ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

Namakwa District Municipality

Final Report

4 March 2011

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CONSULTANTS 147 Bram Fisher Drive Phone: (011) 781 1730 FERNDALE Fax: (011) 781 1731 2194 Email: [email protected]

Copyright Nemai Consulting 2011 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT

TITLE AND APPROVAL PAGE

TITLE: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

CLIENT : Namakwa District Municipality P O Box 5 Van Riebeeck street SPRINGBOK 8240

PREPARED BY Nemai Consulting C.C. P.O. Box 1673 Sunninghill 2157 Telephone: (011) 781 1730 Facsimile : (011) 781 1731

AUTHORS C. Chidley, R. Le Roux, E. Holton

______Signature Date

APPROVAL

______Signature Date

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Namakwa Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) was developed in order to provide a high level plan for sustainable development in the Namakwa District Municipality of the Northern Cape Province.

The EMF and SEMP provides an evaluation of the state of the environment, sets out an environmental vision and details the constraints, opportunities, management measures, monitoring indicators and desired state of the environment for the various environmental elements. The EMF, the spatial section of the study, is presented as a series of environmental management zones which present the sensitive aspects of the environment, which land uses are suitable in each zone and which environmental studies should be conducted for proposed developments in each zone.

The status quo in the district can be characterised as a large arid area with a dispersed population and high population densities where settlements have been established. Water sources include the Orange River to the north of the district, which has allocable water available. Groundwater sources are limited and both ground water and surface water pollution represent a threat. The central region of the district is dominated topographically by the Kamiesberg Mountains which provide important habitats for both flora and fauna. The southern and eastern regions of the district are largely plains.

The coastline has been highly impacted upon by diamond mining and access has been restricted for the best part of two generations. As diamond resources become fully exploited, and access to the coastline improves, the extent of the damage, and of the opportunities that the change of landuse presents will become evident to the residents of the district and the region.

Higher biodiversity is generally found to the north-west and along the coastline than in the interior and eastern areas of the district. The district is home to the Succulent Karoo biome and is a biodiversity hotspot of worldwide significance. Due to the importance of biodiversity to the tourism economy, the district has a well-developed biodiversity plan that has formed an important input to this SEMP and EFM. The district supports a large variety of fauna, which include endemic reptile, tortoise, frogs, scorpion and the Riverine Rabbit. There is large variety of buck including Grey Reedbuck, Steenbok, Springbok and Gemsbok.

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District geology is generally stable and the district has general poor quality soils that do not readily support cropping. Soil quality increases in the south and supports agricultural crops.

With regards the impact of climate change, the district is expected to get warmer and drier which will have important downstream impacts upon social and economic development. The impacts will first be felt by various environmental elements including water availability and habitat change.

The district’s population is located in relatively few settlements and is generally poor with low education levels. Due to the relatively highly concentrated economy with its focus on mining, agriculture, government service and tourism, economic dislocations affect the population more than it would in larger and more diverse economies. The population of the district is ageing and migrating towards the better economic opportunities in the district and the broader region. The district is has a rich and long history with many heritage artefacts that merit preservation.

The Strategic Environmental Management Plan considers fourteen environmental elements in the District. These fourteen are:  Climate;  Hydrology;  Groundwater;  Topography;  Soils;  Flora;  Fauna;  Coastal Environment;  Social Environment;  Tourism;  Mining; and  Agriculture.

Each of these elements are important components of the biophysical, economic and social environment of the Namakwa District Municipality.

The management measures acknowledge the need for social and economic development and provide strategic issues which should be addressed to take advantage of the environmental goods and services in the district. On the other

Nemai Consulting C.C. iii NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT hand, the strategic issues in the SEMP provide strategic actions that should be taken to protect and conserve environmental resources.

Noteworthy amongst the strategic action plans is the once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-make the coastal strip and to secure its use for the greater good. This opportunity presents itself as coastal diamond mining activities decline and access to the coastal strip becomes available.

The Environmental Management Framework is presented as a map showing the Environmental Management Zones in the Namakwa District Municipality. There are six Environment Managements Zones and one additional zone for areas where insufficient information exists to make a determination. The seven zones are named from A to G. The zone descriptions are as follows: A. The zone includes a number of environmentally sensitive features and development should be avoided. If the development is critical to the economic and social wellbeing of the local population, utmost care should be taken to avoid impacts and mitigate where possible. B. Several environmentally sensitive features are present. Development should be restricted in terms of type and magnitude of impact. This rating is not very lenient in terms of development but does recognise that development cannot be excluded where compelling economic and social benefits will be derived for the local and regional population. All legislative requirements should be adhered to and a fully inclusive consideration of the biophysical receptors should be undertaken. Development in these areas will also require a comprehensive public participation process with input from stakeholders and government organisations. C. These areas include environmentally sensitive features. Development in this zone must serve to complement the area and should be limited where relevant. Adequate provision should be made for the protection of environmental features and a fully inclusive participation process should be conducted. D. These areas include environmentally sensitive features which are relatively common in the study area. Development must be guided by the constraints offered by the site and must be ensure that adequate provision is made for protection of environmental features. Applicable legislation should drive the process to be followed. E. The area is regarded to have little environmental sensitivity in comparison to the Zones A to D. Development should be facilitated in

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this area whilst ensuring compliance to existing legislation and best practice approaches. F. The area is regarded to have been potentially has been heavily impacted upon. Development should be facilitated in this area whilst ensuring compliance to existing legislation and best practice approaches. G. No rating was provided due to lack of relevant information.

The focus of the Environmental Management Zones is to restrict development in the zones with the greatest sensitivity, and allow development in the zones of low sensitivity.

The EMF does not prohibit development in any one zone, neither does it give carte blanche for un-restricted development in any zone. The EMF should be used as guidance to the sensitivities of the proposed development area and tailor development planning and environmental authorisation approaches to the level of sensitivity in each zone.

The blocks forming the components of each zone are large and reflect the size of the study area, as well as the degree of certainty of the input data. The use of these large component blocks provides environmental planners with the necessary latitude to strike the balance between the use of environmental goods and services, and protection of environmental resources.

The SEMP and EMF serves as a framework for environmental planning and a desktop tool for the analysis of development proposals. The tool should be reviewed in five years’ time to keep pace with development in the district.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... II TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... VI TABLE OF FIGURES ...... IX

ABBREVIATIONS ...... XII

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1

1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 Project Area ...... 2 1.3 Environmental Orientation ...... 4 1.4 Aims and Objectives of the EMF ...... 6 1.5 Methodology and Approach ...... 6 1.6 Assumptions and Limitations ...... 7

CHAPTER 2. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION REVIEW ...... 8

2.1 National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) ...... 8 2.2 NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations ...... 11

CHAPTER 3. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ...... 13

3.1 Introduction ...... 13 3.2 Project Steering Committee ...... 14 3.3 Public Open Days ...... 14 3.4 Stakeholder Consultation ...... 16

CHAPTER 4. STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT ...... 17

4.1 Physical Environment ...... 17 4.1.1 Climate ...... 17 4.1.2 Geology ...... 24 4.1.3 Hydrology ...... 26 4.1.4 Groundwater ...... 32 4.1.5 Topography ...... 38 4.1.6 Soils ...... 39 4.1.7 Flora ...... 40 4.1.8 Fauna ...... 61

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4.1.9 Coastal Areas ...... 66 4.2 Social Environment ...... 75 4.2.1 Municipal Setting ...... 75 4.2.2 Demographic Profile ...... 88 4.2.3 Household and Population Analysis ...... 91 4.2.4 Population Structure ...... 94 4.2.5 Income Distribution ...... 96 4.2.6 Education and Literacy ...... 99 4.2.7 Living Conditions ...... 102 4.3 Economic Environment ...... 106 4.3.1 General Economy and Employment ...... 106 4.3.2 Tourism ...... 112 4.3.3 Land Use ...... 119 4.3.4 Mining ...... 124 4.3.5 Agriculture ...... 131 4.3.6 Infrastructure and Service Provision ...... 133

CHAPTER 5. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ...... 148

5.1 Environmental Management Planning Considerations ...... 148 5.2 Vision for the Environment ...... 149 5.2.1 Natural Environment ...... 150 5.2.2 Socio-Economic Environment ...... 151 5.2.3 Services Environment ...... 152 5.2.4 Land Use Environment ...... 152 5.2.5 Policy Environment ...... 153 5.3 Legislative Framework ...... 153 5.3.1 Environmental Law ...... 154 5.3.2 Management of Environmental Elements ...... 162 5.4 Environmental Elements ...... 167 5.4.1 Climate ...... 168 5.4.2 Hydrology ...... 176 5.4.3 Groundwater ...... 184 5.4.4 Topography ...... 193 5.4.5 Soils ...... 201 5.4.6 Flora ...... 208 5.4.7 Fauna ...... 219 5.4.8 Coastal Environment...... 229 5.4.9 Social Environment ...... 240 5.4.10 Infrastructure and Service Provision ...... 247 5.4.11 Economic Environment ...... 251 5.4.12 Tourism ...... 255 5.4.13 Mining ...... 260

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5.4.14 Agriculture ...... 267

CHAPTER 6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ZONES ...... 275

6.1 Purpose ...... 275 6.2 Methodology ...... 276 6.2.1 Introduction ...... 276 6.2.2 Process for Development of Environmental Management Zones ...... 276 6.3 Environmental Management Zones ...... 280 6.3.1 Critical Sites ...... 281 6.3.2 Important Sites ...... 282 6.3.3 Protected Areas ...... 282 6.3.4 Coastal line ...... 282 6.3.5 Priority Areas ...... 283 6.3.6 Ecological Supporting Areas ...... 283 6.3.7 Rivers ...... 284 6.3.8 Wetlands ...... 284 6.3.9 Slopes ...... 284 6.3.10 Population Centres ...... 285 6.3.11 Cultural and Historical Features ...... 285 6.3.12 Mines...... 286 6.4 Management of Environmental Management Zones ...... 286 6.5 Environmental Investigations ...... 289

CHAPTER 7. MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT ...... 292

7.1 Monitoring ...... 292

CHAPTER 8. REFERENCES ...... 293

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TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Rainfall Regions of South Africa 18 Figure 2 Climatic regions within the NDM. 20 Figure 3 Wind Rose at Alexander Bay 22 Figure 4 Geological Map, NDM. 25 Figure 5 National Water Management Areas 28 Figure 6 NDM Water Management Areas 29 Figure 7 TDS Mapping in the Lower Orange Water Management Area 34 Figure 8 Wetlands, NDM. 37 Figure 9 SKEP Priority Areas, NDM 43 Figure 10 Vegetation Map, NDM 45 Figure 11 Municipal Setting: Richtersveld Local Municipality 77 Figure 12 Municipal Setting: Nama Khoi Local Municipality 79 Figure 13 Municipal Setting: Khai Ma Local Municipality 81 Figure 14 Municipal Setting: Kamiesberg Local Municipality 83 Figure 15 Municipal Setting: Hantam Local Municipality 85 Figure 16 Municipal Setting: Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality 87 Figure 17 Namakwa Demarcation Population Centres, NDM. 89 Figure 18 Total Employment by Industry 111 Figure 19 Cultural and Historical Features, NDM. 118 Figure 20 Location of Conservation Areas 121 Figure 21 Active Mines, NDM. 126

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1 Details for Round One Public Meetings 14 Table 2 Status Quo Public Meetings – Newspaper Adverts 15 Table 3 Minimum and maximum temperatures - main towns of the NDM 21 Table 4 Water Management Areas in the NDM 27 Table 5 Biomes, vegetation types and area covered within the NDM (SANBI, 2006) 44 Table 6: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Hantam Local Municipality 46 Table 7: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality 48 Table 8: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality 49 Table 9 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Khai - Ma Local Municipality 50 Table 10 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Nama Koi Local Municipality 51 Table 11 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Richtersveld Local Municipality 53 Table 12 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the DMA 56 Table 13 SANParks New Biodiversity Corridors, NDM. 60

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Table 14 Population Centres, NDM. 90 Table 15 Number of individuals by urban / non urban 91 Table 16 Total number of persons within the NDM 92 Table 17 Total number of households within the NDM, (Community Survey 2007 and Census 2001) 94 Table 18 Age structure within the NDM (Census, 2001). 94 Table 19 Gender structure within the NDM 96 Table 20 Person Income per Income Bracket and Municipality (% of District Total) 96 Table 21 Person Income per Income Bracket and Municipality (% of LM Total) 97 Table 22 Percentage of households by annual household income within the NDM (Census, 2001) 98 Table 23 Number of individuals (age 20+) by highest education level reached (Census 2001) 100 Table 24 Number of individuals (age 20+) by higher education levels (Census 2001) 100 Table 25 Percentage distribution of households by type of main dwelling 103 Table 26 Percentage distribution of households by type of water source 104 Table 27 Percentage distribution of households by tenure status 105 Table 28 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for cooking 105 Table 29 Local municipalities contribution to NDM GGP 108 Table 30 Number of individuals (Age 15-65) by employment status (Census 2001) 108 Table 31 Number of employed individuals (age 15-65) by industry (Census 2001) 110 Table 32 Number of employed individuals (age 15-65) by occupation (Census 2001) 112 Table 33 Cultural and historical features, NDM. 115 Table 34 Types of mining activities within the NDM 127 Table 35 Types of farming within the NDM 132 Table 36 Types of crops within the NDM 132 Table 37 Transport Mode within the Northern Cape Province and the NDM (Census, 2001) 133 Table 38 Percentage distribution of households by type of water source in the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 134 Table 39 Percentage distribution of households by type of toilet facilities in the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 138 Table 40 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for lighting within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 139 Table 41 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for heating within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 140 Table 42 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for cooking within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 141

