Study areas for the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the proposed Boegoebaai Port, Special Economic Zone, and broader Namakwa Region.
The CSIR is leading the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) that is being undertaken for the Northern Cape’s plan to produce green hydrogen in a proposed new special economic zone (SEZ), as well as a port at Boegoebaai and other infrastructure.
The spatial area for the strategic environmental assessment includes the proposed port, the associated SEZ adjacent to the port and the broader Namakwa region. A local-scale SEA study will cover the sustainability of the proposed port and SEZ development in an area of approximately 33 500 hectares.
A regional-scale SEA study will cover sustainability issues associated with the Northern Cape green hydrogen economy for the Namakwa area, delineated by the local municipalities of Richtersveld, Nama Khoi, Kamiesberg and Khâi-Ma.
Overall objective
The overall objective of the SEA is to develop an integrated decision-making framework to guide the planning of the proposed Boegoebaai port, SEZ, and wider Namakwa region in a sustainable manner. Some of the aspects that the assessment will cover include identifying the sensitivity of the receiving environment, potential fatal flaws that need to be addressed early in the planning process, strategic-level opportunities and constraints, and strategic management actions. The SEA does not replace the legal requirement for project-level environmental impact assessment.
“The CSIR has been instrumental in the introduction and evolution of strategic environmental assessments in South Africa. Our competency in these assessments is widely recognised, and we are committed to provide independent science-based information and advice into the decision-making process in a transparent manner,” says Paul Lochner, leader of the CSIR’s Environmental Management Services group.
