Environmental protection in South Africa

Abstract

At the meeting of the Controlling Executive of The Associated Scientific and Technical Societies of South Africa (AS&TS) on 28th October, 1993, the Committee for Science, Engineering & Technology raised the question of the role of AS&TS in environmental matters. Many of the Member Societies are active in this field, either independently or jointly through groupings such as EPPIC.AS&TS has been directly represented on bodies such as the Habitat Council in the past, but such representation has often been ad hominem in nature. AS&TS does not appear to have developed a specific policy for itself. It is thus the purpose of this paper to offer a view on environmental matters in South Africa in the hope that a greater understanding of the issues involved will permit AS&TS to formulate policies that will enable it to initially interpret and eventually fulfil its overall mission in this specific area.