Logistics and team management of a large environmental impact assessment: Proposed dune mining at St. Lucia, South Africa

Large-scale environmental impact assessments (EIAs) with poorly defined, controversial issues and complex, cross-disciplinary linkages are challenging for consultant teams. This study describes one such assessment, the EIA for a proposed dune mining project on the coast of South Africa. The study was the largest of its kind ever undertaken in South Africa and was extremely complex. Valuable lessons for EIA teams were learned in the process, such as the need for complementarity among team members, not only technical skills, but also in personal skills. EIA teams should be committed to a common, well-defined purpose, the expectations and approach to the EIA should be mutually understood, and all members should be mutually accountable for their joint efforts.