,GGH3705 ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2
DUE DATE: 6 OCTOBER 2026
QUESTION 1
Social Impact Assessment and Primary Data Collection Methods in South Africa
A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is an important component of environmental assessment
because development projects do not affect only biophysical resources. They can also alter
people's livelihoods, access to resources, economic opportunities, social relationships,
movement patterns, health, cultural practices and perceptions of place. The International
Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) emphasises that SIA should consider local
knowledge, stakeholder diversity, equity and participation in decisions concerning
developments that may affect communities (IAIA, 2003).
The selection of primary data collection methods is therefore highly dependent on the
nature of the development, the characteristics of the affected population, the geographical
distribution of stakeholders and the types of social impacts that need to be investigated.
The five South African SIA documents discussed below demonstrate that there is no single
universal method. Consultants combine site observations, interviews, focus groups,
questionnaires, stakeholder meetings and other participatory techniques according to the
circumstances of the project.
1. Royal HaskoningDHV – Southern Wastewater Treatment Works, KwaZulu-Natal
Company and project
The first SIA was prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) for the proposed upgrade
of the Southern Wastewater Treatment Works (SWWTW) in Merewent, within the
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The facility is situated in the South
Durban Basin and is surrounded by residential and industrial development. The proposed
project involved upgrading the wastewater treatment works, including the re-commissioning
DUE DATE: 6 OCTOBER 2026
QUESTION 1
Social Impact Assessment and Primary Data Collection Methods in South Africa
A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is an important component of environmental assessment
because development projects do not affect only biophysical resources. They can also alter
people's livelihoods, access to resources, economic opportunities, social relationships,
movement patterns, health, cultural practices and perceptions of place. The International
Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) emphasises that SIA should consider local
knowledge, stakeholder diversity, equity and participation in decisions concerning
developments that may affect communities (IAIA, 2003).
The selection of primary data collection methods is therefore highly dependent on the
nature of the development, the characteristics of the affected population, the geographical
distribution of stakeholders and the types of social impacts that need to be investigated.
The five South African SIA documents discussed below demonstrate that there is no single
universal method. Consultants combine site observations, interviews, focus groups,
questionnaires, stakeholder meetings and other participatory techniques according to the
circumstances of the project.
1. Royal HaskoningDHV – Southern Wastewater Treatment Works, KwaZulu-Natal
Company and project
The first SIA was prepared by Royal HaskoningDHV (RHDHV) for the proposed upgrade
of the Southern Wastewater Treatment Works (SWWTW) in Merewent, within the
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The facility is situated in the South
Durban Basin and is surrounded by residential and industrial development. The proposed
project involved upgrading the wastewater treatment works, including the re-commissioning
