The Southern African Institute for Environmental Assessment (SAIEA) is co-ordinating the project in the southern African sub-region. The focus of the southern African project is on building capacity within decision-making authorities on biodiversity issues. It aims to provide training, posters, case studies, and other capacity building tools to assist authorities in the region in making sound decisions.
Outputs of the southern Africa CBBIA project are as follows:
A Situation Assessment on the Integration of Biodiversity Issues in Impact Assessment and Decision Making in Southern Africa
This Situation Assessment, available at <http://www.saiea.com/cbbia/html/index.html>, is the first output of the CBBIA southern Africa project. The Situation Assessment provides a context for the consideration of biodiversity in impact assessment and decision-making at a global level, at the level of South African Development Community, and within individual southern African countries.
It explores: the level of understanding by decision makers of the term 'biodiversity'; the importance given to biodiversity by decision-makers; the basis for decision making with regard to biodiversity impacts; the use of 'bottom lines' or thresholds for biodiversity in decision making; the relative importance of biodiversity information to decision-makers; consideration of cumulative impacts and the precautionary principle in decision making; the basis for making trade-offs involving biodiversity in decision making; and decision makers key needs to enable improvement in the consideration of biodiversity in decision making.
Regional guidance information
The Southern African Guidance Document on Biodiversity, Impact Assessment and Decision Making in Southern Africa is available through the SAIEA website at <http://www.saiea.com/cbbia/html/guidance/main.html>. A brief introduction to the document is also available on this website.
Training materials
Training materials can be accessed through the outputs module of this website.