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Addressing environmental deterioration, waste management, biodiversity threats, and water quality concerns. Presentation in South Africa's public hearings on legislative and strategic frameworks.
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Service Delivery Presentation for Public Hearings
Presentation outline • National context • Strategic context • Constitution • Problem statement and key areas of concern • Legislative framework • Areas of work and challenges
National Context • The nation’s economic development is founded on two fundamental assets – • Its people, and • Its natural resources • The People must be – • Protected – health care, safety, security, defence • Enhanced – basic services, education, housing, quality of life, art, culture, sport • Utilised – jobs, skills development, transport • Similarly, The Natural Resources must be – • Protected – conservation, sustainable resource management • Enhanced – rehabilitation, pollution reduction • Utilised – mining, tourism, agriculture, water provision, industry, infrastructure
Strategic context • Protection and enhancement of environmental assets and natural resources involves: • Contribution to sustainable human settlements through greening initiatives and sound environmental management practice • Sustainable utilization, fair and equitable access to natural resources • Sustainable access to safe, affordable and well-managed water resources • Sustainable access to affordable and well-managed waste services • Adaptation to the impacts of climate change and reduced greenhouse gas emissions • Addressing poor air quality • Sustainable natural resource management • Protection of marine and terrestrial biodiversity
Statement of Outcome Section 24 (b) of the Constitution: All South Africans have a Constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations
Problem statement and key areas of concern • The 2007 State of Environment Report demonstrates that the condition of South Africa’s environment is deteriorating • South Africa ranks among the world’s 20 biggest greenhouse gas emitters • Increasing water pollution and poor air quality are harming people’s health in some areas (i.e. respiratory diseases, vector-borne diseases, & waterborne diseases like cholera) • Poor waste management and lack of access to waste services (i.e. hazardous waste, Healthcare waste, mine dumps, leachate/sludge & general/solid waste management ) • Natural resources (fauna & flora) are being exploited in an unsustainable manner, threatening the functioning of ecosystems that may undermine social and economic development
Key areas of concern (Cont. 1) • Water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems are declining • Up to 20 species of commercial and recreational marine fish are considered over-exploited and some fish stocks have collapsed and there are trends of migration of species associated with climate change • An estimated 50% of our wetlands have been destroyed or converted to other land uses ( serve as filtration systems and regulators of water flow) • Current levels of inland water resource use is reducing the water available to sustain the natural environment and the continued provision of natural environment services (e.g. water purification, soil enrichment, carbon sinks, pest control, beauty and recreation)
Key areas of concern (Cont. 2) • Increasing rate of spread of alien invasive species threatening biodiversity and water availability • 4% growth will result in the growth in water requirements and consequently a water deficit of 2,044 million cubic meters per annum by 2025 • The severity of wastewater pollution in the marine environment has continued to grow • The overexploitation of natural resources from the ocean and the coastal zone • Unplanned and uncontrolled coastal development continues to pose severe threats • Indoor air quality within fuel burning households remains a concern
Key areas of concern (Cont. 3) • The current network of protected areas is insufficient to provide ecological services, socio-economic benefits including climate change mitigation and adaptation • Exposure to unsafe ambient pollutant concentrations and associated health effects • Impact of mining activities on the environment and natural resources (acid mine drainage beyond the zoned mining area) • Stratospheric ozone depletion results in Ultra Violet-B radiation levels remaining dangerous during the summer months • Environmental applied research capacity has stagnated over the last 10 year (insufficient capacity to innovate and implement cleaner solutions and technologies)
Key areas of concern (Cont. 4) • Land degradation & soil erosion remains a serious challenge, undermining the productive potential of the land • Other forms of degradation such as crusting and compaction is becoming increasingly a problem in overgrazed bare patches, and remains a serious problem in the rain fed grain-producing areas of the Western Cape. • South Africa’s continued reliance on fossil fuels and the resulting air pollution, water-use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste production
Legislative Framework • The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and its subsidiary legislation – • NEM: Protected Areas Act - management of ecologically viable areas. • NEM: Biodiversity Act - protecting species and ecosystems; indigenous resources; access & benefit sharing, bio-prospecting. • NEM: Air Quality Act - Ambient air quality and emission standards. • NEM: Coastal Zone Management Bill - sustainable development of the coastal environment. • NEM: Waste Management Act - reforms the law governing waste management • Work in progress on National Climate Change Policy and development of response action plans
Reported areas • Key service areas: • Support in implementation of Bioprospecting, Access & Benefit Sharing (BABS) Regulations • Support in Proclamation of Nature reserves • Greening programmes • Support in implementation of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) • Waste Management: Licensing of waste disposal sites • Coastal Management: Marine Pollution Control support on implementation of ICM Act & Marine Protected Areas • Air quality Management plans and Climate Change • Environmental Impact Assessments
END THANK YOU
