Major Constraints of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Botswana

The document identifies critical weaknesses in Botswana's Environmental Impact Assessment (EA) framework, specifically the lack of independence of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), severe human resource shortages, and the financial instability of the Botswana Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioners Association (BEAPA). It highlights how ministerial exemptions and security agency carve-outs can compromise environmental protection, citing the Pilikwe radioactive waste facility as a case of insufficient public consultation. To address these, the author recommends developing operational guidelines for exemptions, recruiting more technical staff, and diversifying BEAPA's revenue streams.

• Government security agencies are entirely exempt from the EA process based on national security under Section 76(2), which can lead to adverse environmental outcomes, such as the development of a radioactive waste storage facility near Pilikwe village that lacked rigorous assessment and public consultation.
• The DEA suffers from significant institutional capacity constraints, operating only six offices nationwide with an average of three qualified officers per station, which hinders the monitoring, auditing, and enforcement of EA compliance.
• Technical reviews of EA reports are often inadequate because the DEA frequently conducts them internally despite lacking the specialized expertise required for complex ecological, hydrological, or radioactivity issues.
• The Botswana Environmental Impact Assessment Practitioners Association (BEAPA) is financially precarious, relying on the government for approximately 90% of its annual budget of BWP 1.5–1.75 million.
• BEAPA's registration requirements are overly restrictive, requiring a specific 'environmental qualification' which prevents other necessary technical experts from registering and contributes to low membership numbers (approximately 100 members).

APA

Tshwene-Mauchaza, B. (2015). Major Constraints of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Botswana. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Policy-Briefing-145.pdf

Chicago

Tshwene-Mauchaza, Boipelo. Major Constraints of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Botswana. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Policy-Briefing-145.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tshwene-Mauchaza |first1=Boipelo |title=Major Constraints of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Botswana |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=December 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Policy-Briefing-145.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tshwenemauchaza2015major, author = {Tshwene-Mauchaza, Boipelo}, title = {{Major Constraints of the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in Botswana}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Policy-Briefing-145.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }