An evaluation of the strategic environmental assessment (sea) as a tool for promoting sustainable development in South Africa

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been developed as an Environmental Assessment (EA) tool for strategic decision-making and development planning. It is not intended to replace an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), but to complement it. The European Union (EU) SEA Directive 2001/42/EC informs all member states to include SEA into their own national regulations. This ensures the mainstreaming of environmental issues that threaten the livelihoods of individuals, economies, and the environment by integrating them into the development of policies, plans and programmes (PPPs). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether SEA is an effective tool for promoting Sustainable Development (SD) in South Africa (SA), through an analysis of SEA case studies. The objectives were: (i) Use published literature to provide a theoretical framework for evaluation of whether SEA is effective in promoting sustainable development; (ii) Identify and explain the significant strengths and weaknesses for SEA; (iii) Provide the legislative framework and policies that promote sustainability and sustainable development in South Africa; (iv) Identify appropriate case studies where SEA was applied in South Africa, and (v) Evaluate the case studies and use the analysis to determine whether SEA is an effective tool for promoting environmentally sustainable development in SA. The methodology for this study was based on a non-empirical research design and entailed a literature review and case study approach. The case studies were five SEAs conducted in SA, which were evaluated against five SEA performance criteria developed by the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) for evaluation of good quality of SEA, and six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by United Nations (UN) members states in 2015. The five case studies were: (i) Square Kilometre Array (SKA) SEA; (ii) iLembe environmental management framework (EMF); (iii) Greater Saldanha Bay EMF; (iv) Drankenstein Municipal Area EMF, and (v) Sandveld EMF. Direct observation was exercised when evaluating all these case studies. Three measurement descriptors, namely, “strong”, “medium” and “weak” were applied to describe the performance. The findings revealed that SEA can, indeed, promote SD effectively in South Africa, as evidenced by the fact that there was no evaluated case study that rated as “weak.” The overall scale of evaluation against both SEA performance criteria and SDGs was “strong”, and “medium” secondarily. The recommendations were centered on the findings of this study. These are: (i) Public participation must be fully considered during decision-making and the planning process, to allow stakeholders to participate and ensure that both decision-making and planning processes are robust, transparent and sealed. This includes integrating the three key pillars of sustainability, namely social, economic, and environmental dimensions, to fully promote SD and not only focus on some aspects and ignore others. (ii) The SDGs need to be fully incorporated into the earliest stage of planning of an SEA/EMF to help reduce the environmental issues in the mainstream, and combat climate change and its impacts for present and future generations. (iii) There is a need for decision-makers to consider implementation when formulating an SEA/EMF, so that the expected outcomes of the proposed projects can be monitored during implementation and post-implementation of the project. This can be accomplished through a well-prepared Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) or Integrated Environmental Management Plan (IEMP) that will promote and encourage sustainability in South Africa. Permission to conduct this study was sought from Stellenbosch University and approved by its Ethics Committee.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Strategiese Omgewingsassessering (SEA) is ontwikkel as ’n Omgewingsassessering (EA)-instrument vir strategiese besluitneming en ontwikkelingsbeplanning. Dit is nie bedoel om ’n Omgewingsimpakassessering (EIA) te vervang nie, maar om dit te komplementeer. Die Europese Unie (EU) SEA Directive 2001/42/EC verwittig alle ledestate dat hulle SEA by hul eie nasionale regulasies moet insluit. Dit verseker dat omgewingsake wat die lewensbestaan van individue, die ekonomie en die omgewing bedreig die hoofstroom vorm deur dit by die ontwikkeling van beleide, planne en programme (PPP’s) te integreer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te evalueer of SEA ’n doeltreffende instrument vir die bevordering van Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (SD) in Suid-Afrika (SA) is deur ’n ontleding van SEA-gevallestudies. Die doelstellings was: (i) Gebruik gepubliseerde literatuur om ’n teoretiese raamwerk te verskaf vir die evaluering van of SEA doeltreffend met die bevordering van volhoubare ontwikkeling is; (ii) Identifiseer en verduidelik die betekenisvolle sterktes en swakhede vir SEA; (iii) Voorsien die wetgewende raamwerk en beleide wat volhoubaarheid en volhoubare ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika bevorder; (iv) Identifiseer toepaslike gevallestudies waar SEA in Suid-Afrika toegepas is; en (v) Evalueer die gevallestudies en gebruik die ontleding om te bepaal of SEA ’n effektiewe instrument vir die bevordering van omgewingsvolhoubare ontwikkeling in SA is. Die metodologie vir hierdie studie is gegrond op ’n nie-empiriese navorsingsontwerp en het ’n literatuuroorsig en gevallestudie-benadering behels. Die gevallestudies was vyf SEA’s wat in SA uitgevoer is, wat geëvalueer is teenoor vyf SEA-voldoeningskriteria wat ontwikkel is deur die International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) vir die evaluering van goeie gehalte SEA, en ses Volhoubare Ontwikkelingsdoelstellings (SDG’s) wat in 2015 deur die Verenigde Nasies (VN)-ledestate aanvaar is. Die vyf gevallestudies was: (i) Square Kilometre Array (SKA) SEA; (ii) iLembe Omgewingsbestuursraamwerk (EMF); (iii) Groter Saldanhabaai EMF; (iv) Drakenstein Munisipale Area EMF; en (v) Sandveld EMF. Regstreekse waarneming is toegepas met die evaluering van al hierdie gevallestudies. Drie metingsbeskrywings, naamlik “sterk”, “medium” en “swak”, is toegepas om die voldoening te beskryf. Die bevindings het getoon dat SEA, inderdaad, SD doeltreffend kan bevorder in Suid-Afrika, soos aangetoon word deur die feit dat daar geen geëvalueerde gevallestudie was wat tydens die omvattende skaal van evaluering as “swak” getakseer is nie teenoor sowel SEA-prestasiekriteria en SDG’s wat “sterk” en sekondêr “medium” was. Die aanbevelings was gesentreer op die bevindings van hierdie studie. Dit is: (i) Openbare deelname moet tydens besluitneming en die beplanningsproses volledig oorweeg word, om belanghebbendes toe te laat om deel te neem en te verseker dat besluitneming sowel as die beplanningsproses kragtig, deursigtig en ’n verseëlde proses is. Dit sluit die integrering van die drie sleutelpilare van volhoubaarheid, naamlik sosiale, ekonomiese en omgewingsdimensies, in om SD volledig te bevorder en nie net op party aspekte te konsentreer en ander te ignoreer nie. (ii) Die SDG’s moet volledig by die vroegste stadium van beplanning van ’n SEA/EMF geïnkorporeer word om die omgewingsake in die hoofstroom te help verminder, en klimaatsverandering en die aanslae daarvan vir huidige en toekomstige geslagte te bestry. (iii) Dit is nodig dat besluitnemers implementering oorweeg wanneer ’n SEA/EMF geformuleer word, sodat die verwagte uitkomste van die voorgestelde projekte tydens implementering en na implementering van die projek gemoniteer kan word. Dit kan bereik word deur ’n goed voorbereide Strategiese Omgewingsbestuursplan (SEMP) of Geïntegreerde Omgewingsbestuursplan (IEMP) wat volhoubaarheid in Suid-Afrika sal bevorder en aanmoedig. Toestemming om hierdie studie uit te voer is van die Universiteit Stellenbosch aangevra en is deur die Etiekkomitee goedgekeur.
Description
Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Environmental impact analysis -- South Africa, Sustainable development -- South Africa, Environmental management -- South Africa, Strategic planning -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation