The integration of strategic environmental assessments with the integrated development planning process

[摘要] Since the first living forms emerged miraculously from earth's cloak of gas millions of years ago,the planet has maintained a capacity to support life in a myriad of ever changing forms. Amongall the species that have evolved during the earth's long history, modem people have been the mostsuccessful. This resulted in a drastic increase in human population. In the second half of the 20thcentury the relationship between human beings. and their environment has become the topic ofwidespread concern. It is now universally accepted that, according to present trends, we mustexpect the world, and South Africa, to become more crowded, more polluted, less ecologicallystable and more vulnerable to natural hazards in the years ahead. There are two components toenvironmental deterioration. One is the depletion of essential resources for the maintenance ofpresent-day life styles. The other is the deterioration and destruction of natural processes whichultimately sustain life on earth.South Africa is a unique country with unique problems. It has a developed, or First World,component which has been responsible for some terrible environmental degradation. It also has adeveloping, or Third World, component which has a dire need for socio-economic development.This implies the need for sustainable development. Sustainable development means improving thequality of human life while living within the carrying capacity. It is universally recognised thatsustainable development should occur at local level, which in turn could contribute, to the globalhealthy state of the environment.The dire need for development among underdeveloped communities and the lack of capacity(financially and administratively) among existing municipalities in the new dispensation resultedin the introduction of Integrated Development Planning. The Integrated Development Planningprocess is a strategic decision-making tool that assists local authorities in fulfilling theirdevelopment mandate given by the new constitution. In general, Integrate Development Planstend to focus on socio-economic development tied to a spatial development framework. A need toensure sustainable development therefore exists within Integrated Development Planning.Strategic Environmental Assessments could be used as a means III achieving sustainabledevelopment. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an Integrated EnvironmentalManagement (lEM) strategic decision-making support tool that proactively considers theopportunities and constraints the environment places on development. By integrating a StrategicEnvironmental Assessment with the Integrated Development Planning process sustainabledevelopment can be ensured.The means to integrate the two processes, theoretically as well as practically, poses a challenge forenvironmental managers and planners in South Africa. The aim of this study is to provide someguidelines in achieving the successful integration of Strategic Environmental Assessment as acomponent of the Integrated Development Planning process. This will be achieved by integratingthe elements of a Strategic Environmental Assessment into the various phases of IntegratedDevelopment Planning process. The Integrated Development Planning process involves oneprocess with many products, one of which is a Strategic Environmental Assessment.

[发布机构] University of the Free State