However, most local authorities do not abide by their own IDPs and can be easily persuaded to undertake an unplanned development project without assessing its potential impact (particularly since their environmental management capacity is very low). The absence of reliable records makes it almost impossible for the provinces to fulfil their constitutional role of oversight of local government on these matters. An EMF is a spatial planning tool that defines the conservation status of the area or its specific parts, environmental management priorities within the area, and the types of developments or land uses that may have a significant impact on the area or may be undesirable. In theory, the EMFs ensure the integration of environmental aspects into spatial planning, in practice, most local governments lack the capacity to make these tools truly meaningful. However, EMFs are currently not reconciling biodiversity conservation planning with development priorities in different programmes.