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Table 43 Percentage distribution of households by type of refuse disposal within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) 143 Table 44 Percentage distribution of households by type of refuse disposal by local municipalities (Community Survey 2007) 143 Table 45 Landfill sites mixed use within the NDM. 145 Table 46 Environmental Sensitivity Index 280 Table 47 Development Types Suitable for Each Environmental Management Zone 287 Table 48 Environmental Investigations Suitable for Each Environmental Management Zone 289

TABLE OF APPENDICES

Appendix A. THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS ...... 298 Appendix B. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ZONES ...... 324

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ABBREVIATIONS

ABET Adult Basic Education Training Programme ADEs Aquifer Dependent Ecosystems AKTP Artisan Skills Training Programmes BCLME Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem BID Background Information System CARA Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (43 of 1983) CBA’s Critical biodiversity areas CEPF Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund CITES The Convention on the Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CPP Coastal Public Property CPZ Coastal Protection Zone DALREC Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, Environment and Conservation: DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism DMA District Management Area DWA Department of Water Affairs DWAF Department of Water Affairs and Forestry ECA Environmental Conservation Act ECO Environment Control Officer EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMF Environmental Management Framework EMP Environmental Management Plan EMPRs Environmental Management Programme Reports EPWP Expanded Public Works Programme ESI Environmental Sensitivity Index GDP Gross Domestic Product GGP Gross Geographic Product GIS Geographical Information System HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point HLM Hantam Local Municipality IDP Integrated Development Plan IEM Integrated Environmental Management IWMP Integrated Waste Management Plan KHLM Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality KLM Kamiesberg Local Municipality KMLM Khai-Ma Local Municipality LOWMA Lower Orange Water Management Area

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NCDALR Northern Cape Department of Agriculture and Land Reform NC DENC Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation NDM Namakwa District Municipality NEMA National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) NEMAQA National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act NEMBA National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act NEMPAA National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NHRA National Heritage Resources Act (25 of 1999) NKLM Nama Khoi Local Municipality NWA National Water Act (38 of 1998) MEC Member of the Executive Council ORM Orange River Mouth PSC Project Steering Committee RLM Richtersveld Local Municipality SAHRA South African Heritage Resources Agency SALT South African Large Telescope SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute SANParks South Africa National Parks SDF Spatial Development Framework SEMP Strategic Environmental Management Plan SKA Square Kilometre Array SKEP Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme SMME Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise TDS Total dissolved solids WMAs Water Management Areas

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CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

An Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Strategic Environmental Management (SEMP) plan is a document that aims to ensure that environmental limits to development are included in spatial planning documents. The need for spatial environmental information is critical both as a guide to areas that should be protected from excessive development, as well as to highlight to other planning disciplines the opportunities those environmental resources present to enhancing development.

It is often the case that planning disciplines neglect environmental constraints and opportunities owing to a lack of information or of knowledge with regards to the resources and services that the environment of a particular areas offers.

With this in mind, an EMF and SEMP was commissioned by the Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (NC DENC) and the Namakwa District Municipality (NDM) for the entire area of the NDM. Nemai Consulting was appointed to carry out the work.

The aim of the EMF is to facilitate decision-making that will ensure sustainable management of natural resources. The EMF will be used as an input to the revised Namakwa Spatial Development Plan and will provide a basis for co- ordinated decision-making between the local and district municipalities to manage sustainable development.

The EMF will include a biophysical assessment of the status quo of the environment in the NDM and an assessment of the factors affecting the natural environment. These factors such as pollution, population growth, poverty and development negatively impact the natural resources and the ecosystem.

A challenge facing the Northern Cape province is to engage in a multi- dimensional approach to spatial planning and development that goes beyond single perspectives (i.e. economic growth, infrastructure provision, poverty alleviation etc) to, both space and time (long- & short-term). This calls for a socio-spatial approach to planning, taking into account the need for a place- making approach, while simultaneously considering the bigger whole and the public good (both in the short term and over the long term). This implies flexible,

Nemai Consulting C.C. 1 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT yet institutional, readiness and capacity in governance to ensure a balance between short-term needs and long term visions and costs.

This entails the balancing of elements of development that are:  based on economic potentials and marginal environmental impacts;  based on identification of resource potentials;  based on achieving development readiness – resources, infrastructure, institutional;  based on balanced development – urban/rural;  based on social need identification; and  based on measurable targets and indicators (Provincial Growth and Development Strategy Abridged Discussion Document, www.info.gov.za).

This draft of the document is intended to be gazetted for public comment, prior to adoption.

1.2 Project Area

The NDM is situated in the north western area of South Africa and in the western part of the Northern Cape. It borders Namibia to the north, the Western Cape Province to the south, the Siyanda and Pixley ka Seme Districts of the Northern Cape Province to the north-east and east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

The NDM is the largest district municipality in the country measured by surface area (approximately 126 747km2). It comprises the following local municipalities:  Nama Khoi Local Municipality (NKLM);  Hantam Local Municipality (HLM);  Khai-Ma Local Municipality (KMLM);  Kamiesberg Local Municipality (KLM);  Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality (KHLM); and  Richtersveld Local Municipality (RLM).

Major towns in the NDM include Springbok, Calvinia. Williston and Sutherland.

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Figure 1 Locality Map: NDM.

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1.3 Environmental Orientation

Although environmental practitioners are well aware, and of no need of, orientation with regards to what the term ‘environment’ means and what aspects encompass sustainable management, it is worthwhile repeating this information for practitioners and interested parties outside the field.

The environment comprises the social, biophysical and economic spheres.

The social sphere encompasses all community interactions with the environment, it represents the human element of the field and is of paramount importance. One has to look no further than the National Environmental Management Act, which holds as one its principles that “Environmental management must place people and their needs at the forefront of its concern, and serve their physical, psychological, developmental, cultural and social interests equitably”. This admonition should not be forgotten when conducting a study such as this.

The second sphere is biophysical. This area encompasses all the areas that have traditionally been the preserve of ecological and geographical scientists. Areas include the land, water and atmosphere of the earth, micro organisms, plant and animal life and the intersections and interaction between these aspects.

The third sphere is the economic sphere. Economics enters the environmental field owing to there being an economic cost and benefit from impacting upon the environment. This aspect is closely linked to the social aspect, since economic considerations are a human construct and regulate the resources that should be allocated to environmental protection, or non-protection, as the case may be.

These three spheres interact and create the field “environment” that is used in this document.

Central to this document, and any other environmental protection and management measure is the notion that the environment is a necessary condition for human advancement. All human activity is linked to the environment in some way or another. It is true to say that without the ecosystem services that the environment provides, human development and human happiness will both be negatively impacted.

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To illustrate this point and to persuade the reader of the centrality of the environment to all of our lives, it is necessary to list the goods and services that the environment provides.

In terms of goods, the environment provides the following:  Food;  Fresh water;  Construction material;  Medicinal ingredients;  Recreation; and  Tourism.

This list is not exhaustive but demonstrates that these goods are essential to human life.

The services that the environment provides include the following:  Maintaining hydrological cycles – rainwater cycles, providing water, the essences of life;  Regulating climate – an amenable climate is essential to human existence;  Purification of air and water – again, central to human existence;  Storing and cycling of nutrients; and  Flood regulation.

The services again go the heart of human existence and demonstrate the need for environmental protection. Consequent to the above, any threats to the environment will eventually impact upon the quality of life. The key threats to the environment, and which will be addressed during the EMF process include:  Pollution;  Loss of Biodiversity;  Mining;  Climate Change; and  Erosion.

This EMF and SEMP is one of many tools that can be used to ensure that the environment is managed in such way as to continue providing these goods and services in order to sustain the livelihoods of the people resident in the NDM.

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1.4 Aims and Objectives of the EMF

The aim of the project is to develop an EMF that will guide local and provincial decision-making to manage sustainable development of the NDM. This EMF will outline the environmental, social and economic aspects of the NDM. The EMF will also provide the provincial, district and local authorities with decision support guidelines that will assist in executing their respective mandates in an objective and efficient manner. The specific objectives of the EMF include the following:

 To develop an EMF and a SEMP to facilitate decision-making which will ensure sustainable management of the natural resources;  To provide strategic guidance on both environmental, economic and social issues in the EMF area;  To identify environmentally sensitive areas;  To identify the environmental and development opportunities and constraints;  To assess the economic and environmental potential of the area;  To provide a decision support system in respect of environmental issues and priorities in the EMF area;  To formulate a strategy that will incorporate issues such as land use, planning and sensitive environmental resources; and  To include existing policies as frameworks for establishing values, guidelines and standards for future developments.

1.5 Methodology and Approach

An Environmental Management Framework (EMF) is a framework of spatially represented information connected to parameters, such as ecology, hydrology, infrastructure and services. The main purpose of an EMF is to proactively identify areas of potential conflict between development proposals and critical/sensitive environments (DEAT, 1998).

An EMF provides a framework that defines the environmental attributes of an area in a manner that evaluates the environmental opportunities and constraints of the area. A Spatial Development Framework (SDF) defines the framework to interpret future development and planning principles.

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Specific areas such as the ones listed below need to be addressed as a minimum requirement:  Geology;  Hydrology;  Climate;  Vegetation;  Fauna;  Agriculture; and  Land Use.

The technical development of an EMF consists of the integration of spatially represented data with environmental policies and management frameworks. The EMF is an information source which provides guidance for all environmental and development initiatives and aims at minimizing the gap between the policy jurisdiction of local and provincial departments. 1.6 Assumptions and Limitations

The following limitations and assumptions are implicit in this report:

 Environmental and social descriptions are based on limited available literature; and  Various available data sources were used and it is assumed that this data is accurate and correct;  The Terms of Reference for the project were based upon Regulation 385, the EIA regulations, gazetted on 21 April 2006 regulations, not upon Regulation 547, the EMF regulations, gazetted in 18 June 2010.

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CHAPTER 2. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION REVIEW

The legislative framework that governs the development of an EMF consists of the following acts, regulations and guidelines:  The National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998), in particular Sections 2, 23 and 24; and  The NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations (Government Notices R 385, R 386 and R 387) promulgated in terms of chapter 5 NEMA, 1998, in particular the guidelines and regulations relating to Environmental Management Frameworks.

Key aspects of each of these legislative and regulatory documents are described below.

2.1 National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998)

National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998), or NEMA, as it is simply known, is the foundation piece of legislation for environmental management on South Africa. EMFs are covered in Sections 2, 23 and 24.

Section 2 covers the principles that govern environmental management in the country. This section covers the sustainable development factors that should be considered when carrying out environmental planning, these are:

 That the disturbance of ecosystems and loss of biological diversity are avoided, or, where they cannot be altogether avoided, are minimised and remedied;  that pollution and degradation of the environment are avoided, or, where they cannot be altogether avoided, are minimised and remedied; that the disturbance of landscapes and sites that constitute the nation’s cultural heritage is avoided, or where it cannot be altogether avoided, is minimised and remedied;  that waste is avoided, or where it cannot be altogether avoided, is minimised and re-used or recycled where possible and otherwise disposed of in a responsible manner;

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 that the use and exploitation of non-renewable natural resources is responsible and equitable, and takes into account the consequences of the depletion of the resource;  that the development, use and exploitation of renewable resources and the ecosystems of which they are part do not exceed the level beyond which their integrity is jeopardised;  that a risk-averse and cautious approach is applied, which takes into account the limits of current knowledge about the consequences of decisions and actions; and  that negative impacts on the environment and on people’s environmental rights be anticipated and prevented, and where they cannot be altogether prevented, are minimised and remedied.

Coupled with these considerations, the following is stipulated with regards to integrating social and economic aspects into the purely biophysical aspects of the environment:

Environmental management must be integrated, acknowledging that all elements of the environment are linked and interrelated, and it must take into account the effects of decisions on all aspects of the environment and all people in the environment by pursuing the selection of the best practicable environmental option.

Thus, the principles to be followed by EMFs are established.

Section 24 (3) of NEMA, as amended which provides the legal standing of EMF initiation, development and adoption and also lays out the objectives of such tools. These objectives are to:

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 promote the integration of the principles of environmental management set out in section 2 into the making of all decisions which may have a significant effect on the environment;  identify, predict and evaluate the actual and potential impact on the environment, socio-economic conditions and cultural heritage, the risks and consequences and alternatives and options for mitigation of activities, with a view to minimising negative impacts, maximising benefits, and promoting compliance with the principles of environmental management as set out in section 2;  ensure that the effects of activities on the environment receive adequate consideration before actions are taken in connection with them;  ensure adequate and appropriate opportunity for public participation in decisions that may affect the environment;  ensure the consideration of environmental attributes in management and decision-making which may have a significant effect on the environment; and  identify and employ the modes of environmental management best suited to ensuring that a particular activity is pursued in accordance with the principles of environmental management set out in section 2.

The final paragraph of the section instructs the Director-General to co-ordinate the development of such tools and to issue guidelines and manuals on how to develop each tool.

