Mining and Biodiversity: Evaluating EAP standards in the sector

The study assesses 62 mining applications in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal to determine if EAPs are following the six core principles of the Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG). It finds significant gaps in adherence, particularly regarding the use of biodiversity information and best practice environmental impact assessments. The report highlights a performance gap between larger and smaller EAP consultancies and argues for the urgent formal registration and regulation of EAPs under a professional body like EAPASA to ensure sustainable development and protect water and food security in South Africa's grasslands.

• Adherence to the six MBG principles varies significantly, with high compliance (81% to 83%) for applying the law, engaging stakeholders, and applying the mitigation hierarchy, but lower compliance (68% to 73%) for using biodiversity information, employing best practice EIA, and ensuring effective implementation.
• Approximately 30% of the sampled applications failed to adhere to certain MBG principles, which the report describes as an alarmingly high margin of non-adherence.
• There is a substantial performance gap between larger and smaller EAP consultancies; larger firms generally outperform smaller ones on most principles, yet they show unacceptably low adherence (only 50%) to the principle of using best practice EIA.
• The Enkangala Grasslands domain, which contains the headwaters of the Vaal, Thukela, and Pongola rivers, is under significant pressure, with at least one-third of its 1.6 million hectares subject to prospecting or mining applications.
• Stakeholders and EAPs unanimously support the compulsory registration of EAPs under a professional body such as the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA) to ensure quality control and accountability.
• The Mining and Biodiversity Guidelines (MBG) lack legal force, which stakeholders believe limits their ability to change the behavior of mining companies, consultants, or the government regarding applications in ecologically sensitive 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} }