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Participatory Rural Appraisal Approaches for Public Participation in EIA: Lessons from South Africa

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  • Luke A. Sandham

    (School of Geo and Spatial Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2521, South Africa)

  • Jason J. Chabalala

    (School of Geo and Spatial Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2521, South Africa)

  • Harry H. Spaling

    (Geography and Environmental Studies, The King’s University, Edmonton, AB T6B 2H3, Canada)

Abstract

Public participation in environmental impact assessment (EIA) often falls short of the requirements of best practice in the move towards sustainable development, particularly for disadvantaged and marginalized communities. This paper explores the value of a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach for improved public participation in a sample of EIA’s for photovoltaic projects in South Africa. PRA was conducted post facto making use of selected PRA tools. Findings show that a great deal more information was obtained by the PRA approach, confirming the perceived weakness of traditional PP for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. It is concluded that a PRA approach has considerable potential for improving meaningful public participation, which should improve EIA, build capacity in those communities, and enhance livelihoods and sustainable resource use.

Suggested Citation

  • Luke A. Sandham & Jason J. Chabalala & Harry H. Spaling, 2019. "Participatory Rural Appraisal Approaches for Public Participation in EIA: Lessons from South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:8:y:2019:i:10:p:150-:d:275829
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Uddin, M.N. & Anjuman, N., 2013. "Participatory Rural Appraisal Approaches: An Overview And An Exemplary Application Of Focus Group Discussion In Climate Change Adaptation And Mitigation Strategies," International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology (IJARIT), IJARIT Research Foundation, vol. 3(2), December.
    2. Tom Ogwang & Frank Vanclay & Arjan van den Assem, 2019. "Rent-Seeking Practices, Local Resource Curse, and Social Conflict in Uganda’s Emerging Oil Economy," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "Participatory rural appraisal (PRA): Analysis of experience," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(9), pages 1253-1268, September.
    4. Harry Spaling & Jesse Montes & John Sinclair, 2011. "Best Practices For Promoting Participation And Learning For Sustainability: Lessons From Community-Based Environmental Assessment In Kenya And Tanzania," Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(03), pages 343-366.
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    2. Md Ashrafuzzaman, 2023. "Local Context of Climate Change Adaptation in the South-Western Coastal Region of Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-34, April.

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