During the 1960s there was a growing awareness of the complex, and often negative, environmental effects of development projects and policies (e.g. building a factory, mine or road; providing water or electricity). In an attempt to provide environmental information to advise development decisions, the process of environmental impact assessment (EIA) was developed. During the 1970s and early 1980s this process became widely used, mainly in western industrialised countries, including South Africa, and some countries in Eastern Europe.

However, the role of EIAs in planning developments was not clarified, and EIAs were often tagged on after planning had occurred. In 1984, South Africa's Council For The Environment addressed this problem by establishing a committee to recommend ways of ensuring the integration of environmental concerns into development planning. The result was Integrated Environmental Management (IEM).

SOUND PLANNING

IEM is designed to ensure that the environmental consequences of development proposals are understood and adequately considered in the planning, implementation and management of all developments. It is intended to guide, rather than impede the development process by providing an approach to gathering and analysing information, and ensuring that it can be easily understood by all interested and affected parties in the development. The purpose of IEM is to resolve or lessen any negative environmental impacts and to enhance positive aspects of development proposals.

ROLE PLAYERS IN IEM

* The developer puts up the capital for, and stands to make a profit from, the development.

* The authority has legal control over the land to be developed, e.g. a private landowner, a municipality, or a government department. The authority has final say in whether or not the development goes ahead, and what conditions should be attached to development.

* The interested and affected parties are, for example, neighbouring landowners and the public.

THE PRINCIPLES OF IEM

* Pro-active planning
Pro-active planning attempts to ensure that the social costs of development (those borne by society and not by the developer) are outweighed by the social benefits. Through good planning, IEM endeavours to decrease negative impacts and increase positive impacts of a development.

* Informed decision making
This is achieved by integrating contributions from professionals involved in all disciplines (e.g. biology, hydrology, geology, sociology, urban planning) relevant to the planning of a particular proposal, and all interested and affected parties. Possible alternative options for development should be considered, including the option of no development at all.

* An open, and participatory approach. Participation of interested and affected parties in the planning and decision making process is an essential component of IEM.

* A broad understanding of the term environment The term, "environment", is taken to include physical, biological, social, economic, cultural, historical and political components.

* Accountability for decisions and the information on which they are based. A record of decisions made, and the reasoning behind each must be kept, and should be made available on request. This is necessary if decision makers are to be held accountable (i.e. responsible and answerable) for the decisions made. Consultants, too, must be accountable for the information they provide, often the basis of decision making.

STAGES OF IEM

The process allows for public participation at each stage.

1)Develop and assess proposal. Drawing up the proposal should involve consultation with interested and affected parties. Once compiled, the proposal is assessed, and depending on its probable environmental impact, classified as (a), (b) or (c) below:

a) an EIA needed prior to development being considered further;
b) more information must be gathered to establish whether or not an EIA is necessary;
c) no EIA needed, development can proceed.

2) Decision as to accept proposal or not - this is made on the basis of the outcome of (1).

3) Implementation - once approval has been gained, the development is implemented on the basis of a management plan outlining how negative impacts of development will be managed, and including periodic environmental audits (see Enviro Facts "Environmental audit").

IEM IN SOUTH AFRICA

As yet, there is no legal requirement for IEM in South Africa. However, there is considerable support for IEM from developers as well as authorities (i.e. those having jurisdiction over the land to be developed), and the public. Developers increasingly see the value of IEM, as the thorough planning that it requires greatly reduces the chances of sudden surprises hindering the progress of their development.

Several organisations, including the Council for the Environment, support the idea that an agency should be appointed within the Department of Environment Affairs, with the task of assessing EIAs. Such an agency would also be responsible for implementing legislation (once formulated) associated with IEM.

TOPICS FOR DEBATE

* Considering South Africa's need for economic growth, can we afford to allow development to be held back by environmental concerns?

* The process of IEM allows for a great deal of public participation. For this to be meaningful, significant information needs to be made widely available (i.e. there needs to be transparency); and there needs to be an informed citizenry, knowledgeable of its democratic role, and capable of becoming involved in democratic processes. These features are not characteristic of South Africa. With this in mind, is IEM a practical option for addressing environment and development issues in South Africa?

* If specialists are called in to administer, for example, an EIA, they are appointed by the developer. With the developer's vested interests in mind, should another body or organisation be responsible for contracting and paying for the specialists?

DID YOU KNOW

* The EIA associated with the mining of the eastern shores of Lake St. Lucia is the largest to have occurred in South Africa.

FURTHER READING

REPORT OF THE THREE COMMITTEES OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON A NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. The Government Printer, Cape Town, 1991.

INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINE SERIES 1 - 6. Department of Environment Affairs, 1992

IEM: A FRAMEWORK FOR HARMONY BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT. Council for the Environment, 1989. Available from Council for the Environment, address below.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA. R. Fuggle and M. Rabie. Juta and Co., Cape Town, 1992.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND AUDITING: GUIDELINES FOR SOUTH AFRICAN MANAGERS. D. Soutter and D. Mohr. WWF-SA, 1991.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE EASTERN SHORES OF LAKE ST LUCIA, KINGSA/TOJAN LEASE AREA: SUMMARY REPORT. CSIR Information Services, 1993. Available from CSIR, address below.

INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WILL IT BE WORTH HAVING? G. Preston in Africa: Environment and Wildlife 1:1, 1993.

All books are available from Russel Friedman Books, PO Box 73, Halfway House 1685. Tel. 011-70022300/1.

USEFUL CONTACTS

Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism. P/Bag X447, Pretoria, 0001. Tel. 012-310 3425.

Council for the Environment. P/Bag X447, Pretoria, 0001. Tel. 012-310 3528

CSIR Information Services. PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001. Tel. 012-8412000.