1,721,009 research outputs found
The contribution of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to decision making for biological pest control in South Africa the case of Lantana camara
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2009.12.01
The effectiveness of state of the environment reporting (SoER) at the local government sphere - a developing country's experience
No full textState of the environment reporting (SoER) is a well-established and widely applied environmental management tool in the South African context. Despite a wealth of knowledge about conducting and preparing SoERs, there is a paucity of research on the effect SoER has had on decision-making at the local government sphere. This study investigated the effect of SoER on decision-making for a sample of municipalities in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The methodology relied on interviews with key role players, which include the ��environmental function�' as well as ��other functions�' responsible for infrastructure development and planning within the municipalities. The results show that notwithstanding the extensive time and resources spent on SoER, it appears to have had a limited effect on decision-making, especially beyond the environmental function. Recommendations to improve the influence of SoER on decision-making in developing countries include improved clarity on the purpose and home of SoER within municipalities, adequate budget and capacity, and effective cooperative governance both within the municipalities, and with other spheres of government
The performance of environmental impact assessment in the explosives manufacturing industry in South Africa
No full textExplosives manufacture in South Africa is a major component of the chemical and mining industry, and as an important producer of hazardous chemicals it is also a potential contributor to significant environmental impacts. Environmental authorisation of explosives manufacturing activities is based primarily upon the quality of information made available in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), but the quality of EIR for explosives manufacturing projects has never been investigated. A modified version of the Lee and Colley review package was used to determine the EIR quality of a sample of four explosives projects. The findings reveal that the EIRs were of a generally satisfactory quality, but with some areas of weakness that are readily linked to potentially significant environmental impacts, pointing to limitations in the EIA process regarding the production of explosives. Recommendations include improved training of EIA practitioners, the use of quality review checklists and external specialist review, development of guidelines and the use of risk assessment as additional tools to the EIA regulations.http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscinet/jeap
Social impact assessment: the lesser sibling in the South African EIA process?
No full textSocial Impact Assessment has developed as an integral but neglected component of EIA in South Africa since it became mandatory in 1997, and has therefore been referred to as the “orphan” or “lesser sibling” of EIA, as has SIA in the UK and the US. The aim of this paper is to test this claim by reviewing the quality of a sample of SIA reports, and also to establish whether there has been any improvement in quality following the introduction of revised EIA regulations in 2006. The results confirm that SIA can be called “the lesser sibling” due to the weak grades achieved in the quality review, but also reveal that there has been a slight and consistent improvement in quality, most likely driven by best practice considerations in the absence of prescriptive regulations for SIA. Suggestions and recommendations for addressing observed weakness in SIA performance are advanced.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195925514000377http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2014.04.00
Social impact assessment: practitioner perspectives of the neglected status in South African SIA
No full textSocial Impact Assessment (SIA) in South Africa is still considered to be a neglected component of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), but the perspectives of the practitioners on the status and practice of SIA have never been probed, despite their key role in SIA. This paper explores those perspectives by means of a two-part survey conducted with an availability sample of 11 SIA practitioners in 2012 and 13 practitioners in 2016 following a qualitative Action Research Approach. Four themes emerged (i.e. SIA in practice, Problems in SIA, Effectiveness of SIA and the Future of SIA). It is evident that the practitioners generally agree about the nature and purpose of SIA, that SIA has problems but is healthy and will benefit from some regulation, that SIA is an important and valuable tool, although with limited effectiveness, and the practitioners are optimistic about the future of SIA. The perspectives of the practitioners are aligned with international trends towards enhancement and sustainability assessment, but they must remain committed to best practice in SI
A review of EIA report quality in the North West province of South Africa
No full texthttp//dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2007.07.00
The quality of environmental impact reports for explosive industry projects in South Africa
Full text linkThesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process that seeks to reduce the negative environmental consequences of listed development activities, which could have a detrimental effect on the environment, in the advance of their implementation, and a requirement of legislation in South Africa. An important element of the systematic EIA process is the submission of an environmental impact or scoping report or an environmental impact report (EIR) to the relevant governmental department, interested and affected parties and/or specialist for review to determine the report's adequacy before a project can be authorised or if further information is required. The information made available in reports to decision-makers with regard to developments with the potential of affecting explosive projects, plays a significant role in the authorisation of the project after the authority review process, which is dependent on the quality of the report. In order to contribute more effectively to sustainable development, more attention must be placed on assessing the quality of ElA's as part of determining how effectively EIA has been functioning in South Africa; hence this study is aimed at assessing the quality of EIA assessment reports of four projects with the potential of impacting on explosive industry projects. The objectives of the study included the review by independent reviewers of the quality of four-selected impact reports using a checklist, analysis of the review process results and provision of recommendations to improve the quality of environmental impact reports for-explosive projects.
Based on the review results it is concluded that the quality of the four reports for-explosive projects. Based on the review results it is concluded that the quality of the four reports were of an acceptable standard, although certain areas were found poorly performed i.e. improvement with regard to identification of key impacts and considerations of alternatives and mitigation as well as the control and treatment of waste. Otherwise the review method is fairly robust and consistent and therefore can be seen as a reliable indication of EIR quality. The following was recommended to improve the quality of the reports for explosive projects: The use of a quality review checklist for explosive projects by EIA practitioners and authorities to be used as an additional tool to the EIA regulations (DEAT 2002) and the Integrated Environmental Management series (DEAT 2002) can further improve the quality of the El reports for explosive projects. • The use by EIA practitioners of an explosive review checklist will assist in ensuring that all key aspects are addressed before submission to relevant authorities, i.e. the report contains all pertinent information and is technically sound, the report is set-up clearly and coherently organized and presented so that it can be understood and that it has addressed all the key issues to make a decision about the proposed development. This will further assist in fast-tracking the approval process often delayed by the request of additional information from the applicant as a result of inadequate reports. • Regular use of the review checklist by EIA practitioners and authorities for ascertaining the quality of the environmental impact reports will contribute to a baseline of EIR quality for evaluating EIA practice for explosive projects under the new regulations promulgated in June 2006.Master
An appraisal of the quality of mining EIA reports
Full text linkThesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the tools used by reIevant authorities all over the world in an attempt to ensure that the principles of sustainable development are achieved. Since EIA became mandatory in South Africa, many EIAs have been conducted. As one of the principle industries contributing to the South African economy, the mining sector is no exception. It is also true that the mining industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental impacts.
In order to ensure that EIA achieves its goal, it is necessary to test the quality
of EIA systems and reports. There are various methods to achieve this, one
being the use of Environmental Impact Assessment Report quality review packages to test the quality of the EIRs produced in terms of the National
Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, Act 28 of 2002, both of which require that EIA be conducted. In order to conduct a quality review, the Lee and Colley review model was adapted for use in the South African mining sector. This model was used to assess the quality of 20 approved EIRs submitted to the relevant authority, i-e. the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME).
Results derived from the use of this mode1 indicate that the majority of EIA reports in the in the mining sector are of an acceptable standard. However, the results also indicate a number of weaknesses. Several key areas of EIA do not receive sufficient attention, specifically the identification of impacts and the consideration of alternatives. This could undermine the effectiveness of the whole EIA process.Master
The quality of Environmental Authorisations in the Mpumalanga Province
Full text linkMaster of Environmental Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been identified as a management tool to achieve sustainability goals. The concept of sustainability broadly encompasses decisions and actions that will support and protect life sustaining systems on earth to provide for our current population and future generations in terms of social, economic and environmental needs. A broad definition of the purpose of EIA is to inform the decision making process in development projects. The EIA system follows the Deming cycle (plan, do, check, act) and includes elements such as environmental impact assessment reports (EIAR), environmental management plans/programmes (EMPs), implementation of EMPs, authorisation conditions, follow-up (audits), and corrective action after follow-up. One way to measure the effectiveness of an EIA system is through evaluating EIAR quality. Environmental authorisations (EAu) together with EIA are part of the Deming cycle where environmental performance objectives are determined at project start-up. Previous studies showed that EAu conditions have an influence on environmental management practices. Although the quality of EIA has been assessed to a large extent in South Africa over the past 10 years, very little research has been done to assess the quality of EAu. Therefore, in this dissertation the focus is on evaluating the quality of EAu through developing a suitable quality review package, assessing a sample of EAu in the Mpumalanga province and comparing quality over time and across sectors. The main aim of the research has been achieved and all research objectives answered. A suitable quality review package was developed building on the work of Caddick (2015) and Lee & Colley (1992). The results of the EAu review quality indicates that RA 1, 2 and 4 are areas of strength in all four regulatory regimes and showed improved performance over time since the start of mandatory EIA in the ECA era up the NEMA 2014 era. RA 3 showed the weakest performance. Performance across sectors showed the best performing sector overall is linear construction, followed by construction, agriculture and lastly the mining sector. All sectors performed to a satisfactory level in RA 1, 2 and 4 and their respective categories, reflecting the results of the overall quality status. The performance on sectors in RA 3 shows mixed results across categories, but performed weak overall on RA level.Master
Social impact assessment : the status of practice in the North West Province of South Africa
Full text linkThesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.There is no doubt that the assessment of social impacts is as important, in some cases
even more important, than the assessment of biophysical and economic impacts of
development projects. Nonetheless, social impact assessment (SIA) has remained an
"orphan" in the broader environmental impact assessment (EIA) context, both
internationally and in South Africa, and is often neglected or treated as a less important
aspect of an EIA.
It was the aim of this study to measure perceptions of relative neglect of SIA in South
Africa against the theory and practice of SIA as reflected in the literature. The basic
hypothesis was that, whereas the theory and practice of SIA has reached a
sophisticated level in the developed world, the practice of SIA in South Africa is not yet
on a sound footing and that it does not receive the professional attention it deserves in a
country beset by enormous social challenges. Thus the research problem was whether
SIA is practiced at a satisfactory level of proficiency in South Africa. Social aspects of
impact assessment in the North West Province of South Africa were investigated, with
the aim to identify shortcomings and their possible causes and to make
recommendations for improvement.
The article format was used, and the main section of the study comprises two articles.
The first article, a theoretical perspective based on a literature study, is a critical
evaluation of SIA as part of the EIA process in South Africa against the background of
international guidelines and best practices. The article includes sections on the historical
background of the development of SIA in South Africa, the legal status and requirements
of SIA in the country, and a critical evaluation of SIA regulation in South Africa. It was
found that the persistent problems of SIA practice, experienced in other parts of the
world, are also evident in South Africa. Apart from institutional, financial and
professional constraints, there are also serious problems associated with approach and
methods.
The second article is an evaluation of and recommendations for the improvement of the
practice of SIA in the North West Province. An empirical study of 26 EIAs, performed in
the province between 1999 and 2002, was done. It was established that in terms of
social baseline data, the identification of significant social impacts, specialist studies,
public participation, recommended mitigation measures, and the attention paid to social
impacts in records of decision (RODS) SIA practice in the North West Province is far
from satisfactory. Apathy towards social impacts is associated with a general lack of SIA
expertise.
The following recommendations are made in the study to improve the level of SIA
practice: a system of mandatory registration of SIA practitioners should be introduced;
specialized SIA training programmes for SIA practitioners and officials should be
developed and accredited; SIA specialists should be used to assess significant social
impacts identified in EIAs; a policy framework and code of ethics for SIA practice should
be developed; methodological guidelines for SIA should be supplied in or as a
supplement to the new EIA guidelines; and the public participation process should be
redesigned.Master
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