A comparative study of the quality and outcomes of environmental impact assessment reports from the Free State and Northern Cape provinces

[摘要] English: An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) determines the economic, social and environmental impacts of proposed developments. Environmental Impact Assessment reports are complied by independent consultants in order to provide the authorities with information on the anticipated impacts on the environment caused by a proposed activity or development. The authorities therefore base their decision largely on the EIA document and trust that the information about forecasted impacts are to a large extent accurate. Authorities also trust that the mitigation measures proposed in the Record of Decisions (RODs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP`s), in order to minimize impacts on the environment, are implemented during the construction and operational phases of a project. Post-authorization activities such as monitoring and auditing are the only feedback mechanisms to provide authorities with information on the extent to which predicted impacts materialised and whether mitigation measures were implemented. Post authorization activities, especially auditing is to a large extend neglected because it was not mandatory in South Africa under the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations promulgated on September 1997 in terms of Environment Conservation Act 107 of 1989. Therefore the accuracy of predicted impacts and the implementation rate of mitigation measures in South Africa are to a large extent unknown. The aim of the study is to assess the accuracy of predicted impacts and the implementation rate of mitigation measures of activities that received authorization from the Departments of Environmental Affairs in the Free State and Northern Cape provinces, in South Africa. The objective of the study is to determine if any improvements are necessary to EIA reports, to establish whether authorities base their decisions on correct information. The adequacy or success of proposed mitigation measures will also aid decision makers in suggesting preventative measures. The research problem posed in this study was two-fold. First the question relating to the accuracy of predicted impacts and implementation of mitigation measures in the Free State and Northern Cape had to be answered. This was done through a method called impact-backwards auditing. Secondly the question whether the two provinces had similar outcomes in terms of predicted impact accuracy and implementation of mitigation measures, had to be assessed. The comparison between the two provinces was conducted through a series of Pearson chi-square tests on contingency tables to assess if statistically significant differences occurred in the outcome of predicted impacts and mitigation measures between the Free State and Northern Cape provinces. This study concluded that no statistically significant differences occurred between the two provinces in relation to the outcome of predicted impacts and mitigation measures. Predicted impacts were to a large extent accurately predicted and the majority of mitigation measures were to a large extent implemented successfully to prevent or minimize an impact.

[发布机构] University of the Free State