Search Search
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Name *
Username *
Password *
Verify password *
Email *
Verify email *

 

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

INDEX TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

Environmental Assessment (Establishment of Appeals Committee) Order

Environmental Assessment Regulations

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS

(section 73)

(29th June, 2012)

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

    REGULATION

PART I
Preliminary

    1.    Citation

    2.    Interpretation

    3.    Activities to which Act applies

PART II
Project Brief, Terms of Reference, etc

    4.    Project brief

    5.    Environmental management plan

    5A.    Waste management and rehabilitation plan

    6.    Scoping exercise and report

    7.    Terms of reference

    8.    Environmental impact statement

    9.    Public hearing

PART III
Registration and Certification of Practitioners

    10.    Application for registration

    11.    Certificate of practice

    12.    Register for practitioners

PART IV
General

    13.    Compliance with Code of Conduct

    14.    Restoration into register

        SCHEDULES

S.I. 58, 2012,
S.I. 30, 2021,
S.I. 49, 2021.

PART I
Preliminary (regs 1-3)

1.    Citation

    These Regulations may be cited as the Environmental Assessment Regulations.

2.    Interpretation

    In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires "mass media" includes publicly exhibited posters, newspapers, radio, television or other electronic media used for public communication.

3.    Activities to which Act applies

    Subject to section 3 of the Act, activities, locations, thresholds and criteria to which the Act applies shall be as set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

PART II
Project Brief, Terms of Reference, etc (regs 4-9)

4.    Project brief

    An application for a project brief referred to in section 6(2) of the Act shall be in accordance with Form A set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations, and shall be accompanied by a fee specified in Schedule 3 to these Regulations.

5.    Environmental management plan

    The environmental management plan referred to in section 6(5)(c) of the Act shall be in accordance with Form B set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

5A.    Waste management and rehabilitation plan

    The waste management plan and rehabilitation plan provided for in section 6(5)(b) of the Act shall be in Form C1 set out in Schedule 2.

6.    Scoping exercise and report

    The scoping exercise provided in sections 6(10)(a), 7(1) and 8A(1) of the Act shall be in Form C set out in Schedule 2.

7.    Terms of reference

    The terms of reference referred to in section 8(2) of the Act shall be in accordance with Form D set out in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.

8.    Environmental impact statement

    The environmental impact statement referred to in section 9 of the Act shall be in accordance with Form E set out in Schedule 2 to the Regulations.

9.    Public hearing

    (1) The competent authority shall, in conducting a public hearing referred to in section 11 of the Act, invite comments from the public.

    (2) The public hearing shall be conducted by a presiding officer who shall be appointed by the competent authority.

    (3) The public hearing shall be convened at a venue which is convenient and accessible to persons who are likely to be specifically affected by the proposed activity.

    (4) The date and venue of the public hearing shall be advertised through the mass media for public attention.

    (5) The presiding officer may disallow frivolous and vexatious submissions likely to lead to abuse of the public hearing.

    (6) A person applying for authorisation to undertake an activity whose application is the subject of a public hearing shall be given an opportunity to respond to any submission made at the public hearing and to provide further information relating to the activity.

    (7) Upon conclusion of the public hearing, the presiding officer shall compile a report of the public hearing and submit the report to the competent authority within 10 working days from the date of the public hearing.

PART III
Registration and Certification of Practitioners (regs 10-12)

10.    Application for registration

    (1) An application for registration as a practitioner shall be in Form A set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

    (2) A person who applies to be registered as a practitioner in accordance with these Regulations shall comply with the qualification requirements and certification criteria in Form B set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

    (3) An application under this regulation shall be accompanied by a registration fee as specified in Form C set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

11.    Certificate of practice

    A certificate of practice referred to in section 40 of the Act shall be in accordance with Form D set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations and shall be issued subject to payment of a fee specified in Form C set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

12.    Register for practitioners

    A register for practitioners kept by the Board referred to in section 38 of the Act shall be in accordance with Form E set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

PART IV
General (regs 13-14)

13.    Compliance with Code of Conduct

    (1) A practitioner registered under these Regulations shall comply with the Code of Conduct of Practitioners in Form F set out in Schedule 4 to these Regulations.

