CHAPTER 65:07
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
PART I
Preliminary
1. Short title
2. Interpretation
3. Application of Act
4. Requirements to undertake an activity
5. Ensuring issuance of authorisation
PART IA
Institutional Arrangements
5A. Establishment of Department
PART II
Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Documentation
6. Requirements for authorisation
7. Public participation and scoping exercise
8. Terms of reference
8A. Assessment of scoping report
9. Environmental assessment and statement
PART III
Review Process of Environmental Impact Statement
10. Review of statements
11. Conduct of public hearing
12. Approval of statement
13. Appeals
PART IV
Authorisation of a Statement
14. Validity of an authorisation
15. Revocation or modification of authorisation
16. Transfer of authorisation
17. Decision making by competent authority
PART V
Post Environmental Impact Assessment of Implemented Activities
18. Monitoring programme and evaluation report
19. Environmental audit by competent authority
PART VI
Establishment, Management and Functions of Board
20. Establishment of Board
21. Seal of Board
22. Membership of Board
23. Association to elect members
24. Powers and functions of Board
25. Tenure of office of member
26. Minister's power to appoint members required to be elected
27. Disqualification, removal and resignation
28. Filling of vacancies
29. Committees of Board
30. Election of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson
31. Meeting of Board
32. Meetings of committees of Board
33. Disclosure of interest
34. Validity of decisions and acts of Board
35. Reports to the Minister
PART VII
Executive Secretary, Registration and Certification
36. Executive Secretary, etc.
37. Registration
38. Register
39. Procedures for registration
40. Certificate of practice
41. Registration of non-residents
41A. Effect of registration
42. Refusal to register
43. Suspension of registration
44. Removal from the register
45. Restoration of name to the register
46. Appeal against refusal to register, etc.
47. Return of practising certificate to Executive Secretary
48. Register to be prima facie evidence
49. Offences in connection with the register
PART VIII
Disciplinary and other Inquiry
50. Inquiries by Board
51. Disregard of summons, etc.
52. Powers of Board at inquiry
53. Disciplinary powers of Board
54. Practitioner becoming unfit to practise
55. Appeal against decision of Board at inquiry
56. Publication of outcome of proceedings
PART IX
Financial Provisions
57. Revenues of Board
58. Financial year
59. Accounts and audit
60. Annual report
PART X
Administration and Enforcement
61. Officers of competent authority
62. Reviewers and private reviewers
63. Powers of entry
64. Powers to require information
65. Confidentiality
66. Conflict of interest
67. Protection from personal liability
68. Enforcement of provisions
69. Trans-boundary environmental impact
PART XI
Miscellaneous
70. Offence and penalty
71. Exemptions
72. General penalty
73. Regulations
Act 6, 2005,
Act 10, 2011,
S.I. 57, 2012,
Act 11 of 2020,
S.I. 33, 2021.
An Act to provide for environmental impact assessment to be used to assess the potential effects of planned developmental activities; to determine and to provide mitigation measures for effects of such activities as may have a significant adverse impact on the environment; to put in place a monitoring process and evaluation of the environmental impacts of implemented activities and to provide for matters incidental to the foregoing.