One such tool has proven to be the EMF and SEMP, the subject of this study. This tool has been relatively widely used in South Africa, especially in sensitive or protected areas, and its development is the subject of debate and refinement. There is currently no formal EMF guideline or manual which stipulates the methodologies, content and format to be followed in the development of the document.

Section 24 gives the Minister and her provincial counter-part, the MEC, the power to regulate which activities need permission to proceed and to accept spatial plans to assist in the authorization of new activities.

The relevant paragraph states:

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“…prepare compilations of information and maps that specify the attributes of the environment in particular geographical areas, including the sensitivity, extent, interrelationship and significance of such attributes which must be taken into account by every organ of state charged by law with authorising, permitting or otherwise allowing the implementation of a new activity, or with considering, assessing and evaluating an existing activity”

In the case of the EMF and SEMP, this is clause that gives the authority to use such a document as guidance for future EIA approvals.

The rest of section 24 provides the procedures for the development of regulations and for the authorization of new activities.

2.2 NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations

The NEMA Regulations were promulgated in April 2006 and consist of a set of three separate regulations: GNR 385, GNR 386 and GNR 387.

GNR 385 gives the requirements for authorizing new activities. These detail the administrative procedures and the evaluation processes to be followed for any new activity that has been listed in the following two regulations.

GNR 386 provides a list of activities that require a Basic Assessment in order for them to be authorised. These apply to activities that have a lesser impact upon the environment.

GNR 386 provides a list of activities that require a so-called “full EIA”, which consists of a Scoping Report and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report in order for them to be authorized. These apply to activities that have a greater impact upon the environment.

GNR 385 is the regulation most relevant to the EMF and SEMP, in particular, section 69 to 72.

Section 69 gives the “compilations of information and maps that specify the attributes of the environment in particular geographical areas” to in section 24 of NEMA the name, Environmental Management Framework and links the development of an EMF to NEMA.

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Section 70 states that either the Minister or the MEC should formally initiate and complete an EMF process. This is to present a draft EMF for public review and comment and then to review the draft in the light of any comments received.

Section 71 provides the contents for a draft EMF. These are to:  identify by way of a map or otherwise the geographical area to which it applies;  specify the attributes of the environment in the area, including the sensitivity, extent, interrelationship and significance of those attributes;  identify any parts in the area to which those attributes relate;  state the conservation status of the area and in those parts;  state the environmental management priorities of the area;  indicate the kind of activities that would have a significant impact on those attributes and those that would not;  indicate the kind of activities that would be undesirable in the area or in specific parts of the area; and  include any other matters that may be specified.

These requirements will be built into the EMF and SEMP developed for the NDM.

Section 72 deals with the adoption and use of EMFs. It states that once adopted, the EMF must be taken into account when reviewing EIA applications for new activities. Formal adoption is achieved by notice in the Government Gazette.

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CHAPTER 3. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

3.1 Introduction

Public Participation in the development of the EMF was required in terms of the principles of NEMA as well as it being formally required during the process of adoption of the EMF.

The aim of stakeholders’ consultation is to identify issues of concern and suggestions as to the strategic actions to be taken regarding the content of the SEMP and EMF.

Public participation began by identifying stakeholders in the project. Stakeholders are the people and organizations that are involved and affected by changes.

The stakeholders identified for this project are as follows:  The Namakwa District Municipality;  Nama Khoi Local Municipality;  Hantam Local Municipality;  Khai-Ma Local Municipality;  Kamiesberg Local Municipality;  Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality;  Richtersveld Local Municipality;  The local ward councillors;  The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry;  South African National Parks;  Department of Environmental Affairs and Nature Conservation;  The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Plan (SKEP);  The Farmers Association;  The Department of Minerals and Energy;  Local communities;  Private Sector;  NGO’s; and  Local and provincial government.

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In order for the adoption of the EMF to proceed with few comments during the public review period, prior to adoption, the project strategy has been to involve the stakeholders and the public in the development of this draft document.

Stakeholder involvement and public participation was achieved through the establishment of a Project Steering Committee (PSC), with regular meetings and through the holding of public meetings during the Status Quo phase of the project.

3.2 Project Steering Committee

The PSC’s membership includes all government departments and municipalities affected by the EMF as well as the most prominent environmental Non- Governmental Organisation active in the District. The PSC’s aim was to guide the development of the document, provide information to be used in the document and approve the stages of the document.

The inception meeting of the PSC was held in Springbok on 29 July 2009 and the finalisations meeting was held, after numerous delays and postponed meetings, on 27 Janaury 2011.

3.3 Public Open Days

The public open days was conducted at the following venues with the dates and times provided in the table below:

Table 1 Details for Round One Public Meetings Alexander Bay Springbok Calvinia Venue: Namakwa High Venue: Calvinia Show Venue: Alexander Bay City Hall School Hall Hall Date: 6 October 2009 Date: 7 October 2009 Date: 8 October 2009 Time: 13h00 – 17h00 Time: 13h00 – 17h00 Time: 13h00 – 17h00

A Background Information Document (BID) was made available to all stakeholders. The purpose of the open days was to present the Status Quo Report and to allow the public and other stakeholders to raise concerns and to provide input on the status quo. The Comment and Reply Form attached to the

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BID as well as the newspaper ads that provided the consultant’s contact details were the methods used for feedback.

The project was advertised in the following newspapers:

Table 2 Status Quo Public Meetings – Newspaper Adverts Newspaper Distribution Area Date Of Publication Distribution The Diamond Field Springbok 17 September 2009 10 000 copies Advertiser The Noordwester Calvinia 17 September 2009 3 000 copies Die Gemsbok Upington 23 September 2009 10 000 copies Die Eland Alexander Bay 25 September 2009 9 000 copies Die Burger NDM 25 September 2009 15 000 copies

Die Gemsbok was used even though it is published in the Siyanda District Municipality, centred around Upington, because it is a major urban centre in the Northern Cape and that may contain a number of environmental groups interested in the project.

The Plattelander (circulation 4 000) and The Rooihand (circulation 3 000) were not used because their circulation is low and overlaps with The Diamond Field Advertiser and Die Burger. No contact details were found for The Richtersvelder.

The public open days did not achive the degree of participation that the project managers had anticipitated. It did not appear, despite the advertisements, and the following up with local cpouncillors, that the project was suffieicntly interesting to attract large numbers of the public to the meetings.

However, valuable suggestions as to the environmental resources in each area, their sensitivities and plans to take advange of the resources that existed were made by the people who attended the meetings. These comments and suggestions have been worked into this document.

The lack of attendance at the public meetings prompted the project managers to review the use of this tool in favour of individual stakeholder consultation and reviews at the PSC meetings. This approach was, with modifications, was taken for the remainder of the development of document.

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3.4 Stakeholder Consultation

The public and the stakeholders were provided with the opportunity to give input into the project. One-on-one meetings with the targeted groups were undertaken within a 30 days review period.

The tools that will be used during the Stakeholder Consulation process were as follows:  Registering of all I&APs and compilation of a comments and responses database. The database will be continually updated throughout the process;  A series of project meetings to explain the EMF to key stakeholders;  Email correspondence with IAPs to inform them of the availability of the document and an appeal for comments.

This phase was undertaken from March 2010 to May 2010, with formal responses being received from DENC:Conservation and IEM. Consultations were also held with DEA: Decision Support Tools and Conersavtion International, a prominent NGO operating in the NDM.

All comments and suggestions received during this phase were incorporated into the document.

The Public Participation process is documented in Appendix A and comments received from stakeholders are contained in Annexure A.

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CHAPTER 4. STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

This section describes the state of the natural, social and economic environment within the NDM.

4.1 Physical Environment

4.1.1 Climate

The NDM is characterised as a dry region with weather that is typical of desert and semi-desert areas. Summer temperatures usually reach between 30 and 35°C degrees during the month of January and can sometimes exceed 40°C. Winter temperatures are mild during the day reaching between 20 and 25°C. Nights can be extremely cold with night temperatures often below 0°C (Northern Cape Tourism Board, 2007).

According to the Northern Cape Tourism Board (2007), the highest temperature to date of 47.8°C was recorded in 1939 at Goodhouse on the Orange River. Sutherland, in the Hantam Karoo, is one of the coldest towns in South Africa and often experiences snow and its average minimum temperature in June is - 6°C.

The rainfall is low and unreliable. The annual rainfall is between 50 mm to 400mm. Potential annual evapotranspiration is between 12-15 times the mean annual precipitations. The Atlantic Ocean located west of the NDM influences the climatic conditions within the District by producing coastal fog and dew during winter months.

The figure below shows the mean annual rainfall across the entire Republic of South Africa.

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Figure 1 Rainfall Regions of South Africa (http://134.76.173.220/rainfall/database/images/annual/1141500_3.gif)

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Figure1 clearly demonstrates that rainfall in the area of the district is amongst the lowest in the country. This has implications for the ability of the area to be used for crop and livestock production, with most parts of the country being better suited to these activities than the NDM Municipal area.

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Figure 2 Climatic regions within the NDM.

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From the above map (Figure 2) it can be seen that the majority of the NDM is characterised by arid climatic regions with an average annual temperature of less than 18°C. These climatic regions include Steinkopf, Kamieskroom, Namakwaland, Brandvlei and Williston.

Arid and warm areas with an average annual temperature of more than 18° C include Kuboes, Alexander Bay, Lekkersing, Komaggas, Voolsdrift, Aggeneys as well as areas south of Namakwaland and areas north and south of Nieuwoudtville.

The arid areas that receive most of the rainfall in summer are Onseepkans, Pofadder and Pella.

The areas that are characterised by winter rainfall are Kleinzee, Koiingnaas, Garies and areas west and south of Lekkersing. The semiarid areas with annual rainfall and cool average annual temperatures of less than 18°C include Sutherland and areas northwest and southeast of Sutherland.

The semiarid areas with winter rainfall and cool and an average annual temperature of less than 18°C include Nieuwoudtville and areas north and south of Nieuwoudtville.

The table below (Table 3) indicates the minimum and maximum temperatures within the main towns of the NDM.

Table 3 Minimum and maximum temperatures - main towns of the NDM Namakwa Min Temperature Max Temperature Alexander Bay 9°C 19°C Calvinia 8°C 20°C Springbok 13°C 18°C Sutherland 0°C 16°C

In the NDM, the cold Benguela current has a strong influence on climate and temperature with relatively mild temperatures, for example, Port Nolloth with average daily maximum and minimum temperatures of 22°C and 14°C respectively.

Wind measurements are taken for various stations in South Africa, the most reliable of which being the seventeen automatic stations situated throughout the

Nemai Consulting C.C. 21 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT country which have high data availability and integrity. The only one of these stations that is located in the NDM is the station at Alexander Bay. The wind rose from this station (Sadco, 2005) is shown in the figure 3 below.

Figure 3 Wind Rose at Alexander Bay (Sadco, 2005)

The wind rose shows that the predominant wind is southerly and reaches maximum speeds of 20 m/s, about 39 knots. These figures are likely to be representative of the coastal areas of the NDM, but will be invalid for inland wind.

An American company, Third Planet Enterprises, has erected a 60m mast on a farm in the Richtersveld Local Municipality to measure wind for the possible generating of wind energy (Richtersveld IDP, 2008).

Insolation, a measure of solar radiation received per square meter of surface area, in the NDM ranges between 2 200 and 2 600 kWh/m2. The greater the height above sea level, the greater the insolation. Thus areas such as those around Springbok and southwards along the Kamiesberg to the Garies mountains experiences insolation in the higher end of the range. The coastal areas experience insolation at the lower end of the range (Reason et al., 2006).

There is growing consensus from climate modelling of the reality of climate change. Variability in atmospheric circulation over the southern African region has significant influences on the climate of South Africa, producing patterns over

Nemai Consulting C.C. 22 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT several years or decades, particularly with regard to the timing, duration and intensity of rainfall and drought (Reason et al., 2006). There has been a trend of increasing temperature over the long term, and this has affected southern Africa by producing a progressive increase in the duration of dry spells. An overall decreasing trend in summer rainfall was also noted (Reason et al 2006). Climate change modelling has predicted these trends to continue, with a drier west coast, wetter east coast, and less frequent but more intense precipitation (Hewitson, 2007, Reason et al., 2006; DEAT, 2005).

The NDM is predicted to become generally warmer and drier, but with more severe storms. Rainfall is anticipated to become more variable (Bates, et al., 2008; Hewitson, 2007; Reason et al., 2006; DEAT, 2005).

Natural reserves of water, both surface water and groundwater, are likely to be detrimentally impacted by the less frequent, but more intense, precipitation (DEAT 2005). Overall, the amount of precipitation is anticipated to decrease, although the intensity of storm events is expected to be greater (DEAT, 2005). The design of existing infrastructure is not able to exploit this adequately, and could potentially be damaged by flooding.

Flooding will also become more common, with increased scouring as a consequence of faster-moving water through watercourse channels. Groundwater recharge will be impaired with the more rapid movement of water across the landscape, as well as the infiltration capacity of the soil being exceeded by heavy precipitation, which limits the effectiveness of percolation (Bates et al., 2008).

Periodic flooding followed by drought would also affect the efficiency of dams, which would become prone to increased siltation, thus shallowing, and having reduced capacity (DEAT, 2005). The reliability (and thus predictability) of stream flow would decrease, and the effects of variable rainfall would affect the reserves of groundwater as people would overexploit these during dry periods (Mukheibir & Sparks, 2006).

