Strengthening EIA Regime in South Africa: EAPASA's Contribution

1. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PRACTITIONERS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA’S PROPOSED CONTRIBUTION TO QUALITY ASSURANCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESMENT PRACTICE IN SOUTH AFRICA Sibusisiwe Hlela (Chairperson of the Board)

2. PURPOSE OF THE SUBMISSION BY EAPASA • To provide progress on the process of establishing a Registration Authority for Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) as envisaged in Section 24H of the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, as amended, as one of the solutions in strengthening the EIA Regime in SA. • The first outcome is the establishment of a representative and recognised association that would constitute a Registration Authority with an agreed registration system. This outcome was achieved on 22 February 2012 with the founding of the EAPASA Board.

3. FRONT ROW: Danie Neumann (Treasurer) , Snowy Mothiba (Secretary), Sibusisiwe Hlela (Chairperson), Gerrie van Schalkwyk (Vice Chairperson), Karen Shippey MIDDLE ROW: Richard Hill, Carmen du Toit, Chumisa Thengwa, Amanda Britz , Sibonelo Mbanjwa BACK ROW: Garth Barnes, Khangwelo Musetsho, Paul Hardcastle

4. PURPOSE OF THE SUBMISSION BY EAPASA • The second outcome is the registration of a qualification for environmental assessment practice within the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in collaboration with the South African Qualifications Authority. • The third outcome is the conclusion of relevant enabling legal mechanisms making it compulsory for EAPs to be registered. This will be implemented when the Minister appoints EAPASA as a Registration Authority for EAPs in terms of Section 24H of NEMA.

5. EAPASA’s objectives The objectives of the Association are: • To promote continued professional development for EAPs in South Africa; • To promote the empowerment of black and female professionals within the environmental assessment (EA) field and the transformation of EA practice; and • To promote awareness of the purpose and practice of environmental assessment in South Africa.

6. EAPASA’s contribution • The call for responses to efficacy of SA’s EIA regime indicated a number of challenges and critiques facing the EIA process. • Quality assurance in environmental assessment practice is an essential part of enabling an effective environmental assessment regime. • Hence the main purpose of EAPASA is to advance the quality of environmental assessment practice in South Africa by establishing, promoting and maintaining registration of EAPs in terms of NEMA S24H

7. EAPASA’s contribution Experience has shown that competence of practitioners has a bearing on some of the challenges experienced in the EIA regime. EAPASA’s role is then to address competence so that EAPs can produce quality work and abide by the code of ethical conduct and practice. The EAPASA’s Constitution contains the code of conduct regulating the ethical and professional conduct of members of the association.

8. EAPASA’s contribution • EAPASA will contribute to the efficacy of EIA Regime in the country by providing relevant authorities, development proponents and the public in general with quality assurance regarding EAPs appointed to conduct and regulate environmental assessments by: • Establishing criteria (education, professional experience, competency and continued professional development requirements) and procedures for registration and sanction of EAPs; • Upholding a defined Code of Ethical Conduct and Practice and acting in the best interest of the environment, sustainable development and the public good; and • Establishing disciplinary procedures and sanction mechanisms.

9. EAPASA’s contribution • EAPASA is in the process of applying to SAQA to be recognised as the Professional Body and registering a professional designation in terms of the National Qualifications Framework Act, Act 67 of 2008 • The Board will engage with the Council on Higher Education (CHE) through its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) to facilitate the accreditation of learning programmes against the EA qualification

10. Recommendation • EAPASA submitted the request for funding to the Department of Environmental Affairs, however the DEA has limited resources. • EAPASA is respectfully requesting the Portfolio Committee to review the allocations of the DEA in order to enable the full implementation of the registration of EAPs as envisaged in S24H of NEMA, as the registration of EAPs is one of the solutions in strengthening the EIA Regime in SA.

11. THANK YOU