The emperor's new clothes - Reflections on strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice in South Africa
- School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North West University (Potchefstroom campus), Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520 (South Africa)
- EIA Centre, School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL (United Kingdom)
- Faculty of Development and Society, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB (United Kingdom)
This paper presents the results of research which evaluated the performance of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice in South Africa in order to develop understanding of how SEA functions within a developing country with a voluntary SEA system. The research applied a combination of methods in a mixed research strategy, including a macro level survey of the SEA system together with case study reviews exploring micro level application. Three main 'system features' emerged, namely expansion of voluntary practice, diversity in practice and general ineffectiveness. The results also highlight a number of 'application features' such as a lack of focus due to an inability to deal with the concepts of 'sustainability' and 'significance', as well as poor understanding and integration with decision-making processes. Moreover, it emerged that none of the case studies seem to have conducted an 'assessment' per se, but rather provided a framework for strategic decision-making. The paper puts forward a number of interrelated explanations for these system and application features. In a parallel to the fable of the 'emperor's new clothes', SEA in South Africa appears to be regarded as the answer to all environmental problems, whilst being ineffective in practice.
- OSTI ID:
- 21130757
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 28, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.eiar.2007.07.004; PII: S0195-9255(07)00137-0; Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0195-9255
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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