Environmental impact management and planning: - Norway

Review of the Efficiency and Effectiveness (REE) of the South AfricanEIA systemPurpose: To review the successes and failures of EIA as a toolfor impact management and to identify alternative tools.OverviewThe new EIA regulations of 2006 (promulgated in termsof NEMA) were implemented on 3 July 2006. Given theexperience of almost 10 years of regulating EIA in SouthAfrica, the DEA decided to embark on a process to reviewthe efficiency and effectiveness of the EIA as a tool forenvironmental impact management in South Africa.The study had the following aims:• Review the efficiency and effectiveness of the EIAprocess as a tool for managing environmental impactsin terms of the NEMA EIA regulations.• Provide a retrospective view on the performance of EIAas a tool for EIM by considering:- Whether the EIA process achieves the intended goal.- Where goals were met, what were the critical successfactors and how can these be optimised.- Where goals were not met, what were the reasons forthis and how can it be rectified.- Whether the EIA, in terms of specific listed activities, isthe most appropriate tool for impact managementand, where it is not, to identify alternative tools.- To what extent the EIA tool contributed to meet thenational objectives and how effective and efficient it isin promoting benefits for the users (applicants, businessand industry, non-governmental organisations, thepublic and authorities on national, provincial andmunicipal level).- The identification of key constraints and opportunitiesof the current EIA system and ways to improve thesystem.- Where EIA may be falling short in adding value tothe decision-making process.ProgressThe study followed a phased approach, which comprisedtwo main parallel parts:• Investigating the effectiveness and efficiency of EIAs byreviewing historic EIA processes against set criteria andcomparing these to other processes.• Assessing the views of stakeholders involved in the EIAprocess.The study is completed and its outcomes have been madeavailable in a final closing report for the project. The outcomeshighlighted several problems and issues of concern, and anumber of recommendations have been made to addressthese. This process was followed by the 10 years of EIA inSouth Africa Conference in November 2008, where theexperience of the previous 10 years and the findings of thisreport were critically examined, and decisions were madeon the way forward.BenefitsIt was accordingly agreed by all stakeholders that they wouldparticipate in the formulation of the National EnvironmentalImpact Assessment and Management Strategy (EIAMS). Thestakeholders also agreed on the process to be followed,the structures to be put in place, and the themes to beaddressed in the strategy. The findings of the REE form amajor part of this process.Possible further workThe REE has been concluded, but, as indicated above,it has been followed up by the EIAMS and there is scopefor international participation in this process. One of thestructures in this process is an advisory group, consisting ofinternational and local experts, who will provide commentsand advice on documents and deliverables. Mr Terje Lind,Deputy Director-General of the NMoE, has been selectedto serve on this body. There is a need in this process for thefunding of specialist reports, workshops and the publicationof documentation.7