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This article reflects on the potential for impact assessment (IA) to be a major vehicle for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While it is acknowledged that the SDGs are intended to deliver broader outcomes than IA currently does, we nevertheless argue there is significant convergence between IA and the SDGs, which we explore utilising the key dimensions of sustainability assessment: comprehensiveness, strategicness and integratedness. We conclude that ‘geared up’ IA might be used as a major vehicle to facilitate achievement of the SDGs. However, IA must become more comprehensive and integrated, such that the full suite of SDGs and their relationships, including trade-offs, can be dealt with in a transparent and inclusive way

This research evaluates Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report quality for a selected sample of development projects in South African national parks. It applies an adapted version of an international EIA report quality review package to 24 developments within 10 national parks, across three EIA regimes. The results suggest good EIA report quality across all four quality review areas, with improvement over time, but also highlight particular weaknesses in terms of dealing with waste and, to a lesser extent, with significance and mitigation. To build on this research, the development of a sector-specific EIA report quality review package is recommended, with more emphasis on the strategic context, waste and water-related aspects. The conclusion is that EIA is well positioned to remain an important decision support instrument for developments within national parks. Conservation implications: The results show that EIA reports for developments in South African national parks are generally of sufficient quality for decision-making that benefits conservation. However, weaker performance regarding waste, significance determination, water-related impacts and a lack of consideration of strategic context requires a conservation-specific EIA report quality review package to improve report quality in the areas of weakness and thereby increase the value of EIA as an instrument for environmental governance and sustainable development in conservation areas.

With increased political polarisation and the emergence of populist governments around the world – many of which erode regulatory requirements such as EIA – there is an urgent need to be able to identify and explain the potential benefits of EIA for government. The aim of this paper is to explore the benefits of EIA for government as perceived by EIA regulators. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 175 representatives from the South African EIA regulator. The questionnaire asked the respondents to indicate what they perceive to be potential and realised EIA benefits for government. They were also asked how they recommend the gap between potential and realised benefits might be closed. The results show that the main perceived benefits of EIA to government relate to short-term, project-specific benefits such as the protection of local biodiversity, public participation, legal compliance and enforcement, as well as certain immediate economic benefits. The promotion of sustainable development is not considered a realistically achievable benefit for EIA. It is recommended that for EIA to clearly define and achieve its potential benefits for government, it needs to rediscover and embrace its roots as a project level instrument aimed at dealing with biophysical impacts and environmental protection

The costs of conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are well known. Yet the benefits of EIA are much more intangible, leading to a situation where some question its value as the tool of choice for informing decision makers of the sustainability consequences of their actions. Exponents of EIA have thus called for more research on the benefits of EIA in order to provide better evidence on its costs versus benefits, and therefore its value as a decision-making tool. This paper contributes to this evidence by exploring the perceived potential benefits and perceived realised benefits of EIA from a regulators' perspective in the context of sustainable development. Using South Africa as a case study, one third of all the officials responsible for EIA review and decision-making (referred to in this paper as the “regulator”) were surveyed to identify their perceptions of the benefits of EIA, and their ideas on how to bridge the gap between potential benefits and realised benefits. The paper contributes suggestions for the analysis of benefits in a sustainable development context, and identifies some additional benefits currently missing from the literature. In a South African context, the key potential and realised benefits as perceived by regulators are the protection of biodiversity, public participation, access to information, mitigation of environmental impacts, and legal compliance and enforcement.

The aim of this letter is to provide an administrative justice perspective on EIA effectiveness. EIA is described as essentially an administrative instrument, reflecting a number of principles that revolve around an assessment process which should reflect administrative justice. This includes lawfulness, procedural fairness and reasonableness. Consciously and explicitly incorporating these principles into EIA decision-making has significant potential to strengthen EIA effectiveness and making it fit for the twenty-first century

EIA is increasingly being questioned as a decision-making instrument of choice for decision makers. In addressing these concerns, the paper aims to re-think the fundamentals of EIA through the identification of key assumptions underlying EIA evaluation. This aim was achieved through the application of the theory of change (ToC) method to the South African EIA system, which resulted in the identification of 19 key underlying assumptions. Going forward we recommend the testing of these assumptions towards a better understanding of the fundamental nature and purpose of EIA as a policy implementation instrument

The potential role of innovation and knowledge networks in regional growth and development is well recognized. However, there has been scant reflection on its role as a policy mechanism, specifically for peripheral regions. In response, this paper investigates the role of innovation and knowledge networks as a policy mechanism towards more resilient peripheral regions. Through a multiple country policy analysis, the paper determines to what extent innovation and knowledge networks are reflected in regional development policies of 17 OECD countries with predominantly rural characteristics. Moreover, the role of innovation and knowledge networks towards more resilient regions is quantified and measured for a specific peripheral region case in South Africa as developing country. The research ultimately concludes that the innovation and knowledge network mechanism of resilience, is dependent both on the extent and the quality of the innovation network within a region. It has been established that the mere presence of infrastructure (passive information communication technology - ICT) cannot specifically be associated with high levels of innovation and technological advantage, but rather a mind-set of change, being open to possibilities and ready for innovation injections (readiness ICT). In establishing a knowledge-rich region informed by both active and passive ICT, but with a pertinent focus on readiness ICT, a region with higher adaptability is established. This results in a peripheral region receptive to change, new technology and innovation. Primary policy actions such as the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), skills training initiatives, centres of expertise, business development, and venture capital will promote innovation and knowledge networks as key actions towards more resilient peripheral regions.