Abstract
M.Sc. (Environmental Management)
The assessment of cumulative impacts in the South African Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process has been a legal requirement after the promulgation of the 2006 EIA Regulations and the subsequent introduction of the 2010 EIA Regulations. Previously, EIA regulations had little or no provisions for cumulative effects assessment in the EIA process. Through the application of the modified cumulative effect assessment (CEA) framework as well as the use of the Lee and Colley Review Package, this research has critically evaluated how satisfactory or unsatisfactory were the cumulative impacts assessments conducted in various proposed projects for linear facilities. EIA Reports selected for the study were for proposed electricity power transmission lines. In addressing this goal, twenty (20) EIA and nine (9) Scoping Reports prepared and submitted over a period of three consecutive EIA regulations (1997, 2006 and 2010) were assessed using the aforementioned framework and review package.
The outcome of the review indicates that generally cumulative impacts are not effectively and purposely considered in the sample of EIA reports examined for the critical evaluation. The study showed that only 34% of these reports exhibited excellent and very satisfactory consideration of cumulative impacts during the assessment process. Furthermore, some improvements on how cumulative impacts are factored into the environmental impact assessment process are noticeable in the transition period over the three EIA regulatory regimes. The level of progress ranges from 32% in 1997 to 54% in 2006 and then to a 60% satisfactory level by the year 2010. Most EIA reports appeared to excel when it came to the conceptualisation and scoping of cumulative impacts as well as the determination of environmental impacts. Despite these improvements, since the year 2006 to 2010, there were marked deficiencies in cumulative impact assessments in some of the review areas. These weaknesses happened at a time when it was becoming mandatory for EIA procedures in South Africa to diligently pay attention to cumulative impact assessments, the prime goal being to increase the environmental sustainability of proposed infrastructural development actions. One of the weaknesses revealed by the evaluation is that some of the EIA reports received environmental authorisation without effective assessment and accounting for cumulative impacts. The study therefore recommends that legislation should become more explicit and clear on how cumulative impacts are to be identified, classified and analysed.