We conduct specialist biodiversity assessments for scoping studies, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), Water Use License Applications (WULAs) and environmental rehabilitation projects. All specialist reports comply with the requirements of the the protocols specified in GN 320 (Procedures for the Assessment and Minimum Criteria for Reporting on Identified Environmental Themes in Terms of Sections 24(5)(A) and (H) and 44 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998, when Applying for Environmental Authorisation)
Aquatic Biodiversity Assessments
- Instream and riparian habitat assessments (IHI, IHAS, VEGRAI)
- Macroinvertebrate biomonitoring (SASS5, MIRAI)
- Fish assessments using electro-fishing and seine netting
- Diatom sampling and analysis
- River rehabilitation
- DWS Risk Assessment (required for Section 21 (c) and (i) water uses
Wetland Assessments
- Wetland classification
- Wetland delineation and mapping
- Wetland health assessment (WET-Health 2)
- Ecosystem services assessments
- Wetland rehabilitation
Water Quality Assessment
- Design of water quality monitoring programmes
- Water quality modelling
- Statistical analysis of water quality monitoring data
- Interpretation of water quality data
- Derivation of water quality guidelines
Botanical Assessments
- Plant species identification
- Vegetation assessments and mapping
- Plant search and rescue plans
- Alien invasive plant management plans
Faunal Assessments
- Surveys of small and large mammals, avifauna, insects, amphibians and reptiles using a variety of techniques, including:
- Visual species counts,
- Vocal sound recordings
- Camera trapping
- Sweep netting
- Endoscopic photography (for burrowing species).
Ecological Risk Assessment
- Exposure assessment (source, fate and transport of pollutants)
- Effect assessment (analysis of toxicity data)
- Species sensitivity distributions
- Probabilistic and deterministic risk assessments
Water Use Authorisations
- Water use assessments
- Water Use License Applications (WULAs)
- General Authorisations (GAs)
- Validation and verification (V&V) assessments
Water Resource Management
- Hydrological modelling – (WRSM/Pitman & SWAT)
- Crop irrigation requirements (SAPWAT)
- Nonpoint source pollution modelling (nutrients, pesticides and sediments)
- Historical firm yields and long-term stochastic yields of dams
- Dam sizing analysis