This research is based on reflections of various practitioners and their views on how public participation processes may or may not contribute to effective EIA decisions. It is therefore grounded in what is described as practitioner-based research. To study comparative development activities effectively, one must draw on many disciplines and construct a balanced understanding of historical and contemporary development processes. No single conventional disciplinary area of research is able to integrate the issues of public participation, EIA and decision-making in the context of the current development debate. The emergence of Trans-disciplinary areas of research allows for such integration. The Africa Earth Observatory Network (AEON) institute creates the space for this study to achieve an integrated response to the question of the effectiveness of public participation in EIA and decision-making. This further creates the opportunity to contribute and expand the growing body of knowledge and literature of public participation in the earth stewardship science discipline. Making use of triangulation, this study fulfils four major tasks: firstly, an assessment is made on the historical and theoretical importance, process and outcome of both EIA and public participation internationally and in South Africa. Secondly, three prominent case studies (i) the Coega IDZ, (ii) the Pondoland N2 Toll Road, and (iii) the anticipated Hydraulic Fracturing in the Karoo each focusses on concerns of an environmental, socio-economic, and political nature to assess if the public participation process has had influence, if any, on the final decisions for these projects to go-ahead. Thirdly, a survey was conducted to establish the views and perceptions of practitioners in the EIA and public participation domain on the effectiveness of public participation in EIA processes. Lastly, face-to-face interviews were conducted with various ‘pracademics’, i.e. consultants, practitioners, government, and non-governmental officials to establish their views on how public participation may or may not influence EIA decisions. Utilising the International Association for Public Participation’s (IAP2) participation spectrum as an evaluation tool, this research explores thirteen key criteria normally attributed to effective public participation. This provides a scale (inform, involve, consult, collaborate) to assess whether public participation in EIA in South Africa is least effective (inform) or most effective (collaborate). My research confirms that in South Africa an enabling environment to address impacts on our environment is emerging. One of the main challenges remains putting in place robust, clear and effective regulations, models or approaches that provide for effective public participation and decision-making in EIAs. My research also suggests that the legislation on which EIA is based cannot by itself guarantee the effectiveness of public participation processes. In practice, EIA is an institutional process of power division between different actors, and the practitioner or ‘pracademic’ has to play a more fundamental role to ensure effectiveness and fairness in the public participation process. Academic commentators should therefore call for new approaches that emphasise collaborative interaction between decision-makers and the public as well as deliberation amongst participants.

The aim of the study was to understand whether family businesses and non-family business differ from one another regarding green business and environmental issues. Green business issues are of global importance for the continued existence of business within the world. Businesses do not exist in isolation but within the context of the environment within which they function. Business has an impact on the environment and the environment has an impact on business. Furthermore, family businesses constitute a large part of the world economy and estimates range from 60-90 percent of GDP contributed by family businesses. In the South African context family businesses also form a significant part of the business environment. A literature study was conducted. The study identified five factors and considered each of these factors in the study. The five factors are: Green Business; Values; Stewardship; Succession; and, Stakeholders. In addition to a literature, primary research was conducted and data were collected by means of a questionnaire that collected data on the factors identified as well as some biographical information, including race, age and the sectors in which the respondents operated. The study’s findings correspond with the literature study, although no clear difference was found between family business and non-family business relating to green business and environmental issues. Family businesses do however believe that they are stewards of the environment and need to care for the environment.

Nitrogen (N) is critical to the quantity and quality of agricultural yields. Excess N fertilization is costly, both economically and environmentally (nitrate leaching, eutrophication, greenhouse gas release, soil degradation). This research identifies zones that could substitute the field-long N-rich strips by using spatial analysis of the nitrogen sufficiency index (NSI) and the relation with Apparent Electrical Conductivity (ECa), Elevation, Slope and Soil. NSI calculated from ECa grouped into three classes was capable of minimizing the effects on NDVI. Correlation coefficients (R) between three-class NSI and NSI calculated from the nearest ECA values were very high for all the fields with values between 0.82< R <0.94, with the highest coefficients associated with fields in 2005 and 2007. Meanwhile, three-class NSI coefficients were consistently significant in relation to the NSI reference, with an average of R=0.79 for all the fields. The highest coefficient was detected for 2007, with R=0.89, whereas the lowest values were associated with 2006 (R=0.67). In the case of elevation grouped into four classes, the correlation results were not statistically significant, with overall average values of R<0.70. The maps elaborated from the NSI for ECa grouped into three classes show a high level of accuracy compared to the NSI reference map. The new N-rich zones not only can contribute to mitigating the environmental impact of agricultural practices (reducing 77% of N inputs) but also be an accurate source of data for the analysis of NSI and within-field N variability.