Agriculture demands the greatest amount of the NDM`s water, and in a warming climate, the water loss to evapotranspiration through agricultural crops will increase (Mukheibir, 2007; DEAT, 2005). Much of the existing land surface used for agriculture and grazing is only marginally productive, with low arable (or long-term grazing) potential, further stretching the available water resources with their additional irrigation demands (DEAT, 2005). The demand for water is

Nemai Consulting C.C. 23 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT expected to increase as the country becomes warmer and drier, and more land becomes only marginally productive.

During drought periods more water is abstracted from groundwater sources which may have higher dissolved mineral concentrations. This affects human health directly, and where this water is used to irrigate, the effects of salinisation are exacerbated. Water reuse is enhanced, and often includes water from polluted sources.

Reduced river flow volumes impair their ability to dilute effluent, which makes outbreaks of disease more likely (as pathogens are concentrated), increases the solute load, and makes treatment of water more difficult (Bates et al., 2008; DEAT, 2005).

Flooding, however, has a greater impact on water quality. Eutrophication, increased sediment load, the occurrence and spread of disease, the contamination of water courses with pollutants, and the overburdening of wastewater treatment processes are the most common consequences (Bates et al., 2008; DEAT, 2005).

Due to changing climatic conditions as a result of global warming, future proposed activities in the region should seek to:  Include actions to manage the existing and predicted effects of climate change, including impacts on temperature, rainfall and water availability;  Consider the mitigation of climate change, including the curbing of greenhouse emissions associated with transport and electricity use.

4.1.2 Geology The northern section of the NDM is dominated by the Namakwaland Metamorphic Sequence with a section of the Gariep Supergroup on the west coast at the border of South Africa and Namibia, as indicated in Figure 4. Relatively small patches of the Cape Granite Suite and the Nama Group occur in the north west of the District Municipality (Council of Geosciences; 2010).

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Figure 4 Geological Map of NDM .

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The Namakwaland Metamorphic consists of sedimentary, volcanic and intrusive rock types. There is a wide variety of intrusive rock types, however they are predominantly granites. The Gariep Supergroup consists of both igneous and sedimentary rocks. The Kuboos Pluton is part of the Cape Granite Suite, the Pluton is a gronadioritic intrusion (Council of Geosciences; 2010).

To the south of the District Municipality are the Dwyka and Ecca Groups with a small section of the Nama Group on the border with the Western Cape (Council of Geosciences; 2010).

The Nama Group is believed to have been formed from a peripheral basin; a discontinuous conglomerate layer lies at the base of this Group. The Nama Group also consists of quartzites and shales. The Ecca Group predominantly consists of dark grey shales with interlayered sandstones. The Dwyka Group contains sedimentary rocks such as shales and mudstones. The presence of scraped and faceted pebbles as well as conglomerate is thought to be from glacial movement and deposition (Council of Geosciences; 2010).

The geology of the NDM is stable with very little influence from seismic activity. This despite the fact that Springbok suffered a light tremor of 1.6 on the Richter scale on 25 May 2009. The closest known area of seismic activity is the Milnerton Fault, 8 kilometres offshore in the vicinity of Cape Town. Seismic activity in South Africa is monitored by the South African Seismograph Network, which has 23 stations placed countrywide. One of these stations is located in Komaggas, in the NDM. The network is maintained by the Council for Geoscience (Linzer et al., 2007).

4.1.3 Hydrology

The NDM has within its boundaries two Water Management Areas, as indicated in Table 4. Water Management Areas (WMAs) are the division between water boards, both existing and future planned entities. They are established as a management unit in the National Water Resource Strategy.

Catchment boundaries fall within WMAs and are, like the WMAs, based upon the topography of a region and do not follow administrative boundaries, hence the Water Management Areas do not fit into the district boundaries at all.

The two water management areas which fall within the district are tabulated below.

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Table 4 Water Management Areas in the NDM Capacity Designation Name Locality [m3] Major Rivers include the Ongers, Hartbees and Orange. Stretches 14 Lower Orange 36 000 from Alexander Bay in the west to Hanover and Richmond in the East Major Rivers include Olifants, Doorn, Krom Sand and Sout. Stretches from 17 Olifants Doorn 128 000 north of Loeriesfontein to De Doorns in the South

The capacity figures indicate the capacity, in cubic meters, of each WMA. The figures area placed in context by the Upper Orange WMA, which has the largest capacity in the country of 11 566 000 m3and contains cities and towns such as Bloemfontein, Barkley East, Hanover and Jacobsdal. The Lower Orange Water Management Area occupies the largest geographic area of any WMA, but also has the smallest capacity, by a factor of three, from the next smallest WMA. The WMA with the next smallest capacity is a group of two, one of which is the Olifants/Doorn WMA.

The figure 5 below provides additional locality information on the Water Management Areas in South Africa.

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Figure 5 National Water Management Areas (Oosthuizen)

The locations of the two WMAs that lie within the NDM are shown in the figure 6 below.

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Figure 6 NDM Water Management Areas

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The Lower Orange WMA is the furthest downstream in the Orange River Basin and as such is affected by upstream activities. Flows are largely supported by means of releases from Gariep and Vanderkloof dams in the Upper Orange WMA. Ninety percent of the runoff generated in the two Orange River WMAs is generated in the Upper Orange WMA. Approximately 60% of the runoff generated in the Lower Orange comes from the Fish River in Namibia which enters the Orange River close to the river mouth (DWAF, 2004).

Sheep and goat farming is practised over most of the area. Large parts of the WMA contain conservation areas. Cultivation is restricted to isolated patches where higher rainfall occurs, and extensive irrigation is practised in the fertile alluvial soils along the Orange River valley. Irrigation water is supplied by releases from the Vanderkloof Dam.

Large mining operations occur in various parts of the WMA. There are no large urban developments or power stations. Groundwater plays a major role in meeting the water requirements of the towns and rural settlements along the tributaries of the Orange.

Less than 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, 2003) of South Africa originates from the Lower Orange WMA. Economic activity is largely concentrated along the Orange River, with several towns located on the banks of the river, and at mining developments. (DWAF, 2004).

There are no storage dams in the WMA, with only a few smaller dams on some of the main tributaries, all of which lie outside the NDM.

Potential for a dam in the Lower Orange River has been identified for the re- regulation of releases from Vanderkloof Dam as well as the storage of flood flows mainly from the Upper Orange WMA. This would facilitate more water being made available for use in agriculture (DWAF, 2004).

Irrigation is the dominant water use sector in the Lower Orange WMA, representing 94% of the total requirement for water of 1 130 million m³/a. Water requirements for urban, rural and mining use respectively represents 3%, 2% and 1% of the total water requirements in the WMA. Virtually all of the irrigation developments are situated along the main stem of the Orange River, with most of the irrigation being for high-value orchard crops (DWAF, 2004).

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Water is transferred from the Orange River for urban and mining use. Water requirements in this regard are small and are associated with towns such as Springbok, Steinkopf and Port Nolloth, as well as the mines in the area.

The Lower Orange WMA is in surplus which is available for allocation to users or to large projects and also ecological reserve at Orange River mouth Ramsar site (DWAF, 2004).

Water quality in the Orange River has been severely impacted upon by extensive upstream developments. Salinity has increased due to the transfer of high quality water out of the Orange River for development use and due to high salinity irrigation return flows along the Orange River. Poor quality water from the Vaal River, which contains a high proportion of irrigation return flows as well as treated urban effluent, also enters the Orange.

There are algal blooms experienced in the main stem due to a combination of irrigation return flows, diffuse sources, and poor quality water from the upstream Vaal WMAs.

The Olifants-Doring WMA has a total area of 49 066 km2. It extends from the Bokkeveld Plateau and Cedarberg mountains in the east and to the coastal plains in the west and from the Hex River Mountains in the south to the Knersvlakte in the north. The area has several high mountain ranges running in a north-south direction and smaller ranges and valleys running in a north- easterly direction (DWAF, 2002).

The WMA is generally arid, with an average annual rainfall of less than 300mm per annum, although this varies considerably. The northern part of the basin, which lies within the NDM, is extremely arid, with an average rainfall of less than 100mm. The southern areas of the WMA dominate the hydrology and contribute the bulk of the flows in the basin. The area that lies within the NDM is hydrologically unimportant. The mean annual runoff (MAR) for the entire WMA is low, with the natural MAR to the estuary estimated to be 1 070 000 m3, corresponding to about 2% to the country’s natural MAR (DWAF, 2002).

The Olifants River is the main river in the WMA, and is a perennial river which rises 280 km from the mouth at about 800 m altitude on the Witzenberg plateau - a winter rainfall area. Two major tributaries, the Doring and Hol Rivers, join the river near Klawer and Vredendal, respectively (Figure 3).

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There are two major dams on the WMA, the Clanwilliam Dam and the Bulshoek Dam (DWAF, 2005), both of which do not lie in the NDM. Hence river flows control does not lie within the NDM. Since the estuary of the Olifants River contains the largest salt marshes in South Africa, protection of this resource, in terms of water quantity, does not fall to the NDM.

The Olifants/Doorn WMA contributes almost 3% of the agricultural output of the national economy, and 1.5% of trade output, with most other sectors contributing less than 0.3%. Overall, the Olifants/Doorn WMA makes the smallest contribution of any WMA in the country, contributing under 0.5% of the national economic output, and less than 1% of formal employment. Given that the bulk of the hydrology lies outside the NDM, this WMA can be said to contribute negligible value to the NDM Gross Geographic Product (DWAF, 2005).

The Olifants/Doorn WMA is in deficit, no surplus water is available for allocation (DWAF, 2002).

4.1.4 Groundwater

Groundwater represents one of the most important water sources in NDM as it services most of the community water supply schemes. Groundwater has a vital role in providing water supply in urban and rural areas within the NDM. Groundwater is supplied for agricultural, municipal and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells.

The NDM does not play host to many Aquifer Dependent Ecosystems (ADEs), since groundwater contributes less than one percent to total water flows (Colvin et al, 2008), thus groundwater is a not a major risk to natural floral and faunal communities. There are areas around in the KLM, west of Garies, towards the coast where ADEs exist, in addition, ADEs exist in the areas north of Hondeklipbaai in the NKLM.

Groundwater utilisation is of major importance in the Lower Orange WMA and often constitutes the only source of water for many rural towns and settlements. Groundwater availability in the Coastal sub-area, near Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth is very limited.

In the NDM, the hydrogeology is such that the unconsolidated sub-structure hosts intergranular aquifers which have low yield due to the presence of fine and

Nemai Consulting C.C. 32 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT clayey materials. Aquifers are dependent upon rainfall for recharge. Recharge varies with, amongst others, the frequency of rainfall, rock type, soil and ground cover. It is estimated that for rainfall events larger than 20mm, between 1 and 10% of the rainfall will infiltrate to aquifers. Episodic weather events such as the flood events of 1973-6 and in 1988 and the droughts on 1985, 1985 and 1992 are large determinants of the full recharge or large recession of groundwater levels. In general, the major recharge events occur with a frequency of fifteen years (DWAF, 2008).

The periods in between these events are characterised by gradual natural draw downs, which fluctuates by season. Groundwater abstraction for social and economic purposes is superimposed on this drawdown and can have great impacts upon the rate of draw down. Once an aquifer has been de-watered, surface instability is possible, especially in areas of dolomites. This will negatively influence the structure of the aquifer and limited future recharge.

Groundwater quality in the Lower Orange WMA varies from good to unacceptable, with a bias towards unacceptable, and is one of the main factors affecting the development of available groundwater resources. Total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrates and fluorides represent the majority of water quality problems that occur. Water quality issues that need to be addressed include diffuse pollution sources from agriculture, management of local sanitation problems at small towns, and the algae problem on the Orange River main stem (DWAF, 2004).

TDS, a measure of the total organic and inorganic substances in the water, is an indicator of the aesthetic characteristics of the ground water, and it is an indicator for chemical contamination. Thus high values present water that is cloudy in appearance and which may be polluted from various point of diffuse pollution sources (DWAF, 2004). Generally TDS are high in all areas of the NDM apart from the areas around Springbok, as indicated in figure 7.

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Figure 7 TDS Mapping in the Lower Orange Water Management Area

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Nitrates are a concern since they are a health risk (particularly to bottle fed infants and livestock), and are water soluble and do not bind to the soil. Thus they migrate very easily into ground water. The main source of nitrates in the WMA is from agricultural fertilisers. Areas of intensive irrigated agriculture are most at risk from pollution by nitrates, and these include areas along the Orange River. There is an area of high nitrate concentration in the groundwater near Garies and the surrounding area. Concentrations of between 50 mg/l and greater than 200mg/l have been observed in the area (DWAF, 2004).

Pollution sources for the groundwater in the area are most likely to be from the use of agricultural soil enhancers. It is also likely that most of these pollutants enter the groundwater from agricultural activity in the Upper Orange Catchment. (DWAF, 2004). Other sources of groundwater pollution are from poorly managed sewer treatment works, landfill sites, on-site sanitation (mainly in informal settlements), and mining activities. Additional sources of nitrates include feedlots and dairy farms (Colvin et al, 2008).

In general, the NDM groundwater flow pattern is towards the coast and there is usually little connection between surface water flows and groundwater aquifer. This is mainly due to the lack of surface water in the Northern Cape generally and in the NDM in particular (DWAF, 2004). However, this is an area of further study and the comment above should be viewed with the appropriate caution.