    (2) The Board may suspend the registration of a practitioner who fails to comply with the Code of Conduct.

14.    Restoration into register

    A practitioner whose name has been removed from the register, who wishes to have his or her name restored into the register, may apply to the Board in writing, to be restored into the register.

SCHEDULE 1

(reg. 3)

Activities that require Strategic Environmental Assessment

    (a)    District land use and structural plans;

    (b)    National policies, legislation and development strategies and programmes.

Activities that require a Statement

Projects

EMP

EIA

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

Any development in national parks, game reserves, wildlife management areas, wetlands, within 0.5 km of open surface water, flood plains, important breeding areas for fauna, within 1 kilometre of important archaeological, historical, religious or cultural sites, areas protected under legislation, hilly areas and areas containing rare or endangered flora and fauna

 

all projects

Transboundary Projects

Projects that have transboundary impacts such as fences, bridges, water transfer schemes and power plants and power lines

Power lines outside urban areas or industrial complexes with a voltage of more than 132kV and less than 230kV or less than 15km in length
rehabilitation, reconstruction, or modernisation of the transboundary power lines projects

Power lines outside urban areas or industrial complexes with a voltage of 230kV and above or more than 15km

Extractive and Associated Industry

a.    Prospecting and exploration for oil, coal bed methane, and natural gas, heavy metals and radioactive minerals

when prospecting and exploration is on a freehold land

when prospecting and exploration is on tribal or state land

b.    Operations for the extraction of pit sand, gravel and clay

when extraction is on a freehold land or from an existing burrow pits

all new activities where extraction is on tribal or state land

c.    Mining within a river system or wetland regardless of the size of the mining project

 

all projects

d.    Exploration of minerals where geothermal drilling and blasting is involved

when exploration is on a freehold land

when exploration is on tribal or state land

e.    Exploitation of minerals, including quarrying

 

all projects

f.    Extraction and processing of hydrocarbons including coal

 

all projects

g.    Mineral processing

processing plants with capacity of less than 500,000 tonnes per year

non-metallic mineral processing (crushing, grinding, milling or separation) when production capacity is less than 10,000 tonnes per year

processing plants with capacity of more than 500,000 tonnes per year

non-metallic mineral processing (crushing, grinding, milling or separation) when production capacity is more than 10,000 tonnes per year

h.    Metallurgical and chemical plants associated with mining, including cement and lime kilns manufacturing

installations with a production capacity equal or less than
50 tonnes per day

installations for melting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres with a melting capacity equal or less than 20 tonnes per day

installations with a production capacity of more than
50 tonnes per day

installations for melting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tonnes per day

i.    Processing plants for smelting or alloying of non-ferrous metals, including recovered products

foundry plants with smelting capacity below 4 tonnes per day

foundry plants with a smelting capacity exceeding 4 tonnes per day

j.    Ferrous metal foundries

ferrous metal foundries with production capacity below 4 tonnes per day

ferrous metal foundries with a production capacity exceeding 4 tonnes per day

k.    Scrap metal recovery

metal melting or casting: premises on which metal or scrap metal is melted in furnaces or cast when production capacity is more than 100 tonnes per year

premises on which metal scrap is fragmented or melted, including premises on which lead acid batteries are reprocessed when production capacity is less than 100 tonnes per year

metal melting or casting: premises on which metal or scrap metal is melted in furnaces or cast when production capacity is more than 100 tonnes per year

premises on which metal scrap is fragmented or melted, including premises on which lead acid batteries are reprocessed when production capacity is more than 100 tonnes per year

