"Environmental Impact Assessment, Integrated Development Planning and the Pursuit of Sustainable Development in South Africa: A Critical Reflection on the Consideration of Alternatives."
Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Despite our best planning and Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA") efforts we seem to be failing in our pursuit of Sustainable Development.In South Africa we find ourselves confronted with the harsh reality that after 14 years of democracy, more than a decade of compulsory EIA, and 12 years of legislated Integrated Development Planning ("IDP"), poverty remains widespread and persists alongside affluence, while inequalities are also growing.In addition South Africa's life-supporting ecosystems continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate.Critically reflecting on what is going wrong, it is clear that there is an emergent consensus in the discourse that points towards the inadequate consideration of alternatives.A literature review of the historical development and social construction of the concept of "sustainable development"; a theoretical analysis of sustainable development, planning and EIA; as well as an analysis of the legislative and policy framework for EIA and IDP in South Africa, shows that the consideration of alternatives is the "heart" and "soul" of EIA and IDP, and therefore of the pursuit of sustainable development in South Africa.A content analysis of a sample of EIAs and IDPs undertaken and produced in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, however, indicates that alternatives are not being adequately considered during the current practice of EIA and IDP in South Africa -resulting in only slightly less unsustainable development and a perpetuation of the unsustainable and unjust "business-as-usual" development types and patterns of the past.EIA and IDP can never be, and were never supposed to be completely separate processes.EIAs must be considered within the context to be provided by the sustainable development vision, goals and objectives to be formulated in, and the desired spatial form and pattern of land use to be reflected in an area's IDP and Spatial Development Frameworks ("SDF").Properly informed Strategic Environmental Assessment based IDPs and SDFs, refined by Environmental Management Frameworks, should therefore provide the strategic context and decision-making framework for the consideration of need, desirability and alternatives; with the actual and potential socio-economic and ecological impacts of a specific proposal to be considered during the project-level EIA.Project-level EIAs in turn providing "feedback" to the planning processes to ensure reflexivity and continued improvement.The improved integration and convergence of IDP and EIA decision-making methodologies and practice are therefore paramount to the adequate consideration of alternatives and the pursuit of sustainable development in South Africa.While the challenges to be addressed by EIA and IDP in South Africa are complex and 'wicked', and the pursuit of sustainable development solutions is therefore also a complex and ongoing process, the need for fundamental alternatives that will lead to drastic and urgent change for the better are, however, just as real.The urgency and importance of the sustainable development challenge for South Africa calls for bold decisions and the search for sustainable alternatives that will deliver urgent and fundamental change for all South Africans.The practice of EIA and IDP should be driven by these realities and reflect the need for urgent and fundamental change.iii OPSOMMING Ten spyte van ons beste pogings ten opsigte van beplanning en omgewingsimpakanalise ("OIA"), wil dit voorkom asof ons faal in ons soeke na 'volhoubare ontwikkeling'.In Suid-Afrika word ons gekonfronteer deur die realiteit dat na 14 jaar van demokrasie, meer as 'n dekade van verpligte OIA, en 12 jaar van Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsbeplanning ("GOB"), armoede nog steeds wydverspreid voorkom en voortbestaan saam met rykdom, terwyl ongelykhede groei.Terselfdertyd gaan Suid-Afrika se lewens-onderhoudende ekosisteme agteruit teen 'n skrikwekkende spoed.'n Kritiese blik op wat verkeerd loop, dui op die begin van 'n konsensus wat wys na die onvoldoende inagneming van alternatiewe.'n Literatuur studie van die historiese ontwikkeling en sosiale konstruksie van die konsep van "volhoubare ontwikkeling"; 'n teoretiese analise van volhoubare ontwikkeling, beplanning en OIA; asook 'n analise van die wetlike en beleidsraamwerk vir OIA en GOB in Suid-Afrika, toon aan dat die inagneming van alternatiewe die "hart" en "siel" van OIA en GOB, en daarom van die strewe na volhoubare ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika is.'n Inhoudsanalise van 'n steekproef van OIAs en Genïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsplanne (GOPe) onderneem en geproduseer in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika, dui egter aan dat die inagneming van alternatiewe tydens die huidige praktyk van OIA en GOB in Suid-Afrika nie behoorlik aangespreek word nie -wat lei tot slegs geringe minder onvolhoubare ontwikkeling en die voortsetting van die onvolhoubare en onregverdige "besigheid-soos-gewoonlik" ontwikkelingstipes en patrone van die verlede.OIA en GOB kan nooit, en was nooit veronderstel, om heeltemal afsonderlike prosesse te wees nie.OIAs moet oorweeg word binne die konteks wat geskep moet word deur die volhoubare visie, eindpunte en doelwitte wat geformuleer moet word tydens, en die gewensde ruimtelike vorm en patroon van grondgebruik soos wat gereflekteer moet word in, 'n area se GOP en Ruimtelike Ontwikkelings Raamwerk ("ROR").Voldoende ingeligte Strategiese Omgewingsanalise gebaseerde GOPe en RORe, verfyn deur Omgewingsbestuursraamwerke, behoort daarom die strategiese konteks en besluitnemingsraamwerk te skep vir die inagneming van die behoefte, gewensdheid, en alternatiewe; met die werklike en potensiale sosioekonomiese en ekologiese impakte van 'n spesifieke voorstel wat bepaal moet word tydens die projek-vlak OIA.Met projek-vlak OIAs wat weer moet "terugvoering" gee aan beplanningsprosesse ten einde voordurende verbetering te verseker.Die verbeterde integrasie en saamkoms van GOB en OIA besluitnemingsmetodes en praktyke is daarom krities vir die voldoende inagneming van alternatiewe en die strewe na volhoubare ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika.Terwyl dit 'n realiteit is dat die uitdagings wat deur OIA en GOB in Suid-Afrka aangespreek moet word kompleks en "wicked" is, en die strewe na volhoubare oplossings daarom ook 'n komplekse en voortdurende proses is, is die behoefte vir fundamentele alternatiewe wat sal lei tot drastiese en dringende positiewe verandering net so waar.Die dringendheid en belangrikheid van die volhoubare ontwikkelings-uitdaging in Suid-Afrika, vra vir onbeskroomde besluite en die soek na volhoubare alternatiewe wat dringende en fundamentele verandering vir alle Suid-Afrikaners teweeg sal bring.Die praktyk van OIA en GOB behoort gedryf te word deur hierdie realiteite en behoort die behoefte vir dringende en fundamentele verandering te weerspieël.I wish to thank my supervisor
Author: G. H. Gerber
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2151699561