Environmental Impact Assessment Requirements for the Water Sector in Southern Africa

Overview of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements across the three Incomati Basin countries for water-related projects and activities. South Africa: NEMA EIA Regulations (2014, amended 2017) define three Listing Notices — activities requiring Basic Assessment (Listing Notice 1), full Scoping and Environmental Impact Report (S&EIR) (Listing Notice 2), and activities in specified geographic areas (Listing Notice 3). Water-specific triggers include dam construction, water abstraction, wetland disturbance, and watercourse alteration. Water Use Licence Applications (WULAs) under NWA Section 21 require separate authorisation. Mozambique: Decree 54/2015 categorises projects into Category A (full EIA), B (simplified EIA), and C (no EIA). Water infrastructure typically Category A or B. Eswatini: Environmental Management Act (2002) requires EIA for scheduled activities including water-related developments. Harmonisation challenges across borders: different categorisation thresholds, assessment quality standards, public participation requirements, and enforcement capacity. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) increasingly used for cumulative impacts in shared basins.

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Last Updated February 8, 2026, 02:32 (UTC)
Created February 7, 2026, 18:19 (UTC)
category Compliance & Enforcement
document_type Regulatory Overview