Lessons learnt in addressing environmental issues of new water resource projects – a case study in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa |
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Authors: | S W Gillham L D Archer |
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Institution: | (1) Umgeni Water, P O Box, 9, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 3200, South Africa ( |
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Abstract: | Developing new water resource projects without taking cognisance of the environmental impacts, both biophysical and social,
has received global condemnation for many years now and is largely becoming a practice of the past. However, it is the prominence,
extent of issues addressed, timing and intensity of the investigations and the commitment to environmental protection and
mitigation that has increased significantly over the past few years. Practices in South Africa are no exception to this. Environmental
legislation in South Africa requires that an Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) approach be adopted when any new project
is being considered. This IEM approach was recently put to the test in South Africa during the planning and implementation
of an inter-basin transfer scheme in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This paper will discuss the steps that were taken to address
the environmental issues during a protracted planning phase, and what was accomplished. It will compare how these recommendations
were taken forward into the construction phase and the operations phase, and the lessons learnt from the process.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | environmental impact assessment environmental management plan integrated environmental management inter-basin transfers water resource development |
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