Knowledge Base

All commercial developments, particularly those that are greenfield developments should be registered with the environmental authorities for a decision as to its environmental requirements. If in doubt, most countries have a list of developments requiring environmental assessment in their regulations.

In summary these are: Registration of the project with the environmental authority: The developer registers the project at the nearest DEA office to the project location. A specific Project Brief form is to be used and submitted in hard copy. The DEA responds to the project brief within two weeks and indicates the required level of environmental assessment should it be required

Scoping & preparation of the Terms of Reference for the EIA: Following the response from DEA to the project brief, the assessment either commences with an environmental management plan (similar to the EIA but without the scoping and terms of reference stage) or and EIA. The EIA requires an initial baseline description (socio-economic and environmental) and is meant to identify the key issues for the detailed EIA to derive further insight in the project, such as location alternatives. This phase depends heavily on public, key stakeholder and directly affected party consultations. The results of the review and consultations is preparation of a terms of reference which lays out the scope of the full EIA. Both the scoping report and terms of reference (ToR) are be submitted to DEA for review. There is a 28 day timeframe for DEA to review the scoping report and ToR; our experience is that it takes at least eight weeks

Baseline and specialist studies are part of the full EIA and, in the case of internationally funded projects usually require at least two seasons for the baseline studies.

Environmental Impact Assessment: Impact identification and assessment of impacts requires inputs from the specialist studies that are responsible for studying concerns identified during the scoping phase. This period helps us develop an understanding as to how the social, economic and environmental components of the system link. Quantification and assessment of impacts are carried out.

Preparation of Mitigation Measures, Environmental Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement: This is the final EIA document which will examine impacts, assess the consequences, identify mitigations and prepare an Environmental Management Plan for implementation of mitigations and monitoring requirements. Initial closure and rehabilitation plans are required.

Public Review: The draft EIA/EMP is reviewed by DEA and, when acceptable, it is subject to public review. Public review is a DEA controlled process carried out by the practitioner. Copies of the documents are placed with public institutions for public review and comment. The location of the documents together with details of the development’s impacts are advertised for four consecutive weeks in the media and Government Gazette.

At the end of the review process the proponent is required to finalise the reports to the satisfaction of DEA. This process is funded by the project proponent and controlled by DEA. The process can take between 8 and 12 weeks.

Approval: Once the final EIA has been completed, the document is submitted to DEA for their approval process. The legal time frame for this process is 60 days. On complex projects this review is seldom less than 90 days duration.

Register your project at the nearest office of the environmental authority (Department of Environmental Affairs) by completing and submitting a Project Brief.

Gaborone: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: 2nd Floor of Travaglini House, Plot 1271, Old Lobatse Road, Gaborone

Private Bag 0068

Gaborone

Telephone (+267) 3902050

Fax (+267) 3902051

Email: bothusitse@gov.bw

Maun: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Next to Motovac (Airport) along Mophane Street

P. O. Box 35, Maun

Telephone (+267)6801237

Fax (+267) 6862503

Email: jmanga@gov.bw

Tshabong: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Office 7&8 within the Department of Tourism

Private Bag 007, Tsabong

Telephone (+267) 6540129

Fax (+267) 6540129

Email: borekeng@gov.bw

Francistown: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Ntshe House, First Floor, Office No. 2.109, 2.110, & 2.111

Private Bag F020, Francistown

Telephone (+267) 2417363

Fax (+267) 2417108

Email: psandawana@gov.bw

Serowe: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Old Department of Cooperatives Enclave near Serowe Police Traffic offices and Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Serowe Office

Private Bag 0028, Serowe

Telephone (+267) 4630174 / 176

Fax (+267) 4635937

Email: tnkwane@gov.bw

Ghanzi: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Thatch roofed building the west of the airport and across the street from Shell filling station.

Private Bag 24, Ghanzi

Telephone (+267) 6596101

Fax (+267) 6596038

Selebi Phikwe: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: LOT 12384, SPEDU Offices, Selebi Phikwe Industrial

Private Bag 10, Selebi Phikwe

Telephone (+267) 2659995

Fax (+267) 261 1064

Email: tbabitseng@gov.bw

Kasane: Department of Environmental Affairs

Physical address: Kazungula Bridge Office (Last buildings on the right when travelling south from Kazungula)

Private Bag 24, Kasane

Telephone (+267) 6240198

Fax (+267) 625 2895

The environmental authority review process and pubic reviews legally take 120 days but usually are slower due to availability of staff at the competent authority and request for changes and clarifications by the environmental officers. The review time of a moderately complex EIA is closer to 230 days. This excludes the environmental assessment or baseline studies carried out by the practitioner.

The cost of an EIA depends on the following factors:

• Stage of development planning
• Whether the project is registered with DEA or not
• Complexity and number of components
• Size or scale
• Need for and number of specialist studies
• Location and whether the project or impacts straddle a national border
• Number of affected parties

If you have the information for the above, a quote can be generated

All greenfield developments that do not have clearance from the Department of National Museums and Monuments require an archaeological impact assessment

If, during a development grave sites are identified, they must be exhumed by an archaeologist in conjunction with the Botswana Police and National Museums. Exhumations and reburials are complex and socially sensitive.

In most countries you are required to engage a registered practitioner.

For example in Botswana the person must be a paid up member of the Botswana Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association (BEAPA see website beapa.org.bw). There are three levels of practitioner:

• A Principle practitioner (PEAP) has long term experience and is registered to carry out assessment of complex and large scale projects;
• A Senior practitioner (SEAP) has moderate experience and is registered to assess moderate sized project of limited complexity
• An ordinary practitioner (EAP) is normally newly registered and has limited experience.

The aim of BEAPA is to maintain a professional standard amongst practitioners and ensure adherence to a code of conduct.