The aquifers in the RLM, KMLM are currently at levels observed in 1990 and boreholes sunk into these aquifers should have sustainable yields, if used within their limits. An exception to this is the aquifer in Port Nolloth/MacDougalls Bay, which is between 10 and 50m below levels observed in 1990 (DWAF, 2008).

Aquifers in the KLM are also generally at levels observed in 1990, however boreholes in all the population centres i.e. Garies, Kamieskroon, Hondeklipbaai, Koiingnaas, amongst others, exhibit levels that are between 5 to 50m lower than those observed in 1990 (DWAF, 2008).

NKLM’s aquifers are generally at their natural levels, the baseline for which was established in 1990. The area east of Concordia has limited groundwater monitoring information, thus boreholes sunk in this area should be thoroughly tested for yield and sustainability.

Wetlands are important for biodiversity conservation and should, as far as possible, be protected and conserved. Services performed by wetlands are flood

Nemai Consulting C.C. 35 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT attenuation; trapping sediments, nutrients and pathogens and supporting high levels of biodiversity. Wetlands can also serve as popular tourist attractions (Bledzki, 2008).

The wetlands within the NDM (Figure 8) are mainly situated in the eastern part of the District around Brandvlei. Some wetlands also feature north and east of Kamieskroon; north and southeast of Garies; north and south of Hondeklipbaai; north of Koiingnaas; and north of Kleinzee. Wetland areas are also registered south of Alexander Bay; south of Lekkersing; near Port Nolloth; southeast of MacDougalls Bay; north and south of Koiingnaas; north and south of Hondeklipbaai; north and south of Kamieskroon; north and south of Garies; west and south of Aggeneys; north and south of Loeriesfontein; north and south of Niewoudtville; north, south and east of Calvinia; north and south of Williston; north, north and southeast of Sutherland and southeast of Fraserburg.

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Figure 8 Wetlands, NDM.

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Wetlands in the Brandvlei area, in the east of the study, area are often used for the planting of wheat (Plate 1). This is done to improve crop yields due to the improved availability of water and to reduce the need for irrigation.

Plate 1 Wheat planting in Wetlands near Brandvlei

Given the low rainfall in the NDM and the consequent shortage of surface water flows, wetlands in the NDM are generally used to support human activities. Small livestock watering has been observed in wetlands in the Kamiesberg and this practice, along with crop production is likely to affect all but the most inaccessible wetlands.

4.1.5 Topography

The topography of the region is diverse and is characterised by mountainous areas, ridges, steep slopes, undulating hills and plateaus, flat plains and coastal dunes.

The eastern side of the NDM area forms the escarpment that is characterized by the Kamiesberg Mountain range. The escarpment is followed by the hardveld or

Nemai Consulting C.C. 38 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT granitic uplands which feature to the west the Richtersveld National Park. The coastal belt located west thereof is very narrow. The coastal plain is very shallow and features a small coastline with no natural harbours.

The Kamiesberg Mountain Range lies from Garies in the south to Springbok in the north. The Kamiesberg Mountain Range is characterised by various granite rock formations and gneisses and steep and rocky scarp slopes, separated by sandy plains. The area features rocky upland and sandy lowland areas. The topography ranges from gently undulating to steeply rolling with large areas featuring granitic boulders. The Kamiesberg region is characterised by unique landscapes with unique rock formations. The diverse vegetation of the region is largely supported by the Kamiesberg Mountain Range which represents an important rain catchment (http://www.openafrica.org/route/kamiesberg-route).

The coastal belt is characterised by sandy dunes located north to northwest from Alexander Bay to Port Nolloth, McDougall’s Bay and Hondeklipbaai.

Khai Ma Local Municipality is characterized by undulating landscapes. The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality features a flat undulating landscape. The Hantam Local Municipality consists of undulating rocky plains in the east and mountainous areas in the west. Kamiesberg Local Municipality consists of mountainous areas as well as coastal areas with undulating coastal plains. The Nama Khoi Local Municipality is characterized by coastal plains and granite hills in the west and low lying Bushmanland plains to the east of Springbok. The Richtersveld Municipality consists of a diverse geology including mountains, lowlands and undulating hills. The landscape features low-lying coastal plains in the west and the escarpment in the east (www.northerncape.org.za).

4.1.6 Soils

The NDM is characterised by considerable variation in the types of soils. The area is characterised as semi-arid to arid and this indicates that the soil moisture deficit is high. The soil characteristics over most of the area are a function of insitu weathering.

The coastal areas are characterized by a dune landscape with deep red sandy soils. Richtersveld is characterized by rocky soils which are more suited to crop production than the soils of the rest of the NDM, but the unfavourable climatic conditions and the steep mountainous topography make crop production non- viable (NDM Economic Profile Report).

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NDM is characterized by generally poor quality soils due to scarce or no water retaining capabilities. Due to the sandy nature of the soils within the region, many areas in the District are prone to wind erosion when the natural vegetation cover is disturbed. The erosion levels within an area depend on slopes’ steepness, rainfall patterns and land-use activities in the area. Soils on steep gradients are subject to geological erosion. Extreme topography and soil characteristics within the NDM indicate that soil erosion is an important factor that limits development options (NDM Economic Profile Report).

The most significant negative impacts on soils are overgrazing and mining. The marginal nature of the soils, combined with lower rain, makes the vegetation vulnerable to overuse. Small livestock, such as goats and sheep crop the vegetation close to the ground, further increasing the vulnerability. This phenomenon is located mainly in the rural areas of the NDM, particularly the old rural reserves. Areas around the following towns or areas are most affected:  Pella;  Komagas;  The Richtersveld Municipality;  Steinkopf;  Concordia and  Kamiesfontein.

In a similar vein, off-road recreational driving has the same impact on the natural vegetation as small livestock. Large-scale evidence of habitat destruction due to this activity has not been uncovered, but cognisance should be taken of the issue.

4.1.7 Flora

The Succulent Karoo (winter rainfall system), the Nama Karoo (summer rainfall system) and the Fynbos (Mediterranean climate) provide the NDM with a high floral diversity. The Succulent Karroo, in particular, is one of two semi-arid biodiversity hotspots in the world (http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/hotspots/karoo/Pages/biodiversity.aspx).

Biodiversity is important for economic, cultural, aesthetic, scientific and educational purposes. For example biodiversity conservation makes a variety of genes available that can be used for food, materials and medicine (Young;

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1999). There are many threats to biodiversity, most as a direct or indirect result of human interference, for example:  The introduction of invasive species;  Habitat loss due to destruction or degradation such as agriculture, mining and urbanisation;  Overexploitation of species of interest; and  Climate change.

Vegetation has been divided into biomes and their associated vegetation units. According to Mucina and Rutherford (2006) a biome is a “broad ecological spatial unit...defined mainly by vegetation structure, climate as well as major large-scale disturbance factors”. Nested within the biomes are the vegetation units. A vegetation unit is a unit of plant communities that share similar climatic, geological and soil requirements and consequently have similar management and conservation requirements and the same potential uses.

The NDM has a rich biodiversity and there are several areas that government and non-government organisations are conserving in order to preserve this biodiversity. These areas include, but are by no means limited to:  The Orange River Mouth, a Ramsar wetland site;  The Richtersveld Community Conservancy, the centre of a World Heritage Site. The Richtersveld Community Conservancy falls within the Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot;  Namakwa National Park;  Goepag Nature Reserve;  Nababiep Nature Reserve;  Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve;  Tankwa Karoo National Park; and  Richtersveld National Park.

The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) is a bi-national initiative, between South African and Namibia, with the aim of promoting the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable land-use within the Succulent Karoo biodiversity hotspot. Through a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process, nine priority conservation areas were identified. All, or most, of five of these areas fall within the NDM (Figure 9). The purpose of these priority areas is to expand the protected area corridors through public, private and community partnerships (SKEP; 2003).

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According to Turpie & Joubert (2004), the Bokkeveld Plateau is situated at the interface between the Cape Floristic Region and the Succulent Karoo and has high levels of endemism and plant biodiversity. During spring, the area attracts tourists to view the wildflowers in bloom. Wildflower tourism has been suggested as a means to protect the plant biodiversity of the region. It was estimated that R2,35 million is spent annually in the area. According to the travel-cost analysis, the average consumer surplus was R28 per person. On average, 37 per cent of visitor enjoyment came from seeing expanses or carpets of flowers and 26 per cent from seeing the variety of flowers. The average length of stay would be reduced to 37 per cent of its original length if there were no flowers present. The conjoint analysis showed that seeing carpets of flowers contributed by far the most to the scores given to scenarios, as compared with seeing a variety of species of flowers or bulbs. Biodiversity conservation will therefore depend on marketing the biodiversity and other attributes of the area rather than relying on the visual displays that are highly weather dependent.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is working closely with SKEP in promoting biodiversity conservation in the Succulent Karoo. In 2003 the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund allocated $8 million over five years to support civil society groups and conservation initiatives in the Succulent Karoo. A key objective of which was to develop approaches that will promote local community involvement with sustainable development and conservation projects (CEPF; 2008).

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Figure 9 SKEP Priority Areas, NDM

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There are several biomes within the NDM, these are the:  Desert Biome;  Fynbos biome;  Nama Karoo biome;  Succulent Karoo biome; and  Azonal Vegetation types.

Table 5 below provides a general description on the location of the various biome types within the District Municipality, the number of vegetation types as well as the area each type encompasses.

Table 5 Biomes, vegetation types and area covered within the NDM (SANBI, 2006) No. of Veg Biomes Area Area (Ha) Types Mainly Brandvlei; Williston; Fraserburg; west and south of Nieuwoudtville; east of Pofadder and smaller areas around Azonal Vegetation 9 539 076 Kleinzee; Hondeklipbaai and Garies. Minimal occurrences feature south of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. To the north, including Alexander Desert Biome 15 707 039 Bay and Pofadder. Niewoudtville and surrounds; north and south of Calvinia; Sutherland and surrounds; and smaller areas Fynbos Biome 12 663 854 south of Kleinzee; south of Hondeklipbaai and south of Kamieskroon. Aggeneys; Brandvlei; Williston; Nama Karoo Biome 9 5 679 603 Fraserburg. Port Nolloth; Steinkopf; Kleinzee; Springbok; Hondeklipbaai; Succulent Karoo Biome 48 5 083 128 Kamieskroon; Garies; Calvinia and the south of Calvinia. TOTAL 93 12 672 701

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Figure 10 Vegetation Map, NDM

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4.1.7.1 Hantam Local Municipality

According to the NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan (2009), the Hantam Local Municipality is regarded world-wide as a centre for bulb endemism and consequently the vegetation and vegetation types are highly diverse.

The Hantam Local Municipality has 10 vegetation types that are endemic to the region. The Vanrhynsdorp Gannabosveld and Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos are classified as vulnerable. The Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld is endemic to the Local Municipality and is classified as endangered (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2009).

Table 6 below shows the biomes and vegetation types found within the Hantam Local Municipality. The status of the vegetation unit is in relation to its conservation status in South Africa.

Table 6: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Hantam Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Bushmanland Vloere Least threatened Vegetation Namakwaland Riviere Least threatened Tanqua Wash Riviere Least threatened

Fynbos Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos Vulnerable Hantam Plateau Dolerite Renosterveld Least threatened Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld Endangered Niewoudville-Roggeveld Dolerite Least threatened Renosterveld Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld Least threatened Vanrhynsdorp Shale Renosterveld Least threatened

Nama Karoo Bushmanland Arid Grassland Least threatened Bushmanland Basin Shrubland Least threatened Upper Karoo Hardeveld Least threatened Western Upper Karoo Least threatened

Succulent Agter-Sederberg Shrubland Least threatened

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Biome Vegetation Type Status Karoo Doringrivier Quartzite Karoo Least threatened Hantam Karoo Least threatened Kamiesberg Mountains Shrubland Least threatened Knersvlakte Shale Vygieveld Least threatened Namakwaland Arid Grassland - Namakwaland Blomveld - Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland Least threatened Northern Knersvlakte Vygieveld Least threatened Roggeveld Karoo Least threatened Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland Least threatened Tanqua Karoo Least threatened Vanrhynsdorp Gannabosveld Vulnerable Western Bushmanland Klipveld Least threatened

Fifty- eight percent of the Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos occurs within the Hantam Local Municipality. This vegetation is estimated to be 60% - 80% transformed.

4.1.7.2 Kamiesberg Local Municipality

To the north of the town of Garies, the Kamiesberg Local Municipality contains the Kamiesberg centre of endemism, a biodiversity hotspot (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2008).

The Kamiesberg Granite Fynbos is restricted to the Kamiesberg Uplands. This vegetation type has 29 plant species that are either restricted to, or primarily found within, the vegetation type.

This Local Municipality contains 48 known endemic species, 11 threatened species and 9 near threatened species. More endemics are found within the mountainous areas of this Municipality, 19 species within the Kamiesberg Granite Fynbos and 15 in the Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland.

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Table 7 below indicates the vegetation types and their status within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality.

