ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS, 2010

The Environmental Management Framework Regulations, 2010, establish the legal process for creating, adopting, and using environmental management frameworks (EMFs) in South Africa. These frameworks are designed to map environmental attributes and guide land-use decisions to promote sustainability and environmental protection.

• An environmental management framework is defined as a study of the biophysical and socio-cultural systems within a specific geographical area. Its purpose is to identify where specific land uses are best practiced and to establish performance standards for maintaining appropriate land use.
• The regulations empower the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, or a Member of the Executive Council (MEC) with the Minister's concurrence, to initiate the compilation of information and maps that specify environmental attributes in particular areas. These frameworks are intended to promote sustainability, secure environmental protection, and promote cooperative environmental governance.
• The development of an EMF requires a mandatory public participation process. This includes conducting initial public consultation, making a draft framework available for public inspection, inviting comments via newspaper advertisements, and implementing alternative methods to ensure participation for individuals facing barriers such as disability or illiteracy.
• A draft EMF must contain specific technical and spatial data, including a map of the geographical area, the sensitivity and significance of environmental attributes, the conservation status of the area, environmental management priorities, and an identification of land uses that would be undesirable or have a significant impact.
• Once adopted, an EMF must be taken into account when considering applications for environmental authorisation for the affected geographical area. Adopted frameworks must be regularly monitored and implemented, and any revisions must undergo a public participation process similar to the original development process.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2010). ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS, 2010. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Environmental-Management-Framework-Regulations.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS, 2010. 2010. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Environmental-Management-Framework-Regulations.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS, 2010 |date=2010 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Environmental-Management-Framework-Regulations.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2010environmental, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK REGULATIONS, 2010}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2010}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Environmental-Management-Framework-Regulations.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }