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There has been little empirical investigation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) performance towards safeguarding conservation and promoting responsible tourism within protected areas. This paper examines the quality of EIA Reports (EIARs) prepared for tourism developments in the world-renowned Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest in Africa. An adapted version of the internationally recognised Lee and Colley report review package was used. The review results indicate that the EIARs are, overall, of satisfactory quality and that the reports provide adequate information to support the incorporation of sustainable and responsible tourism principles in decision-making. However, inadequacies are observed in certain review areas, namely public participation, provision for mitigation and monitoring, and content of non-technical summaries. Notably, the analytical review areas (e.g. impact assessment) perform better than the descriptive ones (e.g. presentation of assessment results), which contrasts with review findings reported in the international literature. This research provides important insights and contributes to advancing review frameworks and to ongoing debates around the potential of EIA to foster environmental protection and sustainability within protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries in the East African region have for decades been synonymous with natural disasters, conflicts and severe environmental degradation. About 10 million out of the 65.6 million displaced persons globally are found in this region. This paper presents an empirical analysis of environmental impacts caused by forced displacements in five East African countries. Contrary to a widely-held opinion, there is sufficient anecdotal and empirical evidence depicting environmental damage caused by refugees and/or Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). A spatial analysis of current and former refugee and/or IDP camps in these five countries suggests the formation of “deforestation clusters” with concentrations of camps that compound environmental impacts. Technological advancements such as remote sensing capabilities can provide the means for assessing and implementing environmental protection measures. This paper recommends environmental care in humanitarian settings be considered an integral part of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate change/variability agenda, based on cost- and responsibility-sharing, employing technology, and incorporating appropriate monitoring tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent court judgment of Uzani Environmental Advocacy CC v BP Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd 2019 (5) SA 275 (GP) found BP Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd (BP) guilty of environmental offences. The Court held that BP commenced with listed activities related to upgrades and construction work of filling stations without the necessary environmental authorisations (EAs) required by the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and the Environmental Conservation Act 73 of 1989 (ECA). Section 24 G of NEMA, however, allows for the rectification of the unlawful commencement or continuation of a listed activity conducted in the absence of the required EAs. Section 24 G therefore permits the ex post facto legalising or retrospective authorisation of the unlawful acts. In the case at hand, BP was found guilty, despite having applied for an ex post facto authorisation. This paper engages with the arguments put forward by the court, reflects on insights brought about by the foreign law, and provides possible recommendations for the retrospective environmental authorisation regime in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial activities intensification has inevitably caused an excessive use of underground waters and fossils energies, and severe environmental pollution with dire consequences for water resources. This situation intensifies in populated arid regions. In this context, wastewater treatment is a reliable source of water and nutrients for agricultural production. This study aims at treating wastewater using photovoltaic energy, to reduce conventional electricity demand. This paper studies energy and economic feasibility of grid-connected photovoltaic systems (GCPVS) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The optimization is based on: energy balance, installation surface area and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Results show GCPVS installed in the northwest of Algeria, can cover 53% of WWTP electrical load and inject 510 MWh/year into grid representing 65% of the load. The regional energy consumption can be reduced by 2% in daytime. LCOE is estimated around 09.14 centUS$/kWh, which is lower than conventional electricity cost 10.17 centUS$/kWh. The benefit-cost ratio is estimated around 0.69 Million US$ (33%). This plant provides 4800 m3/day of agricultural irrigation, where treatment energy cost is decreased from 3.4 centUS$/m3 to 2.3 centUS$/m3. The WWTP fertilize 300 ha of soil per year. This work highlights the efficiency of self-sufficient WWTPs in northern Africa region. • Wastewater treatment plants can serve as dispersed photovoltaic generators. • Use photovoltaic energy to treat wastewater. • Optimal photovoltaic system is proposed for Algerian region wastewater treatment plants. • Eco-energetic analysis and environmental impact of designed photovoltaic system are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]