Table 7: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Vegetation Bushmanland Vloere Least threatened Namakwaland Riviere Least threatened Arid Estuarine Salt Marshes Least threatened Namakwaland Salt Pans Least threatened Namakwaland Seashore Vegetation -

Fynbos Kamiesberg Granite Fynbos Least threatened Namakwaland Granite Renosterveld Vulnerable Namakwaland Sand Fynbos Least threatened

Nama Karoo Bushmanland Arid Grassland Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Kamiesberg Mountains Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Arid Grassland - Namakwaland Blomveld - Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Coastal Duneveld - Namakwaland Heuweltjieveld - Namakwaland Inland Duneveld Least threatened Namakwaland Strandveld - Platbakkies Succulent Shrubland Not protected (Endemic) Riethuis-Wallekraal Quartz Vygieveld - Western Bushmanland Klipveld Least threatened

4.1.7.3 Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality

The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality contains of 14 vegetation types with 3 endemic species, 10 threatened species and 4 near threatened species. The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality also features a large

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variety of endemic bulb species such as the critically endangered and endemic rye grass Secale strictum subsp. africanum. Another important species is Daubenis (Daubenya aurea) which is classified as vulnerable. Roggeveld Koekoemakranka (Gethyllis roggeveldensis) is found only within the Karoo Hoogland District Municipality but there is limited information regarding its habitat (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2008).

Table 8 below indicates the vegetation types and their status within the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality.

Table 8: Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Vegetation Bushmanland Vloere Least threatened Tanqua Wash Riviere Least threatened

Fynbos Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld Least threatened Niewoudville-Roggeveld Dolerite Least threatened Renosterveld Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld Least threatened

Nama Karoo Bushmanland Basin Shrubland Least threatened Eastern Upper Karoo Least threatened Gamka Karoo Least threatened Upper Karoo Hardeveld Least threatened Western Upper Karoo Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo Least threatened

Roggeveld Karoo Least threatened Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland Least threatened Tanqua Karoo Least threatened

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4.1.7.4 Khai-Ma Local Municipality

Khai Ma Local Municipality is characterized by desert grasslands and inselbergs; ancient rocky outcrops. The region contains numerous rare habitat types including the fine grain quartz patches featuring special dwarf succulents.

The Khai Ma Local Municipality contains 11 vegetation types of which 3 are entirely endemic and one endangered, the Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation. There are 854 recorded plant species with 41 endemic species (i.e. Conophytum ratum and Trachyandra species), 20 potentially endemic species, 5 threatened species and 3 Near Threatened species. Some of the local plant species include Conopithum burgheri (Burger’s onion), Lithops dorotheae (Pella se bababoudtjie) and Pachypodium namakwanum (halfmens). The bushmanland inselbergs have 429 plant species with 67 only found in the inselbergs and 87 red listed species (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2008).

Table 9 below indicates the biomes and vegetation types within the Khai- Mai Local Municipality.

Table 9 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Khai - Ma Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Vegetation Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation Endangered Bushmanland Vloere Least threatened

Desert Eastern Gariep Plains Desert - Eastern Gariep Rocky Desert -

Nama Karoo Blouputs Karroid Thornveld Least threatened Bushmanland Arid Grassland Least threatened Bushmanland Basin Shrubland Least threatened Bushmanland Sandy Grassveld Least threatened Lower Gariep Broken Veld Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Aggeneys Gravel Vygieveld Least threatened

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Biome Vegetation Type Status Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland Threatened

4.1.7.5 Nama Koi Local Municipality

The Nama Khoi Local Municipality contains 37 vegetation types of which 23 are endemic; this indicates the high degree of diversity in the region. The Aggeneys Gravel Vygieveld contains 17 endemic species and the Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland 15 species. The endemic vegetation species includes amongst others, the critically endangered Eselore (Cheiridopsis peculiaris), Komaggas camelthorn forest (Acacia erioloba) and Komaggas Aloe (Aloe striata subsp. komaggasensis) listed as vulnerable (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2008).

Table 10 indicates the biomes and their associated vegetation units within the Nama Koi Local Municipality.

Table 10 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Nama Koi Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Vegetation Arid Estuarine Salt Marshes Least threatened Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation Endangered Namakwaland Salt Pans Least threatened

Desert Eastern Gariep Plains Desert - Eastern Gariep Rocky Desert - Helskloof Canyon Desert Least threatened Kahams Mountain Desert Least threatened Northern Nababiepsberge Mountain Least threatened Desert Southern Nababiepsberge Mountain Least threatened Desert

Fynbos Namakwaland Granite Renosterveld Vulnerable Namakwaland Sand Fynbos Least threatened

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Biome Vegetation Type Status Nama Karoo Bushmanland Arid Grassland Least threatened Bushmanland Sandy Grassland Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Aggenys Gravel Vygieveld Least threatened Anenous Plateau Shrubland Least threatened Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland Threatened Eenriet Plains Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Kamiessberg Mountains Shrubland Least threatened Kosiesberg Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Arid Grassland - Namakwaland Blomveld - Namakwaland Coastal Duneveld - Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Shale Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Strandveld - Reithuis-Wallekraal Quartz Vygieveld - Rooiberg Quartz Vygieveld Not protected (Endemic) Southern Richtersveld Inselberg Least threatened Shrubland Southern Richtersveld Scorpionstailveld Least threatened Umdaus Mountains Succulent Shrubland Least threatened

4.1.7.6 Richtersveld Local Municipality

The Richtersveld Local Municipality contains 41 vegetation types of which 34 are endemic. This indicates that there is a high degree of vegetation diversity in the region. The Richtersveld Coastal Duneveld and the Namib Coastal Vegetation are classified as vulnerable and the Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation is listed as endangered. The Namib Lichen Fields and the Alexander Bay Coastal Duneveld are critically endangered. The Richtersveld Local Municipality contains the largest and the most varied types of endemic species such as the endangered Baster kokerboom (Aloe

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pillansii); Halfmens (Pachypodium namakwanum) and the Window plant (Fenestraria rhodophylla subsp. aurantiacum). There are approximately 200 plant species endemic to the Richtersveld Local Municipality (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft, 2008).

The biomes and vegetation types within the Richtersveld Local Municipality are provided in Table 11 below.

Table 11 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the Richtersveld Local Municipality Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Arid Estuarine Salt Marshes Least threatened Vegetation Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation Endangered Namakwaland Salt Pans Least threatened Namakwaland Seashore Vegetation - Namib Seashore Vegetation Vulnerable

Desert Alexander Bay Coastal Duneveld Critically endangered Kahams Mountain Desert Least threatened Kwaggarug Mountain Desert Least threatened Namib Lichen Fields Critically endangered Noms Mountain Desert Least threatened Richtersberg Mountain Desert Least threatened Richtersveld Sheet Wash Desert Least threatened Southern Nababiepsberge Mountain Desert Least threatened Western Gariep Hills Desert - (Endemic) Western Gariep Lowland Desert - (Endemic) Western Gariep Plains Desert - (Endemic)

Fynbos Stinkfonteinberge Quartzite Fynbos Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Central Richtersveld Mountain Shrubland Least threatened Die Plate Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Goariep Mountain Succulent Shrubland Least threatened

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Biome Vegetation Type Status Kosiesberg Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Lekkersing Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Coastal Duneveld - (Endemic) Namakwaland Heuweltjieveld - (Endemic) Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Strandveld - Northern Richtersveld Scorpionstailveld Least threatened Northern Richtersveld Yellow Duneveld Least threatened Oograbies Plains Sandy Grassland Least threatened Richtersveld Coastal Duneveld Vulnerable Richtersveld Red Duneveld Least threatened Richtersveld Sandy Coastal Scorpionstailveld Least threatened Rooiberg Quartz Vygieveld Not protected (Endemic) Rosyntjieberg Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Southern Richtersveld Inselberg Shrubland Least threatened Southern Richtersveld Scorpionstailveld Least threatened Southern Richterveld Yellow Duneveld Least threatened Stinkfonteinberge Eastern Apron Shrubland Least threatened Tatasberg Mountain Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Upper Annisvlakte Succulent Shrubland Least threatened Vyftienmyl se Berge Succulent Shrubland - (Endemic)

4.1.7.7 District Management Area (DMA)

The District Municipality manages an area that does not form part of the six Local Municipalities.

The biomes within the DMA and their associated vegetation types are provided in

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Table 12.

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Table 12 Biomes and Vegetation Types within the DMA Biome Vegetation Type Status Azonal Vegetation Bushmanland Vloere Least threatened Tanqua Wash Riviere Least threatened

Fynbos Swartruggens Quartzite Fynbos Least threatened

Nama Karoo Bushmanland Arid Grassland Least threatened Bushmanland Basin Shrubland Least threatened Bushmanland Sandy Grassland Least threatened

Succulent Karoo Agter-Sederberg Shrubland Least threatened Namakwaland Blomveld - Namakwaland Klipkoppe Shrubland Least threatened Platbakkies Succulent Shrubland Not protected (Endemic) Swartruggens Quartzite Karoo Least threatened Tanqua Karoo Least threatened Western Bushmanland Klipveld Least threatened

The following photographs are examples of the flora found within the NDM.

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Plate 2: The lichen field at Alexander Bay, Richtersveld Local Municipality.

The lichen field (Plate 2) is classed as Critically Endangered (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008)

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Plate 3: Conophytum burgeri near Aggeneys

The Conophytum burgeri (Plate 3) is located within the Khai Ma Local Municipality (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008)

Plate 4: Protea namaquana (Critically Endangered)

The Protea namaquana (Plate 4), which is considered as Critically endangered, is located within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008)

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Plate 5: Spring flowering bulbs near Nieuwoudtville

The spring flowering bulbs (Plate 5) near Nieuwoudtville are located within the Hantam Local Municipality (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008).

The comments made about overgrazing and the potential impacts of recreational off-road driving made in Section 4.1.6, holds true for this section.

Ecological supporting areas are defined as areas that allow fauna and flora to travel from one part of a natural area to another. These ecological supporting areas provide shelter, food and protection of indigenous vegetation. Ecological supporting areas can help maintain the long-term survival of the species following local disturbances and habitat fragmentation. Ecological supporting areas in NDM, according to SANParks are indicated in Table 13.

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Table 13 SANParks Ecological supporting areas, NDM.

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4.1.8 Fauna

The NDM has a rich biodiversity, it contains all, or the majority of, five of the nine Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme’s geographic priority areas. The majority of these five areas are outside of formally protected areas, therefore in order to conserve these areas, favourable land-use practices must be implemented (Todd et. al; 2009).

There are several threats to the District Municipality’s biodiversity (Todd et. al., 2009), these include:  Livestock grazing;  Mining and crop growing;  Illegal plants and reptiles collection;  Alien invasive plants;  Climate change and  Unsustainable water abstraction.

These threats may result in habitat transformation and local extinctions (Todd et. al., 2009). A Provincial Development Initiative and hence an initiative the District Municipality must strive to uphold, is to conserve and protect, by 2014, 6.5% of the biodiversity.

In addition to its terrestrial biodiversity, the Namakwa coast is adjacent to one of the richest and most prolific marine eco-systems in the world (DTI, 2008).

The Succulent Karoo is a biodiversity hotspot. There are 115 reptile species, 36 of which are endemic. The majority of the reptile species are lizards. There are 70 recorded lizard species, 30 of these are endemic. Four of the recorded 38 snake species are endemic. There are eight tortoise species in the Succulent Karoo hotspot and three of these species are endemic. Of the 17 recorded frog species, five are endemic, this includes the Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops). Eighteen out of the 70 scorpion species are endemic. There are also several insect groups with high endemism; Monkey Beetles (Rutelinae: Hoplini), wasps and various specialised bees. The Namakwa Pollen Wasp (Ceramius rex) is confined to small refuge populations. There are 269 recorded bird species and 24 are near-endemic. There are 78 mammal species including four small endemic mammals (SKEP, 2003).

The Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo provide habitats for the Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis). The Riverine Rabbit is endemic to the semi-arid Great

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Karoo and parts of the Klein Karoo, and is Critically Endangered. The Riverine Rabbit is a habitat specialist that occupies the discontinuous and dense vegetation associated with the seasonal rivers of the Karoo. These areas along the rivers are however favoured for livestock grazing and crop growing (EWT, 2010).

The mouth of the Orange River is within the Richtersveld Local Municipality. The wetland at the mouth of the Orange River forms an important stop over for a great variety of migratory birds and has accordingly been declared a Ramsar site. The endemic Barlow's Lark, a must for any birder, is also found along the riverbanks, along with smooth pebbles and semi-precious stones for rock and gemstone enthusiasts. Unfortunately this wetland is currently under major threat from several sources including reduced flow and desertification, but efforts are underway to restore this wetland. Also of interest are fields of green and orange lichen growing on a hill near the turnoff of the town. These lichen fields are soon to be declared a national monument (DALREC, 2003).

The fauna that inhabits the Khai Ma Local Municipality include, amongst others, the endemic Red Lark which occurs in the Koa River Valley. It is also expected that a wide variety of unique invertebrates are found in the area especially the south-facing slopes of the inselbergs and kloofs that have a much more moderated micro-climate. The aquatic pans in the region provide habitat for wading birds when inundated.

The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality provides habitat for the critically endangered Riverine Rabbit and the endangered Visagie’s Golden Mole which is unique to the area. These species are amongst the ten most threatened species in the country. Local fauna also includes the rare nomadic lark species, indigenous fish species, amphibians, various species of birds, as well as a wide variety of insects such as bees, wasps and beetles (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008).

The fauna that inhabits the Hantam Local Municipality includes a variety of small fauna such as, amphibians; indigenous fish species, various species of birds such as the blue crane and the black harrier and a variety of insects such as monkey beetles, bees and wasps.

