The relevance of environmental impact assessment to housing construction in Maseru urban

Abstract

As a developing country, Lesotho is using Environmental Impact Assessment as an environmental management tool with the intention of attaining sustainable development. This is provided for by the Environment Act 10 of 2008 which entails guidelines for EIA. The guidelines identifies activities/projects for which Environmental Impact Assessment is required. Housing developments are subject to Environmental Impact Assessment in Lesotho under the EIA guidelines, while the collective individual undertakings are disregarded for being too small, yet their environmental impact is prominent. The guidelines also outline that buildings with a floor space of 500sqm or more should be subject to an EIA. This study looked at the relevance of EIA in housing construction in Maseru urban using Maseru South West (MASOWE) and Motheo as case studies. Data was collected using qualitative research method, which included consideration of literature, interviews with various participants and observations. The results revealed that individual house are regarded as small of undertakings even as a collective unlike undertaking of housing developments. Moreover, there were houses found to have a floor space of 500sqm and above that were also not subjected to EIA’s. The relevance of EIA in housing construction is taken lightly, even when the compounded impacts are visible and detrimental to the environment. Public participation is one other aspect that the study found to be lacking, 95% of the public did not even what Environmental Impact Assessment was, let alone the specifications thereof. The recommendations were, the public should be sensitised so that they are cautious of their environment and taught of EIA as an environmental management tool to advance sustainable development. Also, clear demarcation of sites dependent on size of buildings will better facilitate the clear and correct use of EIA in housing construction. The demarcation should be characterised by follow up site visits by relevant authorities to ensure encroachment of servitude zones is alleviated. Lastly the study recommends the formulation of a piece of legislation dealing exclusively with EIA, an EIA Act. This will facilitate a clear and proper way of applying EIA to manage the environment effectively, even in housing construction.