Eskom Hendrina-Prairie-Marathon
SEF conducted the Social Impact Assessment for the proposed construction of the Hendrina – Prairie – Marathon Transmission Lines.
Summary
Eskom Holdings Limited (Transmission Services) appointed SEF to undertake a Social Impact Study for the proposed Transmission Lines and Substations that they wished to construct in Mpumalanga.
Linear projects are often especially difficult to report on due to the sheer size of the project area. While language and cultural barriers can create communication gaps, it is vital to ensure that each individual voice is heard.
Because Transmission Lines have a high visual impact, affected parties often include more stakeholders than merely the landowners. SEF managed the consultation process to consider the impact of such a project on a wide variety of stakeholders.
In order to assess such a variety of issues, it is often useful to rely on parallel public participation processes such as those implemented by SEF (usually as part of the Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment), to stimulate discussion and generate innovative solutions.
Through stakeholder engagement, potential negative impacts can be mitigated in such a way as to bring about an enhanced effect on the community.
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