I.    Establishment of plants for plate and container glass manufacturing and glass fibre

when production for plate and glass containers is more than 200 tonnes/year

glass or glass fibre manufacturing: premises on which glass or glass fibre is manufactured when production capacity is less than 200 tonnes/year

when manufacture of glass including glass fibre with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tonnes per day, or

installations for melting mineral substances including the production of mineral fibres with a melting capacity exceeding 20 tonnes per day

m.    Establishment of large scale brick moulding and ceramic products manufacturing plants; premises on which refractory products, tiles, pipes or pottery are manufactured

when production capacity is more than 1,000 tonnes/year

when production capacity exceeding 75 tonnes per day, and/or with a kiln capacity exceeding 4m3 and with a setting density per kiln exceeding 300 kg/m3

Waste Management

a.    Establishment or expansion of waste management facilities

dump sites

incineration plants, boilers or similar activities processing less than 50 kg/hr

Waste Management Facilities (WMF) for recycling of electronic waste

landfills

incineration plants, boilers or similar activities processing more than 50 kg/hr

recovery (for energy) or recycling plants

b.    Radioactive waste storage and disposal facilities

 

all projects

c.    Sewer networks (excluding individual connections to main sewer lines) and associated manholes, sewage pumps stations

 

all projects

d.    Management of hazardous waste

below 5 tons facilities for storage/pre-treatment/treatment/disposal of hazardous waste such as chemicals, (for example, obsolete pesticides or fertilisers), and asbestos or products containing asbestos, electronic equipment, batteries, fluorescent and energy saving bulbs, clinical wastes and other obsolete equipment containing hazardous waste

New treatment technologies for clinical waste (e.g. converters, auto claves, microwaving etc.)

5 tons or more facilities for storage/pre-treatment/ treatment/disposal of hazardous waste such as chemicals, (for example, obsolete pesticides or fertilisers), and asbestos or products containing asbestos, electronic equipment, batteries, fluorescent and energy saving bulbs, clinical wastes and other obsolete equipment containing hazardous waste

e.    Facilities for the treatment or processing of waste such as used tyres, used oil

 

all projects

f.    Facilities for the treatment or processing waste water or polluted ground water

 

all projects

Energy Industry

a.    Construction of facilities for electricity generation

thermal power stations with electricity generation of output equal to or less than 15 MW

construction of facilities for electricity generation using solar with output of less than 5 MW

expansion/upgrading of facilities for electricity generation

thermal power stations with electricity generation of output more than 15 MW

construction of facilities for electricity generation using solar with output of more than 5 MW

b.    Construction of radioactive energy facilities

 

all projects

c.    Construction of petroleum service stations

commercial petroleum service stations and consumer installations with a total capacity of 92 000 litres or more but less than 200 000 litres

commercial petroleum service stations with capacity of more than 200 000 litres

d.    Bulk storage petroleum installations (including storage installations for biofuels)

 

all projects

e.    Construction of liquid petroleum gas facilities

    (i)    liquid petroleum gas (LPG) marketing or commercial installations for distribution to dealers or retailers with total capacity exceeding
92 000 litres and

 

    (ii)    fixed transport structures including LPG pipelines

f.    Manufacturing or processing plants for the production of energy including coal to liquids, crude oil refining and coal bed methane harvesting

 

all projects

g.    Commercial plants for the manufacture of charcoal and coal briquettes

all projects

 

h.    Construction of all commercial or industrial facilities for the generation, transportation and utilisation of natural gas

 

all projects

i.    Installations for production of biofuels

all commercial facilities with capacity of more than 20 000 litres

 

