6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
South Africa School of Social Science
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Prerequisites
Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.
Prohibitions
AZA2546, ATS2546, ATS3546
Synopsis
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has become an important environmental planning tool, aiding decision-makers in mitigating the environmental impact of projects and policies and providing critical information to guide decisions about whether some projects and policies should be rejected.
The unit provides background information about the origins and development of EIA. It introduces to students the process of environmental impact assessment and analysis, the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the effect of both on the public. It also examines the processes by which the potential environmental consequences of development proposals are analysed and evaluated. Using case studies, students learn how EIAs are implemented in Southern Africa and elsewhere. This is done from a positive and negative perspective. The unit furthermore explores legislative frameworks for environmental decision-making (EDM) from a global perspective and in so doing, considers other decision-making tools such as cost-benefit analysis, environmental audits and environmental management plans (EMPs).
Outcomes
- Understand and explain stages in the EIA process;
- Understand and describe methods used in undertaking EIA;
- Understand the interface between project and EIA life cycles;
- Knowledge of legislative frameworks for environmental decision-making (EDM) and values in EIA;
- Knowledge of EIA institutional, legal and policy provisions in Southern Africa and elsewhere;
- Ability to critically analyse proposed development project plans for possible environmental effects and identify mitigation measures.
Assessment
Within semester assessment: 100%
Workload requirements
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
See also Unit timetable information