M.Sc. / The establishment of conservancies and collaborative nature reserves is often promoted without understanding the impact that such initiatives have on the environment, the wildlife and landowners. This tack of knowledge has resulted in the landowners' non-awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing such entities and often leads to disillusionment. A conservancy is established by informal agreement between various landowners to enhance the conservation status of a specific area without affecting the owners' individual rights. A collaborative nature reserve is established as a result of a format agreement between landowners to manage and administer their collective land as a single unit. The agreement typically addresses issues such as the management systems, the methods to be utilised for income generation, the distribution of surpluses amongst landowners and the rights and privileges applicable to the landowners. The scope of this study has been limited to the establishment of conservancies and collaborative nature reserves between game ranchers and existing game ranches. A literature study was undertaken to determine the advantages and disadvantages of establishing collaborative nature reserves, including a comparative analysis of large versus small conservation areas. Practical research was done to determine the implications, advantages, disadvantages and landowners' perceptions pertaining to the establishment of collaborative nature reserves. The practical research was done by personal observation methods as well as the use of questionnaires. An existing and successful collaborative nature reserve was studied intensively to meet these objectives. This reserve includes the land of twelve individual landowners and also forms part of a greater conservancy. The establishment of collaborative nature reserves can solve the problems created by separate game ranches, especially that of the compartmentalisation of grazing areas for game. Careful pre-planning can surmount the negative aspects of establishing collaborative !lature reserves and the advantages can be maximally utilised.

M.A. / Natural phenomenon such as droughts have a definite influence on the availability of water sources, soil profiles and vegetation of an area. Man should adapt his activities, such as farming, to the current climatic elements of the area to ensure his existence. Intermittent rainfall and the occurrence of droughts caused symptoms such as desertification. Desertification has reached an alarming level in South Africa, so much so that the level of environmental degradation in the Northern Cape Province caused great distress. This caused many questions into the activities of man in this area. The problem that arose out of this is, does man cause a negative impact on the environment with his farming activities? The specific area of concern is the Southern Kalahari-dunefield, with its unique ecosystems. This area can be described as an semi-arid desert with very sensitive ecosystems. Any form of interference can cause a long term ecological disruption. This area contains several hidden resources which are optimally used by man and animals to live a decent life. The development of these resources (e.g. water) over the past decades lead to the advantage for all concerned. However, the real danger of over-utilisation and exploitation do exist. Questionnaires were used to gather data concerning stock farming activities in this area. Information was obtained regarding water resources, vegetation cover, endemic animals, type of farming, ground cover and other economic activities such as tourism. Man is an additional determinant who causes an impact on his environment in the Southern Kalahari-dunefield. Although a change can be observed over the past decades in the activities of man to enhance sustainable development, continuous strive to the implementation of new methods to preserve resources in the long term, must be encouraged.

Mrs. D.C. Schoeman

Environmental Impact Assessments ("EIA") have been regulated for the last 12 years in South Africa, initially through the Environment Conservation Act 1989, and since 2006 through the National Environmental Management Act 1998 ("NEMA"). The former applied the standard of "substantial detrimental effect" to the environment in determining whether an authorisation should be granted. NEMA requires the authority to take into account environmental management principles. These principles inter alia require that development must be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. This is also known as sustainable development ("SD"). Administrative officials tasked with considering EIAs have been given legislative direction with respect to the environmental issues which need to be assessed. They have been given no direction on how to assess socioeconomic issues. Notwithstanding this there have been an increasing number of decisions based on socio-economic factors, notwithstanding that the environmental impacts have been determined to be acceptable. In Fuel Retailers Association of South Africa v Director-General: Environmental Management, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Mpumalanga Province and Others the Constitutional court held that SD must be applied by environmental authorities when they consider applications for EIA authorisation. However a careful analysis of NEMA and the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, highlight that our administrators and courts have adopted a one dimensional and ultimately inaccurate interpretation of the application of SD. This is prejudicing the fulfilment of the objective of EIA, namely the determination of the acceptability of a project's environmental impacts. Whilst SD does have a role to play in the EIA process it is more defined, and does not take the central role the Constitutional Court has indicated. The aim of is to determine whether there are adverse impacts associated with a project. If there are, then ordinarily authorisation should be refused. However the authorities are enjoined to go a step further. They must determine whether the identified adverse impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated, and whether any positive socio-economic factors would accrue Page (iii) should the project be authorised. If both are answered in the affirmative, then a positive decision is appropriate. This is the balance which NEMA calls for, and this is the correct application of SD in an EIA. The broader application of SD espoused by the Constitutional Court is achieved not through the environmental authorities in the EIA process alone, but through the constitutional principle of cooperative governance. All authorities with an interest in a particular project must apply the principle of SD within the scope of their administrative functions. The environmental authorities consider the environmental impacts, the planning authorities consider the socio-economic impacts, the agricultural authorities determine the project's impacts on agricultural land, etc. The outcome of their individual decisions can then collectively be assessed to determine whether a project is sustainable or not. There are various measures which can be employed to address the interpretational deficiency which has now manifested. These include improving cooperative governance principles and practices in decisionmaking; undertaking strategic environmental assessments; and a dedicated Sustainable Development Act. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

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As a result of increasing interest in sustainable development, the subject of this report is the exploration of methods to analyse the environmental impact of car components. The project is conducted as a case study, and the theory section is a literature study where several scientific articles about life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental analysis are examined alongside previously performed LCAs, books about the subject, and ISO standards. The ISO14040-series provides a structure for the basic methodology used in this report, both to organise the theory section as well as the resulting process. The theory concludes with a 7-step process for conducting life cycle investigations, primarily for car components. The first step contains the ISO standard’s requirements of defining goal and scope. Steps 2-6 then process the data collection of different phases during the life cycle and the 7th and final step is a compilation and calculation of the data. The developed process aims to provide a fast and simple way of analysing the environmental impact for a product as the development work is progressing. To validate the functionality of the process and to further refine the process, it is used to perform an analysis of energy use and CO2 emissions during the life cycle of an active car bonnet device. This validation includes definitions of goal, scope, functional unit, and a Process Flow Chart in the first step.Steps 2-6 includes the data collection for raw materials, additional processes, use phase, end-of-life, and the transports related to the manufacturing of the investigated product. The last step of the validation is to compile the product’s energy use and CO2 emissions. The study also provides a suggestion for a table, called Life Cycle Eco Data Table, to use when conducting a life cycle investigation using the process, to get an overview of the environmental data. The conclusion is that the developed process is easy to use and aspires to high quality as it is based on scientific research.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / MAGISTER SCIENTlAE IN THE FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE. This thesis focuses on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA's) as prepared in the Western Cape Province. The thesis attempts to summarise the legal requirements for EIA's and then to analyse two recent assessmentsin the light of the concern raised by Alex Weaver, at the South African chapter of the International Association for Impact Assessment National Conference in 1999, that EIA's~l§_cLI>listoricaily _gisadvantag~and do not give sufficient attention to social impacts. The thesis also attempts to analyse the EIA's and to critically assess whether they comply with the intention of the legal requirements. The applicable legislation and regulations are analysed to determine whether there are sufficient guidelines for practitioners to assessthe socio-economic impacts of development in an equitable manner to the assessmentof the biophysical impacts. It was found that the legislation and the regulations do not provide clear guidance for the consideration of the socia-economic aspects of the environment or impacts in the preparation of EIA's. The EIA's regarding the Relocation Of The Informal Settlement At Stanford and for the Koringberg-Platvlei-MiddelburgWater Supply Pipeline required to provide potable water to rural communities are analysed, as both have socio-economicgoals. In the Stanford case, an informal settlement located on the town's water source has to be relocated to the town, where there is a shortage of land available for development and site-specific impacts on a major employer, with the threat of a potential loss in employment opportunities. In the Koringberg-Platvlei-Middelburg case, the rural community has insufficient potable water and a supply scheme is proposed in a potentially sensitive environment. In order to analyse the two assessments,the ideal EIA and recent trends are first established from literature. Criteria for the assessment of the EIA's are determined and then used to ascertain whether the concern raised by Weaver is correct. In the analysis of the subject EIA's it was found that both address the social issues of concern, albeit without clear guidance from the applicable legislation and regulations. Following on the critical assessmentof the recent EIA's, the thesis provides proposals and stepby-step guidelines for the drafting of EIA's for use by students and inexperienced practitioners in the field of environmental management. Weaver's concern is found to be correct and recommendations are made to adjust the relevant regulations, to give clear guidance for the consideration of seclo-economic concerns in the preparation of EIA's.