Infrastructure Developments

a.    Construction of roads (primary, secondary, tertiary and access)

construction of a tarred new road of less than 20 km in length

construction of new gravel road of less than 60 km in length

widening of existing roads by less than 6 meters or the lengthening of an existing road by more than 20 km

construction of a tarred new road of more than 20 km in length

construction of new gravel road of more than 60 km in length

b.    Fencing of roads

fencing of roads of less than 20 km in length not located in wildlife reserves or migration routes

fencing of roads of more than 20 km in length

fencing of roads located in protected areas and in known migration routes for wildlife

c.    Construction of tunnels

construction of tunnels less than 100 m

construction of tunnels longer than 100 m

d.    Construction of bridges over water courses

when length is more than 100 m but less than 1 km

when length is more than 1 km

e.    Infrastructure developments such as aerodromes, air fields, airports, airstrips

airstrips, aerodromes

airports and air fields

f.    Construction of dams, levees, barrages, or weirs affecting the flow of river

levees, barrages, or weirs affecting the flow of river

construction of dams with capacity of more than
50,000 m3 or wall higher than 5 m

g.    Construction of well-fields

construction of well-fields where total abstraction of water will be less than 10,000 m3 per day

construction of well-fields where total abstraction of water will be more than
10,000 m3 per day

h.    Intention recharging of an aquifer with any waste water

 

all projects

i.    Construction of canals, channels, river diversions or water transfer schemes between catchments

construction of canals or channels equal or longer than 250 m and shorter than 1,000 m

construction of canals or channels equal or longer than 1,000 m

j.    Development of flood control schemes

 

all projects

k.    Construction of water pipelines and reticulation networks (excluding individual connections)

water pipelines with length of less than 30 km

water pipelines with length exceeding 30 km

I.    Construction of storm water drainage facilities

 

all projects

m.    Construction of telecommunication cables and networks

local access loops and FTTx within one locality
depth 750-800 mm
width 300-400 mm

Backbone projects which stretches from one locality to another
depth 1200 mm
width 400-450 mm

n.    Installation of power lines

power lines outside built up areas with voltage above 66 KVs or inside urban areas with voltage above 132 KVs

expansion of existing power lines when the expanded voltage will be 132 KVs or more

power lines outside built up areas or industrial complexes with voltage of 132KV or more

o.    Installation of power substations

installation of power substations with voltage less than 66 KVs

installation of power substations with voltage of
66 KVs and above

p.    Land reclamation works

area to be transformed larger than 5 Ha in a built up area or larger than 1 Ha outside a built up area

expansions of land reclamation works when the expansion transforms a total area equal or larger than the thresholds mentioned

area to be transformed larger than 20 Ha in a built up area or larger than 10 Ha outside built up area

q.    Development of industrial estates

area equal or larger than 5 Ha in a serviced area or equal or larger than 10 Ha outside unserviced area

expansions of industrial estates when the expansion transforms a total area equal or larger than the thresholds mentioned

area equal or larger than
20 Ha in a serviced area or equal or larger than 10 Ha unserviced area

r.    Development of residential estates

area equal or larger than 5 Ha in an urban area or equal or larger than 1 Ha outside an urban area

expansions of development of industrial estates when the combination of the expansion phases transforms a total area equal or larger than the thresholds mentioned

area is equal or larger than 20 Ha in an urban area or equal or larger than 10 Ha outside an urban area

expansions of development of industrial estates when the combination of the expansion phases transforms a total area equal or larger than the thresholds mentioned

s.    Development of institutional facilities (such as schools, hospitals, etc.)

when the total area to be transformed is larger than 5 Ha inside a built up area or serviced area or larger than 1 Ha outside a built up or serviced area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than
20 Ha inside a serviced or built up area or larger than
10 Ha outside a built up or serviced area

t.    Development of shopping centres or complexes

when the total area to be transformed is larger than 5 Ha inside a built up area or serviced area or larger than 1 Ha outside a serviced area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than
20 Ha inside a built area or serviced area larger than
10 Ha outside a serviced area

u.    Construction of railway lines

when length is longer than
10 km and less than 50 km

upgrade or expansion of railway line to more than 10 km and less than 50 km

when length is longer than
50 km

upgrade or expansion of railway line to more than
50 km

v.    Plants for the manufacture and assembly of motor vehicles

when the total area to be transformed is larger than 5 Ha inside a built up or serviced area or larger than 1 Ha outside an urban area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than
20 Ha inside a built up or serviced area or larger than 10 Ha outside a built up area or serviced area

