Qualitative practice-based study reveals compliance-focused EIA follow-up weakens sustainability outcomes, highlighting the need for adaptive management frameworks.
Key Points
To investigate how post-authorisation environmental impact assessment (EIA) follow-up practices shape support for sustainable development.
Conducted a qualitative, practice-based study in the Western Cape, South Africa, using a focus group, questionnaire responses, and targeted interviews.
Analyzed instrumental case evidence from the Plankenbrug Main Outfall Sewer project using thematic analysis and descriptive frequencies.
Follow-up capacity is constrained by ambiguous responsibilities, uneven professional recognition, limited practitioner mentorship, and an over-emphasis on compliance over adaptive learning.
Introduced an authorisation-to-outcomes framework linking monitoring evaluation, practitioner competence, and corrective action to improve future environmental management programmes.