Commonly used acronymns and abbreviations:

AGM: Annual General Meeting

ARC: Agricultural Research Council

AsgiSA: Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa

CARA:  Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act

CBO: Community-based Organisation

CMA:  Catchment Management Agency

CO2: a gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. It is produced when animals breathe, when vegetation rots, and when material containing carbon is burnt or broken down.

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CoJ: City of Johannesburg

CSIR: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

CTMM: City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
 
DACE   [provincial] Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment

DACERD: Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development (NW Province)

DAFF: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

DBSA: Development Bank of Southern Africa

DDG: Deputy Director-General

DEAT: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

DFA: Development Facilitation Act 67 of 1995

DG: Director-General

DLA: Department of Land Affairs

DME: Department of Minerals and Energy

DoA:  National or provincial Department of Agriculture, usually specified as NDA or PDoA

DOH: Department of Housing

DPLG: Department of Provincial and Local Government

DPW: Department of Public Works

DTI: Department of Trade and Industry

DWA: Department of Water Affairs

DWAF:Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

ECA: Environment Conservation Act (Act No. 73 of 1989)

EHO: Environmental Health Officers

EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment

EIP:  Environmental Implementation Plan

EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment - the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating, and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals before major decisions are taken or commitments made. The EIA Regulations require that specific procedures be followed, and reports (scoping and/or EIA reports) prepared for those activities listed as potentially having a substantial detrimental effect on the environment.
 
EIP: Environmental Implementation Plan  - a statutory instrument for promoting cooperative governance for environmental management among different spheres of government.

EMP: Environmental Management Plan/Programme

EMPR: Environmental Management Programme Report

EMS: Environmental Management System - documented procedures drawn up in terms of a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) code of practice to implement the requirements of ISO 14000. The code is an international standard and provides the basis for uniform EMS, which will conform to wider international standards and requirements.

ELC: Environmental Liaison Committee

ESI: Environmental Sustainability Index  -  an index constructed by Yale University that ranks countries according to their performance based on a range of aspects of environmental sustainability.

EWT: Endangered Wildlife Trust

GCIS: Government Communication and Information System

GHG: greenhouse gas

GMO:  Genetically modified organism - a type of genetically engineered organism through which a gene from one organism is isolated and transferred to cells of another organism, where it is incorporated into the recipient’s chromosomes and expressed. During the 1990s, there was dramatic growth in the commercial applications of this new technology, including the development of generically modified (GM) crops.

GCA: Gauteng Conservancy Association

GDARD: Gauteng Deparment of Agriculture and Rural Development (previously GDACE)

GEF: Global Environmental Facility - established in 1991 by World Bank resolution, GEF helps developing countries to fund projects and programmes that protect the global environment.

GIS: Geographical Information System

GPS: Global Positioning System

HDI: Human Development Index - a summary composite index that measures a country’s average achievements in three aspects of human development: longevity, knowledge, and standard of living. It was created by the United Nations Development Programme and first presented in its Human Development Report in 1990.

IDP: Integrated Development Plan

IEM: Integrated Environmental Management - a code of practice to ensure that environmental considerations are fully integrated into the management of all activities, so as to achieve a desirable balance between conservation and development.

IUCN: The World Conservation Union [International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources]

LCC: Land Claims Court

LDO: Local Develop Objectives

LED: Local Economic Development
 
LRAD: Land Reform for Agricultural Development

LRC: Legal Resources Centre

LSU: Large Stock Unit

MEC: Member of the Executive Council  (a provincial minister)

MLRA: Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998

MPA: Marine Protected Area  - an area of marine or estuarine habitat where some types of fish or plants are protected or where an entire ecosystem is set aside as a park or reserve.

MPB: Mpumalanga Parks Board

MOU: Memorandum of Understanding

MPRDA:  Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002

MTA: Mpumalanga Tourism Authority

NACSA: National Association of Conservancies of South Africa 

NDA: National Department of Agriculture

NECSA: Nuclear Energy Council of South Africa 

NEMA: National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998)

NEMBA:  National Environmental Management: Biodiversity (Act 10 of 2004)

NEMPAA: National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 181 of 2004)

NERSA: National Energy Regulator of South Africa

NNR: National Nuclear Regulator

NFA: National Forests Act 84 of 1998, as amended

NGO: Non-governmental organization  -  an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by a state. NGOs are typically independent of governments.  lthough the definition can technically include for-profit corporations, the term is normally restricted to social, cultural, legal, and environmental advocacy groups having goals that are primarily non-commercial.

NHRA: National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999

NSDP: National Spatial Development Perspective

NSIF: National Spatial Information Framework

NVFFA: National Veld and Forest Fire Act 101 of 1998, as amended

NWA: National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998)

NWPTB: North West Parks and Tourism Board

NWRS: National Water Resource Strategy

PDoA: Provincial Department of Agriculture

SAHRA: South African Heritage Resources Agency

SALGA: South African Local Government Association

SANParks: South African National Parks

SDC: Sustainable Development Consortium

SDF: Spatial Development Framework

SoE: State of the Environment

SoER: State of Environment Report

SEA: Strategic Environmental Assessment - an environmental assessment that is carried out in connection with one or more strategic actions, policies, plans, or programmes. It is an important tool for helping planners and decision-makers to understand what will happen to an area if it were to accommodate different land uses.

TAC: Total Allowable Catch - is a catch limit set for a particular fishery, generally for a year or a fishing season.

TFCA: Transfrontier Conservation Area - area that straddles international boundaries and are composed of two or more conservation areas, which may have differing conservation status. These areas may also be separated by human barriers, which can prevent the free movement of animals.

UN: United Nations

UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

VIP: ventilated improved pit latrine

WESSA:  Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa

WHO: World Health Organisation

WfW: Working for Water

WMA: Water Management Area

WRC: Water Research Commission

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