An evaluation of the use of environmental management plans in integrated environmental management in KwaZulu-Natal.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) details mitigation measures and monitoring thereof as well management of the whole project implementation. As a management tool, the concept of an EMP was developed to ensure proper environmental management throughout the life-cycle of a development project. Despite EMPs having been in existence for quite some considerable period, environmental damage still persists. Furthermore, the environmental legislation of different countries and in particular South Africa does not use/make development of an EMP a specific requirement. This has implications on a number of issues such as EMP purpose, EMP implementation and the whole rationale behind an EMP. The motivation to investigate EMPs stemmed from a discussion I had with Dr Quinn, my supervisor, about my research proposal. He mentioned EMPs and encouraged me to investigate further. A review of literature about EMPs revealed the importance of EMPs in Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). A lot of questions arose as I was reading: • Are the provincial departments actually doing what is said in the literature? • Does the current use of EMPs achieve its purpose? • What is the whole rationale behind EMPs? • How are they implemented internationally and nationally? • What are the problems affecting EMP implementation? • How can the current situation be improved? As these questions came into my mind I thought the best way of discovering problems and solutions with respect to EMP implementation is to actually work with people whom I thought are knowledgeable about the subject. I then chose environmental authorities as the professionals who review EMPs and environmental consultants as the professionals who prepare EMPs as respondents. I hope some of the strategies suggested here will be implemented by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs (DAEA) as the relevant authority in terms of section 22 of Environment Conservation Act (ECA) No. 73 of 1989. DAEA requests EMPs to be submitted as part of the conditions of approval when authorizing projects in terms of the ECA of 1989. If submitted, DAEA is also responsible for assessing and authorizing EMPs. I also hope that in the future there will be a study to investigate any improvements in the EMP implementation. This dissertation is presented in two parts, Component A and Component B. Component A includes the theoretical underpinnings for the results and Component B includes the analysis. Component A consists of the three chapters which are; the introduction, the literature review and the methods and conceptual framework used for the study. The referencing system used in this component complies with the Harvard System. Component B is written in preparation for submission to the Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal Journal but the format is in keeping with Component A. However, the referencing system used in this component complies with the journal requirements. The abstract has been placed at the beginning of component B as per the requirements of the journal

Towards understanding geographic information competencies : the case of decision-making in environmental impact assessments in South Africa

Concerns have been raised about the competent use of geographic information for decisionmaking in environmental impact assessments (EIAs). However, such competencies have not been categorised, nor have they been assessed before. Effectiveness studies on the quality of environmental assessments have also not been undertaken on the geographic information competencies for review of the EIA report submitted for decision making. This is a poorly researched topic on the boundaries of EIA and geographic information systems (GIS) and therefore worthy of research. This study describes and categorises the geographic information competencies required for reviewing EIAs. As a first step, literature was reviewed to understand the use and value of geographic information for environmental management, as well as related work on geographic information competencies, competency management, and the use of taxonomies to categorise or classify information. Next, surveys and semi-structured interviews, based on a taxonomy of the use of geographic information, were conducted with officials who review EIAs from all the provincial environmental departments across South Africa as well as the national environmental department. Analysis of the responses confirmed the invaluable contribution of geographic information in decision-making for EIA. EIA officials understood the importance of geographic information competencies. However, optimal use has been affected by a number of factors such as a lack of access to up-to-date geographic information required for the reviews, the costs of associated resources, and that some EIA officials lack technical expertise in GIS. These results informed the development of another taxonomy for geographic information competencies. It categorises and structures competencies into different domains of competence: geography, environmental science, GIS software knowledge, field work expertise, critical thinking, and related courses. The description of competencies in the GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION COMPETENCIES: DECISION-MAKING IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA v taxonomy was based on the EIA review work as specified by the participants, and its structure was guided by the literature. The element of subjectivity in the taxonomy approach was countered through the rigorous application of a mixed-methods approach. It is recommended that the taxonomy guides capacity-building efforts to facilitate optimal use of geographic information for decision-making in environmental impact assessment. This thesis has contributed by categorising and assessing the geographic information competencies required in EIA reviews. The results of this research can guide curriculum development, even beyond the borders of South Africa. As geospatial information technologies evolve in future, there will be a need to reassess and possibly revise the taxonomy.Thesis (PhD (Geography))--University of Pretoria, 2022.Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologyPhD (Geography)Unrestricte

Evaluating a public sector organisation for SDI Readiness – The case of a South African government department

Spatial data infrastructure (SDI) facilitates the collection and sharing of geographic information developed by different organisations. As a result, SDI initiatives are occurring in different countries. Various government departments are implementing SDI in order to contribute to the achievements of its objectives. SDI assessments to evaluate the implementation thereof is also occurring from local levels to international levels. This paper establishes the availability of geographic information within the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) by describing DEA’s contribution to the South African SDI objectives and by assessing DEA’s SDI readiness.The qualitative method was used to collect data. The techniques used in this research were literature review, interviews, mainly in-depth interview, document and internet analysis.The results indicate that geographic information is available and the department continues to make more means to make it available. They also reveal that there are some challenges with respect to accessibility. Currently there is a process to make it even more easily accessible. The results show DEA’s willingness and capacity to contribute to the South African SDI. The voluntary participation in SDI activities and the ability to obtain additional funding for geographic information is a clear indicator of DEA’s willingness to contribute to SASDI’s objectives. The results contribute to the body of knowledge that if an SDI is still in the early stages of development, it is challenging to make conclusions on some of the key SDI assessment indices. Future research is required once South African SDI has reached mature stages

Evaluating a public sector organisation for SDI readiness – the case of a South African government department

Spatial data infrastructure (SDI) facilitates the collection and sharing of geographic information developed by different organisations. As a result, SDI initiatives are occurring in different countries. Various government departments are implementing SDI in order to contribute to the achievements of its objectives. SDI assessments to evaluate the implementation thereof is also occurring from local levels to international levels. This paper establishes the availability of geographic information within the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) by describing DEA’s contribution to the South African SDI objectives and by assessing DEA’s SDI readiness.The qualitative method was used to collect data. The techniques used in this research were literature review, interviews, mainly in-depth interview, document and internet analysis. The results indicate that geographic information is available and the department continues to make more means to make it available. They also reveal that there are some challenges with respect to accessibility. Currently there is a process to make it even more easily accessible. The results show DEA’s willingness and capacity to contribute to the South African SDI. The voluntary participation in SDI activities and the ability to obtain additional funding for geographic information is a clear indicator of DEA’s willingness to contribute to SASDI’s objectives. The results contribute to the body of knowledge that if an SDI is still in the early stages of development, it is challenging to make conclusions on some of the key SDI assessment indices. Future research is required once South African SDI has reached mature stages.http://www.sajg.org.za/index.php/sajgam2017Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog