27 Jun 2013

Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism is concerned about land developers who fail to carry out environmental impact assessment before implementing their projects.

Addressing a press conference on June 26 in Gaborone on the new Environmental Assessment Act of 2012, the director of Environmental Affairs Ms Portia Segomelo said of recent her department had to halt some developers in the process of construction as they did not follow proper procedures.

Ms Segomelo said such developers had been instructed to comply with the Act and conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). 

She noted that some companies failed to undertake such an assessment out of ignorance while some perceived the procedure as an unnecessary delaying process towards implementation and completion of their projects on time.

Ms Segomelo informed would-be offenders that they risk being fined between P100 000 and P1 million for violation of the Act.

She explained that changes in the Environmental Assessment Act include the provision to request a developer to prepare an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for projects, where a full EIA is not applicable to monitor and manage the impact of projects.

In the new Act, she explained, a provision is also made for the establishment of the Botswana Environmental Assessment Practitioners’ Association (BEAPA) to regulate the conduct of EIA practitioners and the tariffs charged for services.

She complained that in the past anyone who does not possess the necessary skill and knowledge took advantage of developers and reaped them of their money while providing shoddy job.

The BEAPA board would oversee the administration of the registration and certification requirements of EIA practitioners (consultants).

The Act also provides for the establishment of the Appeals Committee to attend to appeals from aggrieved persons with respect to implementation of the Act.  ENDS