A critical analysis of the quality of EIA reports for middle to high income residential developments : case studies from South Africa

Abstract

Assessing and managing the environmental impacts of housing development is an international challenge. In South Africa, depending on the size and nature of mixed-use residential developments, such developments may be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. The number of large mixed use residential developments on the peripheries of cities are on the increase. However, limited research exists on the quality of the EIA reports for these developments submitted to the competent authority for decision-making. This research made use of an adapted version of the Lee and Colley review package to assess the quality of the EIA reports of eight mixed-use residential developments that were subject to a full scoping and EIA process. These developments were identified across South Africa. The main conclusions are that while most reports perform satisfactorily, none of the reviewed reports were complete in terms of best practice. Best practice was predominantly applied only when it formed part of the legal requirements. The main strengths of the reports are the use of visual aids like maps, descriptions of the baseline environments, and the execution and recording of the public participation process. The main weaknesses of the reports relate to descriptions of the various methodologies used at various stages, the provision of references and data sources, and the investigation of cumulative impacts. The results mostly correspond to results of EIA report quality research in other sectors in South Africa.