An improved social impact evaluation framework for the completion of SIA sections during the environmental impact assessment process for residential developments in South Africa

Abstract

Measuring the social impacts of new developments is currently not receiving enough attention and is not required in terms of South African legislation, unlike conducting Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), before a new development can commence. A lack of expertise and obstacles in terms of reasonable time frames and financial resources is acknowledged and therefore this dissertation does not propose that Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) should become compulsory under the law, as is the case with EIAs. It is proposed, though, that a larger part than is currently the case be allocated, as part of the EIA process, to measuring social impacts. A framework is introduced that can assist Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) with completing SIA sections of EIAs, in order to make those sections more comprehensive than is currently the case, but still easy enough to use by practitioners without a social science background. The framework is developed specifically for residential developments in the planning phase, for two reasons: (i) there is a large number of various types of residential developments coming into being in South Africa currently, and (ii) social impacts will be measured more accurately if a framework is used that is developed for a specific type of development, activity or industry. It is advised that this framework be approved by the different provincial authorities and thus incorporated in the current EIA process, as well as ultimately be expanded to be of use in other types of developments as well. Copyright