[Date of Commencement: 25th June, 2012]
PART I
Preliminary (ss 1-5)
This Act may be cited as the Environmental Assessment Act.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—
"activity" includes a project, programme, plan or policy;
"Association" means a body registered under the Societies Act (Cap. 18:01), which adequately demonstrates to the Minister that it is representative of the majority of Environmental Assessment Practitioners practising in Botswana at any given time;
"Board" means the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Board established under section 20 of the Act;
"Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Board;
"committee" means a committee of the Board;
"competent authority", in relation to an activity under this Act, means the Department of Environmental Affairs;
"developer" means a person intending or planning to undertake a new activity or repair or extend an existing activity;
"Director" means the Director responsible for environmental affairs;
"environment" includes the physical, ecological, archaeological, aesthetic, cultural, economic, institutional, human health and social aspects of the surroundings of a person;
"environmental audit" means work done to identify and evaluate compliance of the statement and the residual environmental impact of an existing activity, the effectiveness of mitigation measures and the functioning of monitoring mechanisms;
"environmental impact" means any positive or negative effects caused by an activity on the environment;
"environmental impact assessment" means the process and procedure for evaluating and predicting the likely environmental impact of a proposed activity;
"environmental management plan" means a basic environmental assessment which excludes the development of a scoping report but may include the requirement for public review;
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
"evaluation report" means a report on studies carried out to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account when an activity is implemented;
"local authority" includes a land board;
"member" means a member of the Board elected, appointed or nominated under section 22;
"mitigation measures" means the reduction or control of the adverse environmental impact of an activity and includes restitution for any damage to the environment caused by such activity through engineering works, technological improvements, management measures or compensation to ameliorate any loss suffered by a person;
"practitioner" means an Environmental Assessment Practitioner registered under section 37;
"private reviewer" means a person appointed as such by the Director under section 62(2);
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
"project brief" means a description of the likely environmental impact of an activity provided by the applicant as part of the application;
"register" means a register of practitioners established under section 38;
"rehabilitation plan" means an outline of measures for the treatment or management of disturbed land, air or water for the purpose of establishing a safe and stable environment;
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
"relevant technical department" means a government department or local authority responsible for monitoring an activity undertaken under this Act, by virtue of that department or local authority having the necessary technical expertise to do so;
"reviewer" means an officer who is designated as such under section 62(1);
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
"scoping" means consultations with concerned government departments, local authorities, non-governmental organisations, members of the public and any other interested persons, to determine the extent of the likely environmental impact of a proposed activity;
"statement" means a report of the environmental assessment study;
"strategic environmental assessment" means a process for evaluating the environmental consequences of proposed policy, plan or programme initiatives in order to ensure that they are fully included and appropriately addressed at the earliest stage of decision making, on par with economic and social considerations;
"threshold", in relation to an environmental impact assessment of an activity, means a measurable level or limit of an output resulting from the operation of a proposed activity indicative of the activity's environmental impact;
"terms of reference" means a document which details the main environmental issues which must be addressed in an environmental impact study;
"waste management plan" means an outline of waste streams and treatment options comprising of the collection, temporary storage and safe disposal of the waste streams associated with an activity and includes provisions for the recovery, re-use and recycling of waste; and
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
"working day" means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any day which is a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act.
[11 of 2020, s. 2(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(1) This Act applies to the activities in respect of which the Minister may prescribe by regulations.
(2) Regulations made pursuant to subsection (1) shall prescribe—
(a) a list of activities which are likely to cause significant adverse effects on the environment, or the locations that may be environmentally sensitive, in respect of which a statement shall be mandatory;
(b) threshold determinations of environmental impact assessment with respect to the activities prescribed under paragraph (a); and
(c) criteria which shall be used to determine the likely effects of a proposed activity in order to further determine whether or not a statement is required for the activity.
(3) The Minister may, in writing, upon application for exemption by a person implementing an activity referred to under subsection (2), exempt the activity from the provisions of this Act.
4. Requirements to undertake an activity
(1) No person shall undertake or implement an activity prescribed under section 3 unless—
(a) such person has applied to a licensing authority for authorisation to undertake such activity and authorisation has been issued under section 12; and
(b) the environmental impact of the proposed activity is fully taken into account in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2) Any person who undertakes or implements an activity in contravention of subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding P100 000, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years, or to both.
(3) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall rehabilitate the area affected by the adverse environmental impact of the implemented activity.
(4) In this section, "rehabilitate" means the reinstatement or restoration to a normal or functional environmental state.
(5) A person who fails to rehabilitate the area referred to under subsection (3) commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding P1 000 000, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 15 years, or to both.
5. Ensuring issuance of authorisation
(1) A licensing authority shall, before issuing a permit, licence, consent or approval to any person who has applied to implement an activity prescribed under section 3, ensure that authorisation has been issued for the proposed activity in accordance with this Act.
(2) In this section, "licensing authority" means any authority vested with the responsibility of issuing permits, licences, consent or approval for any of the activities prescribed under section 3.
PART IA
Institutional Arrangements (s 5A)
[11 of 2020, s. 3 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
5A. Establishment of Department
(1) There is hereby established, in accordance with the laws governing the public service, a department to be known as the Department of Environmental Affairs.
[11 of 2020, s. 3 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(2) Subject to the Public Service Act, there shall be appointed a Director and such other officers of the Department as may be necessary.
