Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector

This 2014 report by WWF South Africa evaluates the adherence of Environmental Assessment Practitioners (EAPs) to the 2013 Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG) within the Enkangala Grasslands. The study found that approximately 30% of sampled applications failed to adhere to key MBG principles, with particularly low adherence to best practice EIA standards. The report highlights a critical need for the formal registration and regulation of EAPs through EAPASA to ensure objectivity, competence, and the protection of South Africa's vital water-producing grasslands from unsustainable mining.

• An evaluation of 62 mining applications in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal revealed significant gaps in adherence to the Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG). While adherence to applying the law, engaging stakeholders, and applying the mitigation hierarchy ranged between 81% and 83%, adherence to using the best available biodiversity information, using best practice EIA, and ensuring effective implementation was lower, ranging between 68% and 73%.
• There is a substantial disparity in performance between larger and smaller EAP consultancies. Larger consultancies outperformed smaller ones in applying the law, using biodiversity information, engaging stakeholders, and applying the mitigation hierarchy. However, larger consultancies showed unacceptably low adherence to MBG principle 4 (Use best practice EIA), with only 50% adherence.
• The report identifies a critical lack of legal control and regulation over the EAP sector in South Africa. Although the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) was launched in 2011 and applied to be a Registration Authority in August 2012, the appointment had not been finalised as of the report's publication.
• Stakeholders and EAPs expressed unanimous support for the compulsory registration of EAPs under a professional body like EAPASA. They recommended that registration be coupled with a peer review system, disciplinary actions, and the classification of EAPs based on academic and professional backgrounds to ensure specialist mining EAPs are assigned to mining projects.
• The Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG), published in mid-2013 by the DEA and DMR, lack legal force, which limits their effectiveness. Feedback suggests the guidelines are not being used to determine the placement of mines, and some respondents noted that a prospecting right was granted in the Barberton Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga despite the guidelines.
• The report highlights a conflict between energy needs and environmental security in South Africa, noting that 77% of the country's energy needs are derived from coal. This creates pressure on the grasslands, which are vital water production areas, as coal deposits often overlap with high-yield agricultural land and important biodiversity areas.

APA

Shene-Verdoorn, C. A., & Ncube, N. (2014). Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector. WWF South Africa. http://dtnac4dfluyw8.cloudfront.net/downloads/mining_report_03_sept_2014_spreads.pdf?11921/mining-and-biodiversity

Chicago

Shene-Verdoorn, Carolyn Ah, and Nhlanhla Ncube. Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector. WWF South Africa, 2014. http://dtnac4dfluyw8.cloudfront.net/downloads/mining_report_03_sept_2014_spreads.pdf?11921/mining-and-biodiversity.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shene-Verdoorn |first1=Carolyn Ah |last2=Ncube |first2=Nhlanhla |title=Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=August 2014 |url=http://dtnac4dfluyw8.cloudfront.net/downloads/mining_report_03_sept_2014_spreads.pdf?11921/mining-and-biodiversity |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sheneverdoorn2014mining, author = {Shene-Verdoorn, Carolyn Ah and Ncube, Nhlanhla}, title = {{Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {http://dtnac4dfluyw8.cloudfront.net/downloads/mining_report_03_sept_2014_spreads.pdf?11921/mining-and-biodiversity}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }