The study stemmed from the observation that the Msunduzi Municipal Council has adopted the principles of Agenda 21. The aim was to examine participatory approaches employed by the Local Agenda 21 Working Committee. The research findings have signalled the importance of improving public invol vement in environmental decisionmaking. Yet the participatory approaches employed by the working committee such as advertisements and council meetings have proved inadequate to effectively meet the challenge of constructively involving the public. One reason is a lack of understanding on what public participation is supposed to accomplish. The Msunduzi Municipal Council is faced with the challenge of making high quality decisions while remaining responsive to the citizens those decisions affect. Meeting the challenge in the environmental policy arena poses particular problems because issues are often technically complex and value-laden, and multiple interests operate. At the same time , experience with public participation to support the position that involving the public is a mitigated good and more of it is always better, has not yet penetrated council structures. The Council is increasingly seeking better ways to fulfil its constitutional mandates while constructively engaging the public in environmental decision-making. Representatives of business and civil society are now included in joint forums with the council. They bring with them expertise and local perceptions to the policy-making process. It has been found out that members of civil society have led the way in showing connections between the environment and development. The effectiveness of promoting environmental equity depends upon the use of participation methodology that caters to the cultural and socio-economic needs of groups. The use of social capital is one way of organising and ordering individuals into productive associations. Local Agenda 21 makes possible social capital through the involvement of different stakeholders in environmental management and decisionmaking. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This paper reviews environmental impact assessment (EIA) policy and practice in Eritrea against a set of evaluation criteria. These include: institutional aspects of the EIA system (policy development, legal basis for EIA, institutional strength and responsibilities for EIA administration, and resources adequacy); the EIA process (screening, scoping, EIA study, documentation, review, decision-making, and monitoring and auditing); and other features of the EIA system (coverage, consideration of alternatives, public consultation and participation, system monitoring, the cost and benefit of EIA system and strategic environmental assessment (SEA)). To assess the extent of EIA practice, the EIA report review criteria developed by the Impact Assessment Unit (IAD) of Oxford Brookes University were used to review case studies of two sectoral EIA reports: the Massawa International Airport Project and the Keren Water Supply Project. Additionally, a literature review was undertaken and interviews with different stakeholders were conducted to collect the required information. The review indicated that, in principle and at a policy level, the current EIA system in Eritrea meets ten of the 17 evaluation criteria, partially meets three and fails to meet four. The major weakness relates to the legal provisions for EIA;. adequacy of resources (human and environmental data/information); centrality of EIA findings in decision making; and the formal provision for SEA for programmes, plans and policies. In practice, however, the overall EIA system in the country is weakly established. Thus, to strengthen the current EIA system in the country increased environmental awareness, continuous training in EIA for government officials, consultants, and research and educational institutions is required. Most importantly, revision and subsequent proclamation of the draft legislation is required to provide a sound legal basis for EIA in Eritrea. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, 2003.

Since 1994, there have been sweeping changes made to South African policy and legislation, including environmental rights for all people, environmental protection and the consideration of sustainability in all activities. A national policy for medical waste management is being developed and guidelines for the South African Veterinary Council are currently being revised. By auditing contemporary veterinary waste management in one of South Africa's largest cities, this study sought to provide appropriate input into these initiatives. As a study area, the Durban Unicity provided the opportunity to audit a large population of veterinary clinics within a relatively short distance of each other arid also the opportunity to ascertain whether waste management practices were dependent on the socio-economic status of the clinics catchment area. A pilot study was used to inform the design of a questionnaire, which was then administered to thirty-two clinics sampled to represent a range in size of clinic, predominant type of patient treated and catchment socio-economic status. Another questionnaire was administered to four waste disposal companies and one veterinary diagnostics laboratory that removed waste for disposal from veterinary practices. The main findings suggest that there is a health risk to staff and the public, due to the incorrect separation, storage, handling and disposal of sharps, anatomical, contaminated domestic and infectious material. Staff at 6.3% of clinics sampled are not provided with any safety equipment. Most veterinarians (63%) as well as two of the five waste disposal companies audited were not aware of their responsibilities in terms of waste management policy and legislation. Sixty nine percent of the practices sampled reported that employees have either never been trained or have not received training in waste management in the past five years. Domestic waste contaminated with other potentially hazardous waste forms 12% of the total waste stream reported by practices. Even though the results indicate that a, few veterinary practices are mismanaging their waste this has the potential negative impact on staff, the public and the environment. The findings of the study would suggest a need for well communicated, enforceable guidelines outlining sustainable veterinary waste management for practices and waste disposal companies. The study highlights the similarities between veterinary and medical waste and the need to consider this in planning an effective waste management strategy. It also provides guidelines for a sustainable approach to veterinary waste management. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The interest in environment and environmental management in South Africa is growing rapidly. Although the sector is still developing, South Africa has achieved commendable progress compared to global trends and standards. As the natural resources are becoming increasingly vulnerable by over-utilization and environmental degradation, the development and implementation of effective decision support tools is becoming increasingly important. For these reasons, it is likely that environmental management tools will continue to develop in South Africa and it is therefore vital that these tools are developed to ensure that development is conducted in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner. Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs), as one of the decision support tools within the Integrated Environmental Management system, were officially proclaimed under National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (NEMA EIA Regulations) of 2006, which have since been amended to NEMA EMF Regulations. The Department of Environmental Affairs, as a leading agent in addressing environmental issues, is tasked with ensuring that Environmental Management Frameworks become efficient and effective in South Africa. In spite of existing Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) tools such as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Management Plan (EMP), and Environmental Management Systems (EMS), there has been a strong debate by stakeholders around the development of Environmental Management Frameworks as decision support tools in spite of other existing planning tools at national, provincial and local levels. Debates are around, for example, the actual need for EMFs, their application, context and scope, and around the outcomes from applying Environmental Management Frameworks in South Africa. The lack of knowledge around Environmental Management Frameworks and their potential impacts, both within Government and in the general public, makes research and development of Environmental Management Frameworks essential to provide a clear pathway towards understanding the potential impacts. Therefore, this research has been conducted to evaluate perceptions and expectations of stakeholders involved in the development process of Environmental Management Frameworks. By understanding stakeholders’ perceptions and expectations, it is hoped that the research findings will be utilized to devise possible strategies to make Environmental Management Frameworks efficient and effective in South Africa. The results of the research lead to the formulation of a number of recommendations that will hopefully lead to their adoption, as suggested above. It is also the intention that the research will be absorbed by a wider audience, so that the challenges in the potentially successful implementation of EMFs in the future are more fully understood. Recommendations include the need for legal enforcement of EMFs with the Department of Environmental Affairs setting in place succinct EMF regulations and guidelines as a matter of urgency; that the Department of Environmental Affairs establish viable partnerships with key stakeholders to benefit from their collective wisdom; and that government should enhance such publicprivate partnerships in the development of EMFs by ensuring realistic budgetary allocations to achieve desired outcomes. This dissertation acknowledges the new EMF Regulations of 2010 but adheres to the NEMA EIA Regulations of 2006. The research was already finalized when the new EMF Regulations came into effect.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process, which provides valuable information concerning the potential environmental consequences or impacts of proposed development plans and actions. EIA, therefore plays an important role in aiding the decision making process and has been adopted worldwide as a predictive evaluation tool. Once the ElA has been conducted and the possible environmental impacts established, thorough recommendations for mitigation are usually made. However, there is often no ElA follow-up (monitoring, post-auditing, evaluation and communication) to ensure that the mitigation measures or the recommendations revealed by the EIA are put into practice. EIA follow-up is a vital procedure, which if effectively conducted, ensures that negative environmental impacts are kept to a minimum and facilitates sustainable development. The main objectives of this research were to assess the status of ElA follow-up in KwaZuluNatal (KZN), to establish possible reasons for shortcomings in the area of ElA follow-up in KZN and to develop and discuss a number of potential models of ElA follow-up, in order to make recommendations for future practice. This dissertation includes a theoretical review of the concepts of sustainable development and Integrated Environmental Management (IEM), together with a comprehensive assessment of the role of ElA follow-up. Fifteen environmental consultants from KZN, together with five consultants from the remainder of South Africa. and a number of other leading ElA practitioners were formally interviewed in order to ascertain a greater understanding of the current status of EIA follow-up in KZN. The results from these interviews revealed that ElA follow-up is a neglected component of ElA and IEM. There are, at present, a number of barriers or constraints to effective EIA follow-up practice in KZN. which were thoroughly examined in this dissertation. There is also an apparent confusion as to who is responsible for conducting and policing EIA follow-up in KZN. The KZN regulatory authority and leading conservation body were also interviewed in order to gauge their understanding of ElA follow-up and its status in KZN. From the research four potential models of EIA follow-up were presented, each highlighting a different way in which ElA follow-up may be conducted, especially in the different sectors of development. This dissertation recommends that although there is no one comprehensive model or way in which EIA follow-up should be undertaken, the partnership approach to EIA follow-up is the most effective way of ensuring follow-up and facilitating sustainable development in KZN. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The intention of this dissertation is not to embark on a discussion on the desirability of a property clause, nor to undertake a full analysis of the property and environmental clauses as they appear in both the interim and working draft constitutions. Instead it is my intention to analyze the inherent conflict that exists between property rights, specifically ownership, and environmental conservation. This will be assessed against the backdrop of the common law, case law and in the light of both the interim and working draft constitutions. Due to the fact that the terms "deprived" and "expropriate", as used in both constitutions, broadly correspond to the concepts of police powers and eminent domain, and since measures taken in the name of environmental conservation are invariably carried out under the auspices of the States police power, it is necessary to :- (a) assess the "deprivation"-"expropriation" conflict and emphasise the ambiguity that can arise in interpreting and differentiating between the two terms; (b) draw a distinction between police power deprivations and expropriatory deprivations. Foreign jurisdictions have experienced grave problems in drawing this distinction, which has been further exacerbated by the concept of inverse condemnation. U.S takings jurisprudence is analyzed to elicit the resultant chaos which will emerge if the courts do not come up with an adequate solution. A possible solution is offered which will provide the courts with an analytical framework within which to work; and (c) assess, although to a lesser extent, the courts ability to review Parliamentary enactments and administrative action. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

Global shifts in environmental decision-making from technocratic, top-down models to democratic, open-ended forums to address environmental issues have highlighted the complexity of environmental issues. As a result, the definition of these environmental problems in the political arena is highly contested and thus the process of formalising environmental discourses through environmental policy-making has become very important. Hajer’s (1995; 2003) argumentative discourse analysis approach is used as a methodology to examine environmental policy-making regarding the St Lucia estuary mouth, in KwaZulu-Natal. This is also used to structure the presentation of the analysis particularly according to the terms of the policy discourses, such as the broad societal discourses, the local discourses and and the storylines. The environmental discourses are characterised using Dryzek’s (1997: 8) taxonomy of environmental discourses, based on his broad definition of discourse as “a shared way of apprehending the world”. This research aims to identify the environmental discourses that emerged in the 1940 to 2005 period regarding the management of the St Lucia estuary mouth and the shifts in discourses that have taken place during this time. An analysis of the shifts in environmental discourses in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park over a 65 year period revealed two significant events that punctuated the management discourses of the protected area and effectively divided the analysis into three succinct periods. These two events were the Kriel Commission of Enquiry in 1966 and Cyclone Demoina in 1984. The promethean, ecological modernisation and survivalist discourses were dominant throughout the three periods analysed. The evidence also shows that there has been a shift from modernist engineering discourse to a more ecosystem discourse which advocates that ‘let nature take its own way’. Science remains a dominant force in shaping environmental policy-making in St Lucia; however environmental problems have become discursive in the post-apartheid period in a democratic South Africa and thus require a discourse that has wider stakeholder representation. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Educational institutions are obliged in tenns of the Constitution as well as a number of National Policies to manage their environment in a sustainable manner and to provide a healthy environment for the employees and learners. Michaelhouse is also obliged by the Constitution and National Policies to manage its environment in a holistic manner. Michaelhouse is a private boy's school situated in the Balgowan valley in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. For this reason and for the school's own individual gain, the school's management wishes to fulfill two objectives. First, to produce environmentally sensitive citizens. Second, to acquire the expertise to administer the school in an environmentally sensitive and holistic manner. Although Michaelhouse has had an environmental discussion group since 1996, issues were discussed on an ad hoc basis. Likewise, there have been a number of environmental