Parts of this chapter have been substantially adapted from Environmental Law in South Africa by Prof. Jan Glazewski. Certain information has also been taken from Environmental Laws of South Africa by P. W. G. Henderson.

The Constitution says that everyone has the right to a safe and healthy environment. What is the environment? It is a very broad concept and is generally understood to mean the surroundings within which we live, including the land, water and atmosphere of the earth; plants and animals; the relationships between these natural resources and animals, and the conditions that influence people’s health and well-being.