The integration of strategic environmental assessments with the integrated development planning process
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Date
2001-07
Authors
Smit, J. H.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Since the first living forms emerged miraculously from earth's cloak of gas millions of years ago,
the planet has maintained a capacity to support life in a myriad of ever changing forms. Among
all the species that have evolved during the earth's long history, modem people have been the most
successful. This resulted in a drastic increase in human population. In the second half of the 20th
century the relationship between human beings. and their environment has become the topic of
widespread concern. It is now universally accepted that, according to present trends, we must
expect the world, and South Africa, to become more crowded, more polluted, less ecologically
stable and more vulnerable to natural hazards in the years ahead. There are two components to
environmental deterioration. One is the depletion of essential resources for the maintenance of
present-day life styles. The other is the deterioration and destruction of natural processes which
ultimately sustain life on earth.
South Africa is a unique country with unique problems. It has a developed, or First World,
component which has been responsible for some terrible environmental degradation. It also has a
developing, or Third World, component which has a dire need for socio-economic development.
This implies the need for sustainable development. Sustainable development means improving the
quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity. It is universally recognised that
sustainable development should occur at local level, which in turn could contribute, to the global
healthy state of the environment.
The dire need for development among underdeveloped communities and the lack of capacity
(financially and administratively) among existing municipalities in the new dispensation resulted
in the introduction of Integrated Development Planning. The Integrated Development Planning
process is a strategic decision-making tool that assists local authorities in fulfilling their
development mandate given by the new constitution. In general, Integrate Development Plans
tend to focus on socio-economic development tied to a spatial development framework. A need to
ensure sustainable development therefore exists within Integrated Development Planning.
Strategic Environmental Assessments could be used as a means III achieving sustainable
development. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an Integrated Environmental
Management (lEM) strategic decision-making support tool that proactively considers the
opportunities and constraints the environment places on development. By integrating a Strategic
Environmental Assessment with the Integrated Development Planning process sustainable
development can be ensured.
The means to integrate the two processes, theoretically as well as practically, poses a challenge for
environmental managers and planners in South Africa. The aim of this study is to provide some
guidelines in achieving the successful integration of Strategic Environmental Assessment as a
component of the Integrated Development Planning process. This will be achieved by integrating
the elements of a Strategic Environmental Assessment into the various phases of Integrated
Development Planning process. The Integrated Development Planning process involves one
process with many products, one of which is a Strategic Environmental Assessment.
Description
Keywords
Community planning -- South Africa -- Empangeni, Environmental impact analysis -- South Africa -- Empangeni, Environmental policy -- South Africa -- Empangeni, Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Empangeni, Dissertation (M.Sc. (Environmental Management))--University of the Free State, 2001