initiatives in the school, however these initiatives were fragmented. Due to the fragmented initiatives, the management realised the need for environmental management. The school approached the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Natal, Durban for assistance in this regard. Two projects were fonnulated to meet the school's set goals. The first was an Environmental Education (EE) project to fulfil the first objective. The second project aimed to fulfil the second objective, that is, to acquire the expertise to administer the school in an environmentally sensitive manner is described in this thesis. An Environmental Management System (EMS) was identified as the best system to ensure sound environmental management perfonnance. The baseline information provided in this thesis is expected to contribute towards the development of this EMS. South African legislation at the national level with regard to environmental management was reviewed in order to ascertain how environmental problems are dealt with. In order to obtain the necessary information, the study involved three distinct tasks. The first was the pilot study to detennine the way the questionnaire would be structured and the type of questions to be asked. The second was development of the school's environmental mission statement. The third, an environmental audit which had two components; administering of questionnaires to the residents and the inspection of the school's environment. The three main problems identified in the school were the management of water, waste and vegetation. The supply of water was found adequate for the entire school and the water quality acceptable. The only problem found was excess use of water due to multiple uses in the school. It is proposed that a water policy be developed which will include the monitoring of water use. Two types of waste were identified, solid waste and low-medium hazardous waste. The former requires proper management which includes reintroducing recycling, but also other methods were recommended to be incorporated in the waste management process such as minimisation and re-use. Low-medium hazardous waste requires disposal in an appropriate manner and the use of a designated landfill was recommended. With regard to vegetation, the study dealt with the significance of exotic and indigenous trees in the school. The main problem found was that exotic tree stumps are undermining the sewage pipes. The researcher was not able to deal with this issue due to lack of expertise in this field, but it was recommended that the assistance of experts be requested to trace the location of these pipes. In order to have control over the environmental concerns and the environment at large, the development of an environmental policy for Michaelhouse School was found necessary. It was considered essential because it is a building block for an EMS. The policy was developed in collaboration with the School's Environmental Committee. This baseline information contained in this thesis will provide a means of assessing the performance of an EMS once it is put in place. It is therefore concluded, that for the EMS to be effective, it should include all sectors of the entire school property and it was recommended that a full audit be conducted of other sectors of the school. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Sustainable development requires the integration of ecological and social concerns into economic activities. Recent trends in environmental impact assessment (EIA) suggest the eventual use of the EIA process to link socio-environmental attributes with economic decision-making thus allowing for the transition towards a sustainable future. / This thesis is an examination of the proposed Federal Environmental Impact Assessment Act of Canada and the extent to which its provisions seek to ensure a move towards sustainable development.

The cooperation of developing countries is commonly assumed to be essential for the establishment of effective regimes to manage global environmental interdependence. Yet their policies and perceptions have been inadequately studied. This thesis seeks to partially fill this gap in the literature with a detailed analysis of Indian policy on global environmental issues. It examines the cases of ozone depletion, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, and discusses developments up to the 1992 Earth Summit. The study addresses four broad questions about Indian policy: the process of policy making; the character of Indian interests and preferences; the nature and evolution of India's bargaining strategy; and the outcome of international negotiations for India. It reveals a complex picture of continuity and change in Indian policy. It demonstrates the enduring importance of traditions and values such as the "poverty is the greatest polluter" orthodoxy and the concepts of sovereignty, equity and Third World solidarity. It also highlights the impact of perceptions of vulnerability in relation to the North. It argues that Indian policy did not reflect purely powermaximising goals; policy makers were sometimes uncertain about where India's interests precisely lay, and felt constrained both by economic weakness and by the recognition of the mutual interest of all states in global environmental protection. This was reflected in the moderation in India's bargaining strategy. The Indian case suggests that developing countries did not regard their cooperation in the resolution of global environmental issues purely as a bargaining chip with which to extract concessions from the North. Still less did they perceive these issues as providing an opportunity to pose a macro-challenge to the North, linking agendas across issue areas. Instead, their goals reflected perceptions of constraints and mutual interests in bargaining with the North. Their bargaining strategy thus tended to be moderate and flexible, unlike the confrontational approach of the 1970s.