Environmental impact management and planning: - Norway
Environmental impact management and planning: - Norway
Environmental impact management and planning: - Norway
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Developing the <strong>Environmental</strong> Impact Assessment <strong>and</strong> ManagementStrategy for South Africa (EIAMS)Purpose: To develop a strategy to manage environmental<strong>impact</strong>s through a variety of tools.OverviewThe outcomes of the Review of the Efficiency <strong>and</strong> Effectiveness(REE) of the South African EIA system are being considered ina strategy <strong>and</strong> action plan that will provide for an improvedway forward for environmental <strong>impact</strong> assessment <strong>and</strong><strong>management</strong>. This will be done by identifying, developing,improving <strong>and</strong> implementing different tools <strong>and</strong> mechanismsfor <strong>impact</strong> assessment, mitigation, <strong>management</strong> <strong>and</strong>governance. It will also focus on matters related to publicparticipation <strong>and</strong> transformation.EIA, <strong>and</strong> this is not always the best or most applicable wayfor judging or deciding on projects. It is time-consuming<strong>and</strong> expensive, <strong>and</strong> is currently prescribed for all activities,even though the <strong>impact</strong>s may be well known in somecases. The strategy will identify <strong>and</strong> develop moreappropriate tools for specific activities to be more time<strong>and</strong>cost-effective, as it will rationalise the use of the EIA byintroducing alternative or complementary tools for <strong>impact</strong>assessment <strong>and</strong> <strong>management</strong>.Possible further workThe development of this strategy is a three-year project,<strong>and</strong> there is a need for several specialist studies <strong>and</strong>workshops (even at national level), as well as a nationalconference. The department does not have enoughmoney to meet all these needs.ProgressThe results of the REE were presented at the 10 Years of EIAin South Africa Conference <strong>and</strong> it was agreed that it shouldbe incorporated in the EIAMS for South Africa. This will be aninclusive participatory process. In order to ensure broad buyin<strong>and</strong> participation, the following representative structureshave been established: an advisory group, a referencegroup, a steering committee, a project coordinator, taskteam coordinators <strong>and</strong> theme task teams. The three mainfocus areas will be governance <strong>and</strong> administration, capacity,skills <strong>and</strong> transformation, <strong>and</strong> <strong>impact</strong>s <strong>and</strong> instruments.BenefitsAt the moment, the only regulatory tool prescribed bylegislation for <strong>impact</strong> <strong>management</strong> in South Africa is the<strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>impact</strong> assessment <strong>and</strong> <strong>management</strong> in action on the edge of the Swartvlei Lake,Sedgefield, Western Cape, South Africa.8
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