A critical analysis of the environmental and social impacts of human settlement development projects in Gauteng, South Africa, A study of City of Ekurhuleni

Abstract

With the proliferation of emerging urban human settlement development projects, there is an increasing urban socio-environmental impact that is considered a global challenge facing cities in developing countries. The most affected are the vulnerable urban dwellers whose livelihood is negatively affected by environmental and social challenges. Using the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), Gauteng, South Africa, as a point of departure, this study critically analysed the environmental and social impacts of human settlement development projects emanating from communities established by the government. The study used a mixed method research strategy to collect and analyse the data. Phase One focused on interviewing community members residing around the five (5) selected human settlement development projects that were constructed between 2020 to 2023. Phase Two focused on interviewing government officials (CoE and Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) as well as non-government officials (environmental consulting firms). Phase Three consisted of a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) held with a group of environmental specialists from government and non-governmental organisations. The last phase of data collection focused on a review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports of the five selected human settlement development projects that were purposively sampled to provide information about the effectiveness of EIA and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in mitigating environmental and social impacts. The review package designed by Lee and Colley (1999) was utilised in grading performance symbols on the quality of projects’ EIA reports in terms of impact identification and mitigation measures. The collected data was analysed to produce the study results. Qualitative data was subjected to a thematic analysis to arrange data into themes. In contrast, quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 and Microsoft Excel simple descriptive analysis to generate percentages and frequencies. The study revealed that the population increase in Gauteng, South Africa, has contributed to a high demand for housing development projects, which further contributed to the continued expansion of residential areas in the CoE. The study revealed that SA government through the ministry of Environmental Affairs, has developed good policies and regulations for EIA processes where SIA is also included as one of the specialist studies to be conducted in the EIA process. A major challenge is the lack of standardised and detailed legislated procedures on EIA regulations that guide how social issues must be assessed in the context of the EIA process. The results further revealed that the current existing environmental policies are insufficient to tackle environmental and social impacts encountered during the operational phase of the housing developments. Of particular concern is the absence of project monitoring once the construction of houses is completed and residents have taken occupation. A major challenge is the lack of standardised and detailed legislated procedures on EIA regulations that guide how social issues must be assessed in the context of the EIA process. The results also emphasised that without the proper implementation of housing developmental programmes, poor vulnerable people will utilise open spaces to establish slums closer to working areas even though they are situated in a sensitive environment. The findings highlighted the urgent need to understand the complex interplay between the sustainability of human settlements and spatial equality. Finally, the study results recommended the need to raise awareness among stakeholders to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of human settlement development projects in the CoE.