w.    Establishment of cemeteries and crematoria

when area is more than 2500 m2

expansion of existing cemeteries by more than 2500 m2

establishment of crematoria

 

x.    Construction of facilities for storage of radioactive materials

 

all projects

y.    Construction of subways

 

all projects

z.    Construction camps and camping facilities

 

all projects

Chemical, Rubber and Plastic Industry

a.    Chemical manufacturing or processing plants

when quantity of processed chemicals is less than 2000 kg/month or when production capacity is less than 50,000 tonnes/year

when quantity of processed chemicals is more than 2000 kg/month or when production capacity is more than 50,000 tonnes/year

b.    Chemical manufacturing: premises (other than pesticide manufacturing) on which chemical products are manufactured by a chemical process

when production capacity is more than 100 tonnes/year

when production capacity is more than 1000 tonnes/year

c.    Oil refining plants

 

all projects

d.    Plants for the manufacturing or processing of plastic and rubber where a chemical reaction is involved

 

all projects

e.    Large scale fertiliser, herbicides and pesticide manufacturing or processing plants

 

all projects

f.    Facilities for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products

 

all projects

g.    Bulk storage facilities for hazardous chemicals that:

    i.    Contain at least one carbon to carbon bond; and/or are toxic, harmful, flammable, supporting combustion, corrosive, irritant, sensitising, carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction or hazardous for the environment

    ii.    are liquid (or solid) at STP (standard temperature and pressure)

when stored quantities more than 10 cubic metres but less than 1000 cubic metres in aggregate

when stored quantities are more than 1000 cubic metres in aggregate

Food Industry

a.    Milk processing

milk processing with a production output of more than 500 000 litres to 1 000 000 litres per month

milk processing with a production output of more than 1 000 000 litres per month

b.    Installations of abattoirs

 

all projects

c.    Fish processing plant

with production capacity of more than 100 tons a year but less than 1000 tons per year

with production capacity of more than 1000 tons a year

Leather and Textile Industry

a.    Premises on which animal skins or hides are dried, cured or stored

production or storage capacity of more than 48,000 skins or 12,000 hides per year

production or storage capacity of more than 480,000 skins or 120,000 hides per year

b.    Tanneries

 

all projects

c.    Textile manufacturing operations where dyes are to be used

all projects

 

Wood and Paper Industry

a.    Pulp and paper mills

all projects

 

b.    Wood processing operations or expansion of existing wood processing operations

all projects

 

Firing Ranges and Explosives

a.    Outdoor firing ranges

when located at less than 2 km from a populated zone

when located at more than
2 km from a populated zone

b.    Installations for manufacture of explosives, arms or ammunition or production of explosive substances

quantity produced or stored is more than 250 kg/day

quantity produced or stored is more than 2500 kg/day

c.    Installations for storage or disposal of explosives and ammunition/substances

quantity produced or stored is greater than 250 kg/day

quantity produced or stored is greater than 2500 kg/day

Tourism Enterprises

a.    Hospitality facilities

200 or more guestrooms in an unserviced land

 

Recreation Related Infrastructure

a.    Sports complexes

when the total area to be transformed is larger than 5 Ha but less than 20 Ha inside a built up area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than 2 Ha but less than 10 Ha outside a serviced area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than
20 Ha inside a built up area

when the total area to be transformed is larger than
10 Ha outside a serviced area

b.    Golf courses

 

all projects

c.    Establishment of routes or tracks for outdoor racing of motor powered vehicles such as motorcars, trucks and motorcycles

 

all projects

d.    Amusement parks

all projects

 

