tool in effective environmental management. Based in the western cape since inception 20 years ago, enviroafrica provides efficient and friendly.
Environmental impact assessment as a policy tool for. Environmental impact assessments in developing countries. Background to social impact assessment sia and its development. The environmental impact assessment is required in terms of the environment conservation act, 1989 act no. This study analyses key elements of south african environmental impact assessment eia statutory requirements through the lens of the gautrain project. Environmental impact assessment jobs now available. Establishing a solid framework called the environmental impact assessment management strategy eiams has been some time in the making. National environmental impact assessment and management. Since the enactment of south africa s environmental impact assessment eia law in september 1997, there is a growing debate around the role and function of eias. In south africa the absence of a general environmental policy, poor public interaction.
Strategic environmental assessment sea is becoming an accepted and widely used instrument for integrating environmental issues into the formulation of plans and programmes. Environmental impact assessment final report namibian marine phosphate pty ltd. The stakeholders involved in the environmental impact assessment are. Adequate environmental information is not always available to decision makers because of failure to apply eia to all relevant decisions, the continuing inadequacies of prediction and evaluation techniques, the failure to consider. Experiences with environmental impact assessment eia in a number of countries are discussed in the light of both explicit and implicit goals and objectives. In the cases where informal or ad hoc eias were conducted, they were the result of public pressure or the government invoked a section. It takes the form of two separate but interrelated components. The way in which eias have been handled in south africa has come a long way over the past twenty years. However, these studies have been done in the absence of an. Gridconnected solar thermal power can provide large volumes of firm generation.
This guideline deals with the involvement of social assessment specialists in the environmental impact assessment eia processes. The national environmental management act, no 107 of 1998 nemaincludes an overarching framework policy developed through a comprehensive participatory process known as the consultative national. Eims has completed several hundred environmental impact assessment eia studies in several african countries. It is the first book on this topic written specifically for the south african context, although it is applicable to all developing countries. Its contents deal with policy practice and institutional issues. South africa, a lack of policy around the management of waste, and of hazardous waste, creates a vacuum in which it becomes possible for the cement industry to subvert the intention of the law as it currently stands. The significance and status of social impact assessment. Kakonge undp resident representative, maseru, lesotho in recent years the term environmental impact assessment eia in relation to projects calling for substantial financial investment has become common currency among those working in the field. South african affiliate of the international association for impact assessment. Regulations governing environmental impact assessments eias have been in force for about three years in south africa, with the administra tion being. South africa has adopted the process of eia as early as 1989 in the environmental conservation act.
South africa s environmental impact assessment eia law and sustainable development t murombo 1 introduction. Locality map showing the 37 km2 study area for the establishment of a wind energy facility on the west coast north of the olifants river. Assessment tools such as strategic environmental assessment sea, environmental impact assessment eia, social impact assessment or health impact assessment, as these are covered in many other publications, which are listed in appendix a of this document. Since the enactment of south africas environmental impact assessment eia law in september 1997, there is a growing debate around the role and function of eias. Comparative analysis of environmental impact assessment compliance by two developers in the northern cape province, south africa by mahlatse juddy shubane submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of science in the subject of environmental management at the university of south africa supervisor. The analysis and recommendations of this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the department of environmental affairs. It also contains a list of useful references and contact numbers. Environmental assessment practitioners in south africa. Environmental impact assessment management strategy eiams.
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