With environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations and protocols becoming increasingly prescriptive in terms of biodiversity protection, project developers need highly specialised scientific input to develop accurate proposals.
“The transformation of land that occurs when projects are developed on greenfield sites invariably means the loss of natural vegetation,” said Rob Gardiner, partner and principal environmental scientist at SRK Consulting. “As biodiversity becomes a greater focus, we have seen regulated requirements getting more complex and demanding.”
Gardiner explained that there is particular concern from the regulator when the natural vegetation in question is located in a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA). This has also raised the demand for specialists with both ecological and botanical expertise to accurately describe the prevailing conditions and to recommend what actions must follow.
"The EIA protocols are compulsory and cover several themes including terrestrial (land-based) biodiversity or ecology, fauna, and flora," said Clayton Weatherall-Thomas, a plant ecologist at SRK Consulting. "If an EIA report does not meet the exacting demands of these protocols, it can be rejected by the regulator; it is, therefore, important that the environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) and the investigating specialist are very familiar with what is required."
Read the full article on Cape Business News.
