ID: 2058
Presenting Author: Sabelo Malaza
Session: 750 - Bridging the Gap: Empowering Local Governments in Developing Economies to Make Environmental Impact Assessments Understandable and Actionable
Status: pending
The paper focuses on how SADC countries have developed an environmental legislative framework to ensure alignment within the region on ESIA and SEA.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a Regional Economic Community comprising 16 Member States on the African Continent. Established in 1992, SADC is committed to Regional Integration and Poverty Eradication within Southern Africa through economic development and ensuring peace and security.
To guide the integration agenda, the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2020–2030 was developed as the main guiding framework for implementation of the Regional Integration Agenda. Based on the obligations of the RISDP and discussions raised during the IAIA conference held in South Africa in 2018, on unharmonised environmental compliance procedures in the region, it became imperative to develop Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Guidelines. These guidelines would then be used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of ESIAs and SEAs within the individual projects, municipalities, districts, countries and ultimately throughout the region. The guidelines have now been developed and approved by the responsible SADC Ministers.
The development of these guidelines will support the implementation of the Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development, documented in 2014. The protocol’s specific objectives include among others: contributing towards sustainable development through the adoption of sound environmental management principles and procedures; ensuring that sustainable objectives are mainstreamed into trade and socio-economic policies, programmes and plans
Dr Sabelo Malaza is a senior public sector executive with over 20 years’ experience in environmental governance, institutional performance, and regulatory systems leadership.
Coauthor 1: Patrick Sithole
Coauthor 2: Khangwelo Musetsho
Coauthor 3: Sibongile Mavimbela