30/07/2014

South African legislation promotes public participation in development planning (National Environmental Management Act) and water management (National Water Act). The public participation aspect of modern-day planning is particularly challenging and fraught with pitfalls.  Conversations for improved public participation was an opportunity for dialogue around the challenges, with the aim of collaboratively brainstorming solutions for improved public participation. 

 

Conversations for improved public participation was funded by the School of Natural Resource Management and facilitated by the Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University on the 4th June 2014 as part of a doctoral study focused on public participation and social learning in the Garden Route.  The dialogue invited a diverse group of stakeholders from the civil, municipal, conservation, environmental, forestry and agricultural sectors who were eager to be a part of the conversation. 

The outcomes of the dialogue are captured the attached report.