EIA for Your Safari Lodge

An EIA is a process that helps assess the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of proposed projects or activities before they are approved or carried out. The goal is to ensure that potential negative impacts are identified and addressed, and that decision-makers have the necessary information to make informed choices.

Here's a breakdown of how the process of determining if an EIA is needed usually works:

1. Initial Project Description: The process starts with providing a basic description of the proposed project or activity. This description should outline what the project entails, its location, and its scale.

2. Desktop Assessment: Based on the initial project description, environmental professionals, often referred to as Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs), perform a desktop assessment. This assessment involves reviewing the project's description against relevant environmental regulations and guidelines. The assessment focuses on determining whether the proposed project triggers any criteria that would necessitate an EIA. These criteria are often outlined in environmental laws and regulations specific to the jurisdiction in which the project is located.

3. Listed Activities: The assessment includes checking whether the proposed project falls under any categories or activities that are listed as requiring an EIA in the applicable regulations. These listed activities are typically those with a higher potential for significant environmental impact.

4. Environmental Factors: The assessment also considers various environmental factors that might be affected by the project. These factors can include proximity to water bodies, protected areas, critical habitats, threatened or endangered species, air quality, noise levels, and more.

5. Thresholds and Triggers: The regulations typically include specific thresholds or triggers that help determine whether an EIA is required. These thresholds could be related to the project's size, location, potential impact, or other relevant factors.

6. Assessment Outcome: Based on the desktop assessment, the EAP determines whether the proposed project requires an EIA. If the assessment suggests that the project has the potential to cause significant environmental impacts, it will likely trigger the requirement for a more comprehensive assessment through an EIA.

It's important to note that the exact process and criteria for requiring an EIA can vary between different jurisdictions and countries. Additionally, regulations and guidelines may change over time, so it's essential to refer to the most up-to-date sources and consult with relevant authorities or experts when making these determinations.

In summary, the process of determining whether an EIA is needed involves evaluating the project's description, its potential environmental impacts, and its alignment with established criteria and thresholds set out in relevant regulations and guidelines.

Written by Bryony van Niekerk, Peter Nyeko Mashaba and Jacobus Uys