The effects of construction on the environment: A case study

Environmental issues and concerns have recently gained importance world wide. Concerns mainly focus on atmospheric emissions; environmental deterioration; depletion of natural resources; energy issues; sustainability, in various contexts; environmental conservation versus development; the effects of the above mentioned and other factors on ecological systems; and the economic implications of environmental issues and concerns. Construction is a change agent, its nature being to alter the environment, beneficially in some respects and detrimentally in others. Construction is also an economic activity, providing facilities, while consuming energy and other resources. Tensions thus exist between construction and developmental processes vis-à-vis environmental and conservation issues. This paper reviews South African legislative and regulatory mechanisms and other construction-related issues concerning environmental conservation, reports on a survey on conservation and environmental issues and examines the recent development of a tourism and leisure project. Monitoring of construction processes to comply with environmental conservation mechanisms is described, and the interaction between development, construction and the environment is shown. Some lessons can be learned and proposals for the future are made.