CSIR researchers left no stone unturned to showcase their work at the recent annual conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)-South Africa held in Rustenburg, North West, from 27 to 30 August 2024. Themed “From roar to revolution: unleashing the future of integrated environmental management,” the flagship event was attended by eight CSIR experts in environmental management.

The IAIA is an organisation with a voluntary membership of professionals who are concerned with environmental stewardship and sustainability – an ideal match for the CSIR. To fortify resilient ecosystems, it is important to measure the impact of development on the natural environment. The CSIR team delivered presentations and poster talks during various subtheme sessions.

As a former president of IAIA-SA and current director on the IAIA board, Abulele Adams, CSIR senior environmental assessment practitioner, chaired a conference session where deliberations were taking place on how the IAIA at an international level is ensuring that impact assessment is fit for the future.

Environmental assessment practitioner and planning graduate, Sonto Mkize, presented novel approaches to using citizen science for data collection related to wind farms and vulture mortalities, while Babalwa Mqokeli, a senior environmental assessment practitioner, presented on the new green hydrogen and Power-to-X Environmental Impact Assessment guidelines for South Africa, which the CSIR is preparing.

CSIR intern Phindile Mthembu’s presentation focused on lessons learnt from public participation in a national government case study involving wind and solar photovoltaic Strategic Environmental Assessment to expand South Africa’s Renewable Energy Development Zones.

Displaying their research work areas in attractive and simple formats using poster presentations at this scientific conference allowed the delegates to engage with their multidisciplinary content. Through their talks, they shed light on a matter that can be complex – balancing biodiversity conservation needs and renewable energy priorities.

CSIR environmental assessment practitioner Helen Antonopoulos teamed up with the principal environmental assessment practitioner, Lizande Kellerman, to introduce the intricacies of applying biodiversity offsets for renewable energy projects. Antonopoulos serves on the National Executive Committee of the IAIA. Fellow environmental assessment practitioner, Suvasha Ramcharan, engaged audience members with a poster presentation on using remote sensing to inform estuary monitoring.

Mqokeli shares, “It was refreshing to step outside our usual working environment and engage with people from various organisations and government departments. We received a stimulating glimpse into the remarkable work being done across different levels of governance and civil society and the critical role our CSIR team has played in contributing to this, particularly in informing strategic context policy. A heartwarming message that came across, for me personally, was just also the sense of accountability and reflection on the lessons learnt to do better for sustainable development.”