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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL
SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION: 4 JUNE 2012

EGS 1005F: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT


Examiners: Dr Hill, Assoc Prof Sowman and Dr Winter
External Examiner: Prof C Shackleton




Set time: 2.5hours*

Exam duration: 08h00 to 11h00

Marks: 150




Instructions:

This examination paper consists of THREE pages.

Answer ALL the short questions in Section A, and
answer TWO essay questions from Section B.

Please write Section A and each essay question in a separate answer book.

*You should aim to answer a mark a minute, which will allow you to finish in
2.5 hours. The extra 30 minutes is for reading the paper and planning your
essay answers.

No books, notes or other aids may be used in this examination.








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SECTION A:

Answer ALL the questions from Section A for a total of 50 marks.
Answers may be in point form where appropriate.

A.1
Provide summary information and explain the trends shown by any two
environmental (brown and/or green) indicators on which South Africa is
performing poorly; and the trend on any two environmental indicators where
the nation has achieved positive outcomes, as documented in the national
2006 State of the Environment Report. (12 marks)

A.2
Explain the activities that would be undertaken during the scoping phase of an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). (5 marks)

A.3
Describe backcasting as a method of planning towards sustainability and
outline a limitation of the method. (6 marks)

A.4
Explain how social, economic and technological spheres could be
interconnected at a conceptual level so as to shift engineering projects to be
sustained in perpetuity (Royal Academy of Engineering, 2005). Use a
diagram(s) to illustrate your answer.(7 marks)

A.5
Identify the three main categories used in the urban river assessment tool,
and give an example of at least one indicator in each category that provides a
way to assess the quality of ecological habitat. (6 marks)

A.6
Explain what is meant by the term coastal goods and services. (5 marks)

A.7
Identify three of Fisher and Urys (1983) principles for effective negotiation
and explain briefly how the application of each principle can improve the
outcomes of an EIA process in managing development-environment conflicts.
(9 marks)



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SECTION B:

Answer TWO questions from Section B, in essay form, for a total of 100 marks.

B.1
Discuss the objectives of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) including its intended
influence on debate, design and decision making, and what the achievement of these
objectives means in practice for the range of professionals involved in project planning and
approval. Ensure that your answer distinguishes between design- and decision-centred
approaches to EIA. (50 marks)

B.2
Discuss the respective contributions of Environmental Management Programmes (EMP)
and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to environmental management of
construction in South Africa. You should comment on, among other things, the origin, legal
status, objectives and key elements of these tools, and make suggestions for improving
their application on construction sites and in construction companies. (50 marks)

B.3
Conventional engineering approaches to stormwater drainage systems have contributed to
the deterioration of freshwater quality in urban environments in South Africa. Discuss how
Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS) offers an alternative approach and the extent to which
such an approach should be considered sustainable, or not. Use examples to illustrate your
answer. (50 marks)

B.4
The application of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to various development
proposals in the Hout Bay coastal zone has had limited success in conserving coastal
ecosystems and maintaining the recreational, educational and aesthetic value of the
beachfront area. Write an essay in which you 1) discuss the limitations of EIA as a tool for
integrated coastal management, and 2) explain why the application of Strategic
Environmental Assessment would be a more appropriate tool for decision-making in the
context of the Hout Bay coastal zone. (50 marks)

B.5
Good practice requires that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and
associated reports - for a particular project - be subject to review. Explain why this is
necessary and discuss what is required from a good review under the heading, Notes on
the reasons for, principles and procedures for thorough review in EIA. (50 marks)