Agricultural Projects

a.    Land developments for rain-fed agriculture

 

land developments for rain-fed agriculture in an area larger than 100 Ha

b.    Land developments for irrigated crop farming

large scale horticulture projects in an area measuring more than 50 and less than 100 hectares

large scale irrigated farming projects in an area measuring more than 100 hectares

c.    Fibre and oil (biofuel) crops

land developments for the purpose of fibre and oil (biofuel) crop production in an area less than 50 Ha

land developments for the purpose of fibre and oil (biofuel) crop production in an area larger than 50 Ha

d.    Large scale horticulture projects

large scale horticulture projects in an area measuring more than 50 and less than 100 hectares

large scale horticulture projects in an area measuring more than 100 hectares

e.    Large scale dairy farms

stock rate of more than 50 cows and less than 100

stock rate of 100 or more cows

f.    Large scale feedlots

with stock rate of more than 250 and less than 500 cows

with stock rate of 500 or more cows

g.    Large scale ostrich farms

stock rate of more than 250 and less than 500 birds

stock rate of 500 or more birds

h.    Large scale pig farms

stock rate of more than 50 sow units but less than 300 sow units

large scale pig farms with stock rate of more than 300 sow units

i.    Large scale pig farms of piglets for weaner scheme

more than 500 and less than 1000 piglets for weaner scheme

more than 1000 piglets for weaner scheme

j.    Large scale crocodile farming production systems

less than 4000 m3 pond capacity where there is direct discharge from the production system to the environment;

or

farms with a capacity for more than 200 and less than 1200 crocodiles

more than 4000 m3 pond capacity where there is direct discharge from the production system to the environment;

or

farms with a capacity for more than 1200 crocodiles

k.    Establishment game or livestock farm or ranch

in an area measuring more than 100 hectares and less than
5 000 hectares

in an area measuring more than 5 000 hectares

I.    Large scale poultry farms

with stock rate of more than
20 000 birds but less than
40 000 birds

with stock rate of more than 40 000 birds

m.    Irrigation of any land with waste water generated through industrial activity or by any water works

 

all projects

n.    Introduction of new crops, plants and animals, including Genetically Modified Organisms and Living Modified Organisms

 

all projects

o.    Establishment of fences which are designed to control wildlife and livestock diseases

When fence is more than 5 km in length but less than 20 km

when fence is more than
20 km in length

p.    Construction of fish farming systems

with pond capacity of less than 4000 m3; where there is any direct discharge from the production system to a receiving water body;

or

commercial fish farming venture with an annual production of more than 20 tonnes but less than 40 tonnes

with pond capacity of more than 4000 m3; where there is any direct discharge from the production system to a receiving water body;

or

commercial fish farming venture with an annual production of more than
40 tonnes

q.    Logging operations

establishments covering area of more than 50 hectares but less than 500 hectares

establishments covering an area of more than
500 hectares

r.    Forest plantations, woodlots and tree nurseries

establishments covering an area of more than 50 hectares but less than 500 hectares

establishments covering an area of more than 500 hectares

s.    Small stock (goats and sheep) farms

farms with stock rate of more than 1000

farms with stock rate of more than 5000

Others

a.    A project likely to affect any area protected by the laws of Botswana or such other regional or international laws or conventions

 

all projects

b.    A project whose implementation will likely cause a public outcry or will result in the displacement of people

 

all projects

c.    A project likely to give rise to particular complex or adverse effects whose management is not well understood

 

all projects

d.    A project whose implementation will result in substantial use of a natural resource in a way that prevents the use or potential use of the resources for any other purpose

 

all projects

e.    any activity aimed at the modification of atmospheric precipitation

 

all projects

 

SCHEDULE 2

 

REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA

Ministry of Environmental Wildlife and Tourism

Department of Environmental Affairs

Telephone: (267) 3902050
Fax: (267) 3902051/3914687
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Private Bag 0068
Gaborone
Botswana

All Correspondence to be addressed to the Director

 

    REF: DEA/BOD/ .............................. RECEIPT No ................................. DATE......................

FORM A

(reg. 4(i))

PROJECT BRIEF

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.