The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) says it is leading the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) that is
being undertaken for the Northern Cape’s planned green hydrogen production
facilities in a proposed new special economic zone (SEZ), as well as a port, at
Boegoebaai. The CSIR says the Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA) process will have a holistic approach that includes
biophysical and socioeconomic aspects at a strategic level. According to the
CSIR, Some of the aspects that the assessment will cover include identifying
the sensitivity of the receiving environment, potential fatal flaws that need
to be addressed early in the planning process, strategic-level opportunities
and constraints, and strategic management actions. The CSIR notes that the SEA
does not replace the legal requirement for a project-level environmental-impact
assessment. Moreover the CSIR says the overall objective of the SEA is to
develop an integrated decision-making framework to guide planning of the
proposed Boegoebaai port and SEZ, as well as in the wider Namakwa region, in a
sustainable manner.
Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com