Environmental Impact Assessment

(Origin and Historical development of EIA)

PRESENTED TO:
NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENV ENG
(EVE810S)

Guest lecturer: Johannes Munango

Email: raychilunda@gmail.com

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 Contents
• EIA- Definition
• Historical development of EIA
• EIA in Africa
• Purpose of EIA
• Benefits of EIA
• Objectives of EIA
• Participants in EIA
• EMA 7, of 2007

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 Defining EIA
• EIA is a comprehensive and systematic process
designed to identify, analyze and evaluate
potential environmental effects of a proposed
projects.

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 EIA in Africa
World bank Mid 80’s
• World bank sponsoring developing countries
• enact environmental impact assessment (EIA)
legislation.
• Gambia was one of the first countries in sub-
Saharan Africa to adopt EIA under the world
bank initiative

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 EIA in Africa
The Espoo (EIA) Convention, 25 Feb to 1 Mar 1991
• It sets out the obligations of Parties to assess the
environmental impact of certain activities at an
early stage of planning.
• It also lays down the general obligation of States
to notify and consult each other on all major
projects under consideration that are likely to
have a significant adverse environmental impact
across boundaries.
• The Convention was adopted in 1991 and entered
into force on 10 September 1997
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 EIA in Africa cont..
Rio Earth summit, 3 to 14 June 1992
• Declaration on Environment and Development
• Principle 17: Environmental impact
assessment, as a national instrument, shall be
undertaken for proposed activities that are
likely to have a significant adverse impact on
the environment and are subject to a decision
of a competent national authority.

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 Gaps and Challenges Africa faced in
implementing EIA
• Lack of implementing laws and inadequate
environmental legislation
• Lack of awareness
• Lack of expertise
• Poor public participation

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 Purpose of EIA
• Identify and predict the impacts of projects
• Interpret and communicate information about
impacts
• To identify mitigation measures which will
minimize any possible environmental impacts

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 Benefits of EIA
• Environmentally sound and sustainable design
• Better compliance with standards
• Savings in capital and operating costs (early
identification of unforeseen impacts = saving in
mitigation measures)
• Reduced time and costs for approval
• Increased project acceptance by public, reducing
controversy
• Better protection of the environment and human
health

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 Objectives of EIA
• Short term objectives:
• Improve the environmental design of the
proposal
• Ensure that resources are used efficiently
• Identify appropriate measures for mitigating
the potential impacts
• Facilitate informed decision making

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 Objectives of EIA
• Long term objectives:
• Protect human health and safety
• Avoid irreversible changes and damage to the
environment
• Protect valued resources, natural areas and
ecosystem components
• Enhance the social aspects of the proposal

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 Participants in EIA
• Proponent
• Environmental Assessment Practitioner
• Authorities (Local, regional and competent)
• Interested and, or affected parties

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 Duties of proponent
The proponent must -
• Designate an environmental assessment
practitioner (hereinafter referred to as EAP”) to
manage the assessment process;
• Provide the EAP with access to information at the
disposal of the proponent regarding the
application, whether or not the information is
favorable to the proponent; and
• Ensure that the EIA procedures, specified in the
Act, regulations and guidelines, for the proposed
activity are followed.
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 Duties of EAP
• Have knowledge of and experience in conducting
assessments, including knowledge of the Act,
these regulations and guidelines that have
relevance to the proposed activity;
• Perform the work relating to the application in an
objective manner, even if this results in views and
findings that are not favorable to the applicant;
• Comply with the Act, these regulations,
guidelines and other applicable laws and
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 Duties of EAP cont..
• Disclose to the proponent, competent
authority and the Environmental
Commissioner all material information in their
possession that reasonably has or may have
the potential of influencing - any decision to
be taken with respect to the application in
terms of the Act and these regulations
• Apply for the clearance certificate on behalf of
the proponent

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 Duties of the Competent Authority
• Regulate the whole EIA process
• Make sure that the EIA process was done in
compliance to standards, act and regulations
• Review the EIA reports
• Forward to the Environmental Commissioner
the application for the environmental
clearance certificate as well as the documents
for proposed activity.

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 Duties of the Interested and, or affected
parties
• Register their grievance
• Attend public consultation meetings raise
their concerns
• Review proposed project reports and give
comments that will facilitate the decision
making of the competent authority

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 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT No.
7, 2007
EMA Objectives
• To promote the sustainable management of the
environment and the use of natural resources by
establishing principles for decision making on matters
affecting the environment
• To establish the Sustainable Development Advisory council;
• To provide for the appointment of the Environmental
Commissioner and environmental officers;
• to provide for a process of assessment and control of
activities which may have significant effects on the
environment; and
• To provide for incidental matters.
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 Purpose & Principles of the EMA
1. To promote the sustainable management of the environment and the use of
natural resources by establishing principles for decision making on matters
affecting the environment;

2. To provide for the process of assessment and control of activities which may have
significant effects on the environment; And to provide for incidental matters
among others

3. To use renewable resources on a sustainable basis for current & future generation

4. Promote community involvement in management of natural resources

5. Promote public participation in decisions affecting environment

6. Do environmental assessments of all projects affect the environment or use of

natural resources
 Key Provision in Respect to the EMA

1. Establishment of the
Environmental
Commissioner’s Office –
Appointment of EOs

2. Listing of Organs of State

and Listed Activities

3. Enforce and Monitor

Compliance with the EMA
The Legislative Tools & Information
 Class activity
• Group 1.
1. Discuss all the potential impacts of a sand
mining project along a river. And How to
potentially mitigate some of these impacts.

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 Class activity
• Group 2.
• Marine Phosphate mining
“There are about 16 000 workers in the fishing
industry, and concerns are that seabed mining
for phosphate might inflict irreversible damage
to Namibia's lucrative fishing industry, which is a
pillar of the country's economy”.
1. What are the potential environmental
(positive and Negative) impacts
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 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:

Read and understand the listed activities in the

Namibian EIA regulations of 2012 that cannot
be undertaken without a clearance certificate,
mention 10 of them and then state their
potential impacts (negative + Positive) impacts
these listed activities have on the environment.
(30 marks)

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 References
• Jay, S., Jones, C., Slinn,P. & Wood, C.(2006).
Environmental Impact Assessment: Retrospect and
Prospect. Elsevier, UK.
• Tarr, P. & Figueirra,M.(1999). Namibia’s Environmental
Assessment Framework: The evolution of policy and
practice. DEA Research Discussion Paper number 34.
September 1999.
• Wood, C.(2003). Environmental Impact Assessment in
Developing countries: An overview. Conference on New
Directions in Impact Assessment for Development:
Methods and Practice: 24-25 November 2003.

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