The World Conservation Union ASSESSING THE NEED FOR A REGIONAL APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Editors: Ebenizário Chonguiça and Rob Brett Published by: IUCN - The World Conservation Union (Regional Office for Southern Africa) Sponsored by: Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation (CTA) Copyright: 2003. IUCN The World Conservation Union This publication may be produced in whole or part and in any form for education or non-profit uses, without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. IUCN would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication which uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or other commercial purpose without the prior written permission of IUCN. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of IUCN or of the sponsors of this publication. Citation: Chonguiça E. and Brett R. (eds) 2003. Assessing the Need for a Regional Approach to Environmental Impact Assessment in Southern Africa IUCN - The World Conservation Union ISBN: Design and layout: Design@7 Visual Works Cover Photograph: Dennis Minty and IUCN library Printers: Available from: IUCN - Regional Office for Southern Africa, 6 Lanark Rd, Box 745, Harare, Zimbabwe. IUCN - THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION IUCN - The World Conservation Union was founded in 1948 and brings together 79 states, 112 government agencies, 760 NGOs, 37 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 141 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. Its mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. Within the framework of global conventions IUCN has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. IUCN has approximately 1000 staff, most of whom are located in its 42 regional and country offices while 100 work at its Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland. IUCN - REGIONAL OFFICE FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA The IUCN Regional Office for Southern Africa was established in Zimbabwe in 1987 to serve the Southern African Region and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the development of modern skills in conservation and natural resource management. IUCN-ROSA coordinates such regional services to over 69 members in 11 countries through its regional support programmes, regional networks, and its country offices in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. IUCN ROSA’s operational vision is to be the world-class partner for greater environment and human security in southern Africa. Its mission for southern Africa is to facilitate and strengthen an integrated approach for the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources and the conservation of biological diversity The underlying objective in all IUCN-ROSA’s activities and programmes is capacity building and catalysing action. Developing, coordinating and supporting programmatic partnerships is the preferred operational mechanism supporting this objective. Additional services include the provision of objective and scientifically based advisory services and technical assistance, training inputs and programmes, and fora for national and inter- regional dialogue, networking, debate and conflict resolution. At the regional level, IUCN-ROSA spearheads the World Conservation Union’s efforts to integrate the Union’s secretariat, membership and commissions in common purpose within the framework of the Union’s mission. IUCN would like to recognise a number of people for making this initiative possible. Firstly, the initiative was made possible with the generous support from the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-oporation (CTA) to whom our appreciation goes. A word of thanks is extended to Mr. Jose Fonseca in particular for the role he played as the major project coordinator from the CTA side. In addition, IUCN would like to acknowledge the contribution of the three consultants, Dr. Absalom Manyatsi (University of Swaziland), Ms. Sissie Matela (Environmental and Development Trust) and the Environmental Evaluation Unit of the University of Cape Town (with inputs from Ms. Janet Bodenstein and Prof. Richard Fuggle), who carried out desk top reviews, field research and produced the critical case study findings. Their findings constitute the backbone of this publication. IUCN would like to thank the Southern Africa Development Community - Environment and Land Management Sector (SADC/ELMS) represented by Mr. Jabo Molapo for the support and contributions provided to the initiative. The final product included in this publication did benefit substantially from the contributions provided by Dr. Alex Weaver from CSIR - Environmentek, during the partial reviews of the case studies outcomes and conference facilitation. IUCN expresses its profound gratitude to all other contributors to this publication including Dr. Peter Ashton (CSIR - Environmentek), Prof. Ahmed Gamal Abul- Azm (University of Cairo - Egypt) for bringing the North Africa experience into the core topic of this publication and Mrs. Aah Sekhesa for providing us with some methodological insights in addressing cumulative impacts issues. The substance of this publication did benefit significantly from the inputs provided by the all participants to the regional conference organised to present and discuss the case study findings. To all of them a special word of recognition is given. A word of thanks is also extended to all other speakers at the conference including Mrs. Felicidade Munguambe (Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs/MICOA/Mozambique), Mr. Inácio Bucuane (Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA) Mozambique), Dr. Roland Bower (Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology - Mozambique), Mr. Peter Croal (Canadian International Development Agency - CIDA); Dr. Peter Tarr (Southern Africa Institute for Environmental Assessment - SAIEA), Dr. Bernardo Ferraz (a member of civil society and former Minister for Environment in Mozambique), Mr. Abílio Inguane (Mozambique’s Business Environmental Forum), Rute Mateus Nhamtumbo (ARA Sul) and all staff of the Pequenos Libombos Dam in Southern Mozambique. Last but not least, IUCN specially recognises Mr. Francisco Mabjaia, Vice-Minister of Environment in Mozambique for his opening address at the regional conference organised within the framework i of this initiative. The ideas and experiences shared during the conference have shaped the content of this publication. LIST OF ACRONYMS CMP Comprehensive Mitigation Plan DFAIT Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade EA Environmental Assessment EAR Environment Audit Report EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EEU Environmental Evaluation Unit GIS Geographic Information System IAIA International Association for Impact Assessment IEE Initial Environmental Evaluation IFR Instream Flow Requirements IUCN World Conservation Union KOBWA Komati Basin Water Authority LHDA Lesotho Highlands Development Authority LHWP Lesotho Highlands Water Project LSDI Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative MICOA Ministry of the Co-ordination of the Environmental Action NDS National Development Strategy NEMA National Environmental Management Act NEAP National Environmental Action Plan NGO Non-governmental Organisation NHR North Hlane Riverside POE Panel of Experts REA Regional Environmental Assessment RSSC Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation RSAP Regional Strategic Action Plan SADC Southern African Development Community SDI Spatial Development Initiative SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SKPE Swaziland Komati project Enterprise SSA Swaziland Sugar Association TBNRM Transboundary Natural Resource Management ii TFCA Trans Frontier Conservation Area TOR Terms of References TTN Tibiyo Taka Ngwane UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe iii RATIONALE FOR THE INITIATIVE Southern Africa is currently experiencing a vibrant socio-economic transformation. This effort aims at addressing the pressing demands for rapid economic growth to respond to the fundamental needs for eradicating poverty and promote economic development. The drastic geopolitical changes observed in the sub-region, combined with the regions endowment in natural resources provide the enabling environment favouring the attraction of a multitude of capital investment for social and economic development of the sub-region. For this purpose numerous large- and small-scale development initiatives have occurred in Southern Africa. These initiatives include industrial agricultural projects, hydroelectric projects, and mining projects, among others. While the SADC states are separated by political boundaries, these boundaries do not generally correspond with natural ecological boundaries. Watersheds and other ecological units often cross one or more political boundaries. For example, all twelve of the mainland SADC states share drainage basins with one or more neighbouring states. Consequently, water use in one state affects water quality and quantity in neighbouring states downstream. A similar case exists for coastal and marine ecosystems, and for networks of protected areas. It is in recognition of the fact that most of the region’s natural ecosystems units together with the ethnic and cultural systems are interconnected, that the SADC treaty for regional economic integration was crafted (cf. Katerere,