Documentation/Publications
Swaziland's First National Communication to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Swaziland was amongst the 150 nations that signed the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change. The Convention process was the culmination of
international concern on the global increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
mainly due to human activities since the industrial revolution. In compiling her
National Communication, Swaziland seeks to comply with provisions of Articles 4
and 12 of the Convention which enumerate commitments and implementation issues.
In the country’s willingness to contribute to the protection of the climate
system it's intervention is to follow after the Convention's guiding principles,
namely the consideration of Swaziland as a developing country Party with special
circumstances, the extent of its capabilities, regards for the common but
differentiated responsibilities, and equity.
Sustainability Indicators for Swaziland
This section of the ECS site will attempt to present up-to-date information on the Agenda 21 Issues. Although available elsewhere, the descriptions presented here will be periodically updated to include the latest information on the four main areas of sustainable development - social, natural resources, economic and institutional.
World Summit on Sustainable Development
With less that a year to go before the Johannesburg Summit in September 2002, preparatory progress meetings and regional and national initiatives are all underway - ECS will try to bring you local coverage of Swaziland's preparations.
Environmental Conventions, Protocols and Treaties
A list of environmentally related conventions and treaties to which Swaziland has signed, ratified or acceded to - or not as the case may be.
Swaziland Government Policies, Strategies and Action Plans
A table of policies, strategies and action plans and their status.
Common Country Assessment, 1997
A paper by Mike McDermott outlining Swaziland's main development indicators.
Land Use Planning
The challenges now facing Swaziland particularly in the environmental, educational, sociological, nutritional and agricultural sectors call for a new approach in the use and allocation of land to individual uses. The constraints in these sectors are intensified by the rapid increase in the Kingdom's population, and threaten to reduce the quality of life of every Swazi. This partial document introduces some of the problems and initiatives in land use planning in Swaziland.
Environmental Assessment in Swaziland
EA's have been a legal requirement in Swaziland since 1996 and form part of all new projects being planned for in the country. Although the procedure is quite simple, the following article gives An overview of the process of undertaking and EA in Swaziland and the reasons behind EA's.
The Swaziland National Development Strategy: an issues paper - by Mike McDermott, June 1995
This article bases itself upon the premise that, to have a national development strategy at all, there must be a goal to develop towards: that such a goal should be one that can both release and harness the energies and capacities of the nation's people, and that such a goal should be carried out by use of management principles consonant with that goal. That is, that the means must be worthy of the end.
Public Involvement in Environmental Assessment
Projects that affect the surrounding biophysical and socio-economic environment often impinge on the responsibilities, interests and welfare of individuals and organisations outside the actual project area. Consultation and communication with various interested and affected groups (known collectively as public involvement) is a first step in the environmental assessment process.
Roads, the environment and the need for environmental assessment
There is a growing awareness that road development has major environmental impacts. Some of the major environmental impacts of road projects include damage to sensitive ecosystems, loss of productive agricultural lands, resettlement of affected communities, permanent disruption of local economic activities, demographic changes, accelerated urbanisation and the introduction of disease.
Environmental Assessment and the Project Cycle
For optimum sustainability of a project environmental considerations should be incorporated early on in the project cycle. Early environmental assessment is important, but other environmental considerations persist at all stages of the cycle. If bio-physical impacts exists, they have to be described or quantified through an environmental assessment (EA) comparing environmental impacts with and without the project and by project components. Environmental impacts have to be identified on a wider space and time scale than projects without impacts.
Environmental Impacts of Agriculture
This article examines the major environmental problems facing agriculture and looks at practical approaches to address them.
Soil Erosion and Control Training Notes
This manual is divided into two sections. Section A deals with the theoretical aspect of soil erosion, and section B addresses the practical steps for soil conservation. It is intended to provide basic information to be applicable in soil conservation, watershed and dam management under Swaziland, or similar conditions. Soil conservation practicals will be done on a dam site with land degradation problems. Prior to the soil conservation exercise the participants in the course would have been introduced to land and site surveying, watershed management, small earth dam maintenance and repair, and they would have also had countryside trips to observe soil conservation activities.
It is hoped that with the knowledge and techniques they will acquire from this course, the participants will be in a better position to assist and spearhead soil conservation strategies in their respective areas.
Environmental Assessment - what, when, why and how?
One of the main strengths of environmental assessment (EA) is its flexibility. All projects have a planning process in which EA can be integrated. Given its sensitivity to the social and economic as well as environmental impacts of projects, the EA process can be used in a project to accomplish many different objectives.
This page was last updated on 17 May 2003