[11 of 2020, s. 3 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(3) The Director shall oversee the implementation of this Act.
[11 of 2020, s. 3 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(4) The Director shall—
(a) be a person capable of being admitted as a practitioner; and
(b) have specialised qualifications in the areas of environmental science and environmental management.
[11 of 2020, s. 3 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
PART II
Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment Documentation (ss 6-9)
6. Requirements for authorisation
(a) application made to obtain authorisation for a proposed activity shall contain or be accompanied by a project brief which shall include a description of the activity; and
(b) formulation of a policy, programme, legislation, physical plan, shall contain or be accompanied by an approved strategic environmental assessment, which strategic environmental assessment shall contain a description of a policy, programme, legislation, development plan or physical plan, as the case may be.
(2) An application made under subsection (1)(a) shall be in the prescribed form and shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed.
(3) The competent authority shall review an application made under subsection (1)(a) within three working days.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(4) Where the competent authority finds that information provided for in the application is insufficient, the competent authority shall require and specify to the applicant in writing, the additional information to be provided by the applicant.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(5) Where the competent authority is satisfied that all relevant information is available in the application and that the activity can be carried out without any adverse environmental impact, the competent authority shall—
(a) authorise the implementation of the activity;
(b) require the applicant to submit a—
(iii) other plan as may be prescribed; or
(c) require the applicant to submit an environmental management plan.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(6) Where the competent authority is satisfied that the plan submitted under subsection (5)(b) sufficiently ensures environmental integrity, it shall authorise the activity.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(7) The competent authority shall review an application made under subsection (5)(b) within five working days.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(8) Where, upon consideration of all the information submitted by the applicant, the competent authority is of the view that in carrying out the activity an adverse environmental impact will or is likely to arise, the competent authority shall require the applicant to undertake an environmental impact assessment or a strategic environmental assessment.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(9) Where the competent authority requires an environmental management plan under subsection (5)(c) the competent authority may—
(a) request the developer to consult stakeholders; or
(b) request the developer to prepare a statement in terms of section 9(4).
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(10) Where the competent authority requests for an environmental impact assessment or a strategic environmental assessment to be undertaken under subsection (8), the competent authority shall, in writing, require the developer to—
(a) carry out a scoping exercise in terms of section 7; and
(b) prepare terms of reference in terms of section 8.
[11 of 2020, s. 4 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
7. Public participation and scoping exercise
(1) Where the competent authority has required an applicant to carry out a scoping exercise under section 6(10)(a), the applicant shall engage a practitioner to undertake the assessment.
[11 of 2020, s. 5(a) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(2) The applicant shall during a scoping exercise—
(a) publicise once the intended activity, its effects and benefits in the mass media using the official languages for a period of not less than 10 working days; and
[11 of 2020, s. 5(b) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(b) after the expiration of the period of 10 working days, ensure that the practitioner referred to under subsection (1) holds meetings with the affected people or communities to explain the nature of the activity and its effects.
[11 of 2020, s. 5(b) w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(1) A practitioner shall prepare the terms of reference required under section 6(10)(b) at the applicant's own expense.
[11 of 2020, s. 6 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(2) The terms of reference shall be in the prescribed form.
[11 of 2020, s. 6 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
8A. Assessment of scoping report
(1) An applicant shall, after complying with sections 7 and 8, submit the terms of reference and the results of the scoping exercise to the competent authority.
[11 of 2020, s. 7 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(2) In considering the terms of reference, the competent authority shall consult with relevant technical departments or local authorities, and may—
(a) conduct such investigation as it considers necessary to ascertain the validity of the scoping exercise; or
(b) request the applicant to provide additional information to clarify the terms of reference.
[11 of 2020, s. 7 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
(3) Where the competent authority is satisfied that the terms of reference will adequately assist in guiding the environmental impact assessment or a strategic environmental assessment of the proposed activity, the competent authority shall approve the terms of reference within 10 working days of receipt of the terms of reference and the scoping report.
[11 of 2020, s. 7 w.e.f. 1 April 2021.]
9. Environmental assessment and statement
(a) upon consideration of all the information, the competent authority determines that the proposed activity is likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact, it shall require that such activity undergo environmental impact assessment, the costs of which shall be borne by the developer; or
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