The fauna that inhabits the Richtersveld Local Municipality includes the klipspringer, grey reebok, steenbok, duiker, springbok and gemsbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, baboon, vervet monkey, caracal (Plate 6), black- backed jackal (Plate 8), black-footed cat, brown hyena, leopard; Cape clawless

Nemai Consulting C.C. 62 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT otter, the De Winton’s golden mole (occuring in the sand dunes of Port Nolloth) and the Namakwa dune molerat. A variety of birds feature within the Richtersveld Local Municipality along the river courses including the Barlows lark, the Cape long-billed lark, the red lark, the Karoo scrub robin, the Namakwa prinia and the damera tern. The area also features a variety of insect types (i.e.scorpions, beetles, bees and wasps); reptiles including a variety of lizard species and snakes (i.e. the Namakwa dwarf adder and the desert mountain adder – both endemic) and frogs (i.e. the Namakwa rain frog - endemic; the marbled rubber frog and the paradise toad). Fish species include the Namakwa barb, the small mouth yellow fish, the large mouth yellow fish and Orange River mudfish (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008).

Plate 6 Felis caracal (http://ekapa.ioisa.org.za/module6/Reserves/images/species/Caracal. jpg)

Plate 7 Cephalopus sp (http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife)

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Plate 8 Canis mesomelas (http://www.sa- venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_jackal.htm)

Plate 9 Raphicerus campestris (http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife)

Plate 10 Panthera pardus (http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife)

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Plate 11 Cercopithecus aethiops (http://www.sa- venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_vmonkey.htm)

Plate 12 Anthropoides paradiseus (Source: SANBI)

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Plate 13 Sagittarius serpentarius (Source: SANBI)

Domestic animals within the NDM include sheep, goats, cattle, horses and donkeys. Stock farming is one of the major economic sectors within the NDM and it includes sheep, goat and cattle farming. Horses and donkeys are used for agricultural activities and as a mode of transport by the local people. Karoo Hoogland and Hantam Local Municipalities are the main agricultural centres where stock farming is the main economic activity.

4.1.9 Coastal Areas

The Namakwa Coastline extends over three municipalities – Kamiesberg, Nama Khoi and Richtersveld – and stretches over a length of approximately 313 kilometres. This coastline is also referred to as the Diamond Coast due to the abundant diamond deposits found in this region. The coast of NDM is rich in marine resources and the coastal and offshore environments have had a significant impact on the development of these areas as well as on the ability of the local residents to use these resources for financial, subsistence and recreational benefits.

Large sections of the coastline have been transformed through diamond mining and the remainder of this section will review the most important aspects applicable to the Namakwa coast.

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The coastline is very active and the cold water current makes the average sea temperatures lower than most tourists would accept. Hence the coastline is a generally unfriendly environment for recreational swimming. Biodiversity

The coastal zone south of the Orange River and to the Olifants River, 30 kilometres wide contains the so-called “Strandveld Coastal Zone”. In the north of this zone the rainfall is lower than in the south, with 50mm being the norm near Port Nolloth and 150mm being the annual average near Papendorp, overlooking the Olifants River Estuary (which is not within the NDM).

This coast includes some 432 terrestrial plant species of which 85 are unique to the Succulent Karoo Hotspot and 44 of which are classified as globally threatened.

The Strandveld Coastal Zone has four distinctive flora types (de Beers, 2008):  Short Strandveld;  Tall Strandveld;  Strandveld Dune Field  Grassy Sandveld.

Vegetation in all of these types is sparse and scrubby and well adapted to limited moisture. The coastal zone experiences strong winds in summer which limits the growth potential of the vegetation. They are sensitive to disturbance. Agricultural potential of the Strandveld is poor but the annual flower displays are, potentially, important tourist attractions. The Grassy Sandveld provides forage for, amongst others, springbok and gemsbok. The largest carnivore in the area is the brown hyena (de Beers, 2008).

SANParks intends to gazette a marine protected area and is acquiring private land to establish the proposed Namakwa Coastal Park as well as the biodiversity conservation corridor between it and the existing Namakwa National Park in the vicinity of Kamieskroon.

Mining

The Namakwa coast mining activities are dominated by two mining houses – Alexkor and De Beers Namakwaland (Pty) Ltd. Diamond mining houses control the majority of the Namakwa coastal areas. This restricts public access to coastal resources and, being a dominant employer, influences the lives of

Nemai Consulting C.C. 67 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT people in the area to a large extent. Opportunities for local economic development have been limited and physical infrastructure of the area is poorly developed and those that do exist are mostly related to mining use.

Alexkor operates from the Orange River mouth to just south of Port Nolloth, while De Beers operates from Alexkor’s border to slightly north of the Olifants River. In addition to the onshore concessions, the diamond companies also hold concessions for offshore diamond mining. This has implications for fishing.

Due to the fact that both companies are national and international entities respectively, the benefits of these companies are limited to local employment, taxes and secondary economic opportunities that develop around the mining operations.

Both operations are scaling down. Alexkor has curtailed all land-based operations and is now concentrating on marine mining. De Beers is mainly also mining on the coastal shelf, after alluvial diamond mining activities were suspended in December 2009. A date for the resumption of these activities has not been set.

Smaller operators will continue in the area until all the resources have been exhausted. The most significant newcomer will be the joint venture between the Richtersveld Community and Alexkor, the so-called Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture. This joint venture was formed after the Richtersveld Community won a land claim over the area and all land mining operations will be transferred to the joint venture. Alexkor will retain its marine mining rights. Trans Hex has a small operation in Port Nolloth, but this seems to be secondary to their lower Orange River operations. Trans Hex terminated all their marine diamond mining activities in 2008.

The transformation of the coastline due to diamond mining activities is dramatic. This transformation has affected the entire Coastal Protection Zone, along a large percentage of the NDM coastline, as can be seen from the Google Earth images shown below.

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Plate 14 Coastal Transformation – 63km south of Alexander Bay

Plate 14 shows alluvial diamond mining activities 63 kilometres south of Alexander Bay, in Alexkor’s mining area. What is shown is a network of haul roads, spoil and processing heaps and access tracks into the dune areas of the beach and into the high and low water marks. This activity is typical of the activity between Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. The plate15 below shows some of the most intensive activity and transformation.

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Plate 15 Coastal Transformation – 20km south of Alexander Bay

The plate above (Plate 15) shows a processing complex near Collins Harbour. The perimeter of the dam south of Collin’s Harbour comes within 50 meters of the wave zone of the coastline in this area.

These plates serve to demonstrate the degree of transformation that has taken place in the northern sections of the coastline. It is presumed that a rehabilitation operation, funded by Alexkor, will accompany the final closure of this mine.

The Plate 16 shows the alluvial diamond mining activity undertaken by De Beers Namakwaland around Kleinzee, about 50 kilometres south of Port Nolloth.

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Plate 16 Coastal Transformation – 50km south of Port Nolloth, Kleinzee

The transformation of the Coastal Protected Zones in the area show is total, and although this is the highest area of impact between Port Nolloth and Kleinzee, visible evidence of diamond mining activity is clear along this entire distance.

Other areas which exhibit large areas of disturbance are Koiingnaas, and Hondeklipbaai, which is shown in the Plate 17 below.

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Plate 17 Coastal Transformation – Hondeklipbaai

The remaining length of coastline is less heavily impacted, with the Plate 18 showing the level of impacts near Skurfbaai, which is 8 kilometres north of the end of the NDM coastline.

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Plate 18 Coastal Transformation – Skurfbaai

Here transformation, when viewed at this scale, is limited to access roads and the occasional small diggings.

Fishing and mari/agriculture

Fisheries along the NDM coast benefit from the presence of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME). It is estimated that the BCLME is one of the most productive ocean areas in the world and an important centre of marine biodiversity and marine food production (Northern Cape Province - Fishing and Mariculture Sector Development Strategy).

In theory, this abundance of marine and coastal resources could stimulate a successful fishing and mariculture industry. However, due to the relative under- development of the coastal infrastructure, insufficient fish quotas, distance from markets and lack of access to the coast, this aspect has been developed only to a small extent.

Despite this, the coastal towns of Port Nolloth and Hondeklipbaai have developed as regional fishing nodes and in both localities existing infrastructure, resource allocations, and levels of skills amongst local communities are

Nemai Consulting C.C. 73 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT sufficient to sustain the fishing industry, albeit at a relatively low level of development.

The lack of a safe deep-water harbor is a major constraint to the development of the fishing industry in NDM. The town of Port Nolloth possesses a shallow water harbor but the absence of a man-made breakwater means that the harbor is exposed to a strong current and swells during storms when access to the harbor is severely limited. The town of Hondeklipbaai has sheltered launching and a jetty suitable for small vessels in close proximity to the disused Oceana fish processing factory. Access to this town is however poor.

The only facility currently capable of operating as a fish processing facility is the John Ovenstone factory in Port Nolloth developed in the 1930’s by the Premier Group. It has a capacity of 3000t of fish a year and is currently completely unutilized (Northern Cape Province - Fishing and Mariculture Sector Development Strategy). During 1995 it was upgraded to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) health standards for the export of fresh fish during the hake long-line experiment. Due to the low quota allocation, and the fact that no other fish has been landed in Port Nolloth recently, the factory has been running at a loss and Premier Fishing withdrew from the area in 2002.

As a consequence of the fact that fishing and the processing of fish has taken place at Port Nolloth and Hondeklipbaai for many years, a well developed skills base exists in the industry. In addition, recent transformation of the fishing industry in line with government’s policies for small, medium and micro enterprise development and black economic empowerment has also seen the emergence of black-owned businesses in the industry in Port Nolloth.

The Namakwa Coast is a high-energy coastline with few sheltered bays and is therefore not conducive to in-sea mariculture. The only possible exception is the deep-water bay at Buchuberg where the use of the high-seas cages could be evaluated for the farming of salmon or other high-value fish species. Buchuberg Bay is characterised by very deep water (30 meters within one kilometre of the shore) and is sheltered from the prevailing westerly swell (Northern Cape Province - Fishing and Mariculture Sector Development Strategy).

Tourism

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Tourism is not widely practised on the coastal areas of NDM. This can be ascribed to the limited access to coastal areas, due to diamond mining activities, and the distances from main areas.

An opportunity exists for the possible development of the Namakwa Coastal Park, as mentioned above, to develop coastal areas for tourism and recreational facilities. This will contribute to job creation and reduce the dependence of these settlements on the mining industry as dominant employer.

4.2 Social Environment

4.2.1 Municipal Setting

The NDM covers the largest area (approximately 126 747km2) of all South African District Municipalities. Two national roads, the N7 (between Western Cape and Namibia) and N14 (between Springbok, Upington and Gauteng) pass through the District. The seat of governance of the NDM is in Springbok (NMD annual report, 2008/9).

The NDM (DC06) comprises of the following municipalities with the main centre as indicated:  Richtersveld Municipality (NC061) - Port Nolloth;  Nama Khoi Municipality (NC062) – Springbok;  Khai Ma Municipality (NC067) – Pofadder;  Kamiesberg Municipality (NC064) – Garies;  Hantam Municipality (NC065) – Calvinia;  Karoo Hoogland Municipality (NC066) – Williston; and  District Management Area, DMA, (NCDMA06).

The DMA is a largely un-inhabited area 24 428 km2 is extent. The population in this area numbers 897, which gives a population density of 0.04 persons per square kilometre.

Average population density for the Northern Cape Province is 2.9 per square kilometre, whilst the average for South Africa is 40 persons per square kilometre, forty times the population density of the NDM.

Richtersveld Local Municipality includes various towns such as Sanddrif, Kuboes, Alexander Bay, Eksteenfontein, Lekkersing, MacDougalls Bay and

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Baken, with the largest being Port Nolloth (Figure 11). The Municipality features four wards with eight councillors. The area covers 9 607kms2 with a total population estimated at 14 613 people. Population density is thus 1.5 people per square kilometre. The majority of the population lives in the towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, both located on the coast. The population living outside the urban areas is very sparse and consists of scattered sheep and goat herders (Community Survey, 2007).

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Figure 11 Municipal Setting: Richtersveld Local Municipality

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Port Nolloth, situated along the West Coast is a small-scale diamond mining and crayfish industry centre as well as a tourist resort. Alexander Bay and Baken are the main mining centres for alluvial diamond mining. Alexander Bay features a shopping centre, banking facilities and numerous sporting facilities, however these facilities need upgrading. Baken, a very small town adjacent to Sanddrif has a number of facilities and social infrastructures such as a clinic, shop and restaurant. Small scale harbours feature at Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay.

Nama Khoi Local Municipality includes towns such as Kleinzee, Komaggas, Steinkopf and Nababeep with the largest being the towns of Springbok, Concordia and O’kiep. Springbok is located along the N7 Highway and is in close proximity to the border of Namibia and South Africa. Nama Khoi is considered the hub of the NDM in terms of economic activities and population (Figure 12). The Nama Khoi area covers 15 025 kms2 and the population is estimated at 54 644 people. Population density is thus 3.6 people per square kilometre (Community Survey, 2007). Springbok is the administrative, commercial, farming and industrial centre. Springbok was the first commercial mining operations centre where the first copper mine was developed. O’kiep and Nababeep are copper mining towns. Steinkopf is a small stock sheep farming town.

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Figure 12 Municipal Setting: Nama Khoi Local Municipality

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Khai Ma Local Municipality includes various towns with the largest being the towns of Pofadder and Aggeneys (Figure 13). Khai Ma Local Municipality has the smallest land cover of all the local municipalities within the NDM with an area of 8 331km2 and has a population of approximately 12 571 people. Population density is thus 1.5 people per square kilometre (Community Survey, 2007). Pofadder is situated on the N14 Highway between Springbok and Kakamas is situated between Pofadder and Keimoes. Other towns within the Khai Ma Local Municipality include Goodhouse, Pella and Onseepkans. Pofadder is a sheep farming centre. Located on the Springbok-Pofadder road, Aggeneys is a copper, zinc and lead mining town.

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Figure 13 Municipal Setting: Khai Ma Local Municipality

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Kamiesberg Local Municipality has Hondeklipbaai, Garies and Kamieskroon as the largest towns (Figure 14). The area covers 11 742km2 and has a population of approximately 12 117 people. Population density is thus 1.0 people per square kilometre (Community Survey, 2007). The area is sparsely populated at about one person per km2. Kamiesberg Local Municipality is located in Garies.

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Figure 14 Municipal Setting: Kamiesberg Local Municipality

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The Kamiesberg Local Municipality is divided into four municipal wards and provides services to the towns and settlements of Camasses, Rooifontein, Nourivier, Leliefontein, Paulshoek, (Ward 4), Kamieskroon, Kharkams, Tweerivier (Ward 3) Koiingnaas, Hondeklipbaai, Soebatsfontein, Spoegrivier (Ward 1) Garies, Lepelfontein, Klipfontein and Kheis (Ward 2).

Hondeklipbaai is a seaside town and has a harbour which serves fishing and diamond-mining boats. It is also a mariculture (i.e. crayfish) and tourist centre (i.e. scenic drives and 4 x 4 routes). Garies and Kamieskroon situated along the N7 Highway are known for their abundance of spring wildflowers. Kleinzee is a mining town for alluvial diamonds. Kamieskroon, Kharkams and Paulshoek are tourist destinations.

Hantam Local Municipality has Calvinia, Niewoudtville and Loeriesfontein as the main towns (Figure 15). Smaller towns in the region include Brandvlei and Middelpos. The area covers 27 967 km2 and has a population of approximately 21 234 people. Population density is thus 0.8 people per square kilometre (Community Survey, 2007). Hantam Local Municipality has the greatest number of rural households.

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Figure 15 Municipal Setting: Hantam Local Municipality

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Calvinia has a local airport with a 1 250m long landing strip and the town is considered to be the second largest wool-producing district in South Africa and is also known for its spring wildflower shows. Nieuwoudtville is a farming (i.e rooibos plantations) and tourist town known for its wild flowers and is referred to as the “Bulb Capital of the World”. Loeriesfontein is a wool-production centre as well as a salt-mining town (http://www.sa- meanders.co.za/pubphp/region.php?lang=eng&x_reg_id=89).

Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality has Sutherland, Williston and Fraserburg as the main towns (Figure 16). The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality has the biggest land area of all the local municipalities within the NDM. It covers an area of 29 396 km2 and has a population of approximately 10 419 people (Community Survey, 2007). Population density is thus 0.4 people per square kilometre.

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Figure 16 Municipal Setting: Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality

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Sutherland is home to the South African Astronomical Observatory and is known for its excellent visibility of the stars (http://www.saao.ac.za/). It is also an important wool and mutton producing centre. Williston is known as a sheep farming centre and is home to the Tombstone Route. Fraserburg is a commercial farming and tourist destination town.

4.2.2 Demographic Profile

The NDM covers the largest area of all South African District Municipalities. It features scattered human settlements with a population of approximately 126 000 people (Figure 17). The majority of the population is located in urban areas with approximately 55% within the Richtersveld and Nama Khoi Local Municipalities (Community Survey, 2007).

The NDM which was previously characterised by mainly rural settlements experienced a rapid urbanization between the 1996 and the 2001 census.

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Figure 17 Namakwa Demarcation Population Centres, NDM.

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The population centres within the NDM are presented in the table 14 below.

Table 14 Population Centres, NDM. Municipality Population Centres Kuboes Alexander Bay Port Nolloth Richtersveld MacDougalls Bay Lekkersing Eksteenfontein Springbok Nababeep Vioolsdrif Nama Khoi Kleinzee Komaggas Steinkopf Onseepkans Pofadder Khai Ma Aggeneys Pella Koiingnaas Kamieskroon Kharkams Hondeklipbaai Kamiesberg Garies Paulshoek Kheis Soebatsfontein Tweerivier Niewoudtville Calvinia Hantam Loeriesfontein Brandvlei Middelpos

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Municipality Population Centres Williston Karoo Hoogland Sutherland Fraserburg

Table 15 Number of individuals by urban / non urban Municipality Urban Non-Urban Total

Hantam 14 609 5 204 19 813

Kamiesberg 8 495 2 257 10 752

Karoo 7 169 3 344 10 513 Hoogland

Khai-Ma 7 309 4 034 11 343

Nama Khoi 41 380 3 367 44 747

Richtersveld 9 567 556 10 123

Total 88 529 18 762 107 291

Table 15 above indicates that the highest number of individuals within urban areas was recorded within the Nama Khoi Local Municipality and the lowest number was recorded within the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality. The highest number of individuals within rural areas was recorded within Hantam Local Municipality and the lowest number was recorded within the Richtersveld Local Municipality. Table 15 above indicates that the majority of people within the NDM live in urban areas – 88 529 and only 18 762 people live within rural areas.

It should be noted that the density of these urban settlements is much lower than comparable settlements in the rest of South Africa, hence these is scope for densification of human settlements in the NDM.

4.2.3 Household and Population Analysis

Table 16 indicates the number of persons recorded during the 2007 Community Survey and the 2001 Census.

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Table 16 Total number of persons within the NDM Annual Growth Municipality CS 2007 Census 2001 Rate Richtersveld 14 613 10 125 6.31 Nama Khoi 54 644 44 750 3.39 Kamiesberg 12 117 10 754 2.01 Hantam 21 234 19 813 1.16 Karoo Hoogland 10 420 10 512 -0.15 Khai Ma 12 571 11 344 1.73 DMA 897 813 1.65 Total 126 496 108 111 2.65 Northern Cape Province 1 058 060 991 919 1.08% South Africa 48 502 063 44 819 777 1.32%

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Table 16 above indicates that the number of people within each local municipality has increased from the 2001 Census to the 2007 Community Survey, except for Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality where a slight decrease was recorded. The highest annual average population growth rate was in the Richtersveld Local Municipality at 6.31%, followed by the Nama Khoi Local Municipality at 3.39%. The overall annual average percentage growth rate experienced in the district was 2.65%. This is higher than the provincial average population growth rate, which is 1.08%. From this statistic, we can conclude that the population growth rates are due to natural growth and from inward migration to the NDM. Population growth rates are also double that for South Africa as a whole, further indication that inward migration to the NDM is occurring.

The table demonstrates further that, given there is overall migration into the NDM, the population migration within the NDM trend is towards the larger economic and social centres.

Economic migration takes place to improve one’s economic prospects, to take advantages of a higher number of work opportunities or to access larger markets. Social migration occurs as a result of humankind’s desire to form groups. Migration into larger groups improves one’s chances of forming relationships and developing family and friendship ties. Generally larger social groups tend to offer better economic opportunities, although this is not the case in areas where industry is establishing and population size is not yet very high. Typical examples of these types of area include mining towns or military bases, where the economic attraction is higher than the social attraction.

The population trends in the NDM point to the fact that the economic opportunities offered by the RLM are perceived to be better than those offered by the NKLM, hence the higher inward migration rates. This result could be explained by the fact that Port Nolloth, and to a lesser extent, Alexander Bay, are developing tourism nodes. This economic stimulus could be the factor that attracts migrants over the relatively larger and more economically diverse towns such as Springbok in the NKLM. This result has been achieved despite the fact that the largest economic activity in RLM is mining and the main diamond mine in Alexander Bay, Alexkor, is nearing the end of its operational life. This demonstrates the economic power of tourism.

The 2007 Community Survey indicates that the total number of households within the NDM increased to 36 437 compared to the 2001 Census figure of 27 776.

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Table 17 Total number of households within the NDM, (Community Survey 2007 and Census 2001) Annual Growth Municipality CS 2007 Census 2001 Rate Richtersveld 3 953 2 604 7.20 Nama Khoi 15 656 10 903 6.22 Kamiesberg 3 881 2 834 5.38 Hantam 5 819 5 404 1.24 Karoo Hoogland 2 982 2 942 0.23 Khai Ma 3 787 2 752 5.46 DMA 359 337 1.06 Total 36 437 27 776 4.63

Table 17 above indicates that household numbers for each local municipality within the NDM has increased from the 2001 Census to the 2007 Community Survey with the highest growth rate being experienced in Richtersveld Local Municipality, at 7.22%, with the Nama Khoi Local Municipality’s population growing at 6.22% annually over the period. The lowest growth rate was 0.23% for the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality, followed by the District Management Area.

The overall number of households in the NDM increased faster than the population. This indicates that the age profile of the NDM is increasing. As a population gets older, households tend to form as the result of long-term family relationships forming. Household creation is also faster in economically active areas, with the RLM and NKLM experiencing the highest growth.

The relative growth of household numbers against the growth in population, is largest in KLM and KMLM. Here the population grew at around 2% per annum, whilst the household count grew at around 5.4%. This phenomenon can again be explained by an aging population as well as by relative economic hardship, where the formation of families is a means to combine production and costs in a family unit and reap economies of scale.

4.2.4 Population Structure

Table 18 Age structure within the NDM (Census, 2001).

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Annual Average Persons 2001 1996 Growth Males 0 to 4 5 118 5 740 -1.89 Males 5 to 14 11 088 11 993 -1.30 Male 15 to 34 17 709 18 107 -0.37 Males 35 to 64 16 456 15 212 1.32 Males over 65 3 076 2 969 0.59 Males Total 53 447 54 021 -0.18 Females 0 to 4 4 870 5 494 -1.99 Females 5 to 14 10 637 11 637 -1.49 Females 15-34 17 325 17 844 -0.49 Females 35-64 17 648 15 909 1.74 Females over 65 4 182 3 735 1.90 Females Total 54 662 54 619 -0.01

Table 18 above indicates that there is a relatively even gender distribution throughout the age groups within the NDM. The only exception is the higher number in females over 65 years of age. This can be attributed to the fact that life expectancy of women on a global scale is higher than male life expectancy.

The table demonstrates that between 1996 and 2001, the last time that systematic age breakdown figures were available in the NDM, the trend was towards an aging population. The numbers of people, of both genders, between the ages of 0 and 34 decreased on average by 1.25%. This ageing is taking place because the younger population groups within the NDM are migrating out of the district, and therefore having and raising their children in other geographic locations.

The main reason for an ageing population is outward migration of the youth due to better economic and social prospects elsewhere. This phenomenon is an economic risk factor since the most productive and energetic members of the population are working in other jurisdictions and these people are not likely to be replaced by births in the remaining population, nor by inward migration. This trend is likely to continue, unless the economic climate in the NDM improves

On the surface, the relatively high population increase experienced by the NDM, at 2.6% per annum, and the even faster growth in number of households, is at odds with the trend of outward youth migration. This phenomenon can be

Nemai Consulting C.C. 95 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT explained if the inward migrants are older members of the population, those who have already formed family units. Reasons for this type of migration could be an economic or social attraction, which could be enhanced by a relative lack of skills and experience within the NDM. Thus it is suggested that the existing workforce in the NDM has low levels of education.

This trend supports the assertions made in Section 4.2.3 above, that the existing, aging NDM population is migrating towards the better economic and social prospects of the larger centres in the NDM.

Table 19 Gender structure within the NDM

Richters- Nama Kamies- Karoo Hantam Khai-Ma DMA Total veld Khoi berg Hoogland

Male 5 138 22 004 5 455 9 535 5 006 5 844 467 534 49 Female 4 986 22 746 5 299 10 278 5 506 5 501 345 54 661 % 49% 51% 49% 52% 52% 48% 42% 51% Female Total 10 125 44 750 10 754 19 813 10 512 11 344 813 108 111

Table 19 above indicates that there is a relatively even gender distribution within the NDM. The lowest percentage of females was registered within the District Management Area 42% followed by Kamiesberg Local Municipality with 48%.

4.2.5 Income Distribution

Census 2001 data has been presented and analysed to obtain an understanding of the income profile of the NDM.

The table below gives income data, per income bracket, for all local municipalities, as a percentage of the total number of people (between 15 and 65) in each income bracket.

Table 20 Person Income per Income Bracket and Municipality (% of District Total) Percentage of Percentage of High Percentage Percentage of Low Middle Income Local Income Earners of Total Income Earners Earners Municipality [R25 601 and above Income [0 to R3 200 pm] [R3 201 to R25 600 pm] Earners pm]

Hantam 19% 14% 28% 18%

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Percentage of Percentage of High Percentage Percentage of Low Middle Income Local Income Earners of Total Income Earners Earners Municipality [R25 601 and above Income [0 to R3 200 pm] [R3 201 to R25 600 pm] Earners pm]

Kamiesberg 8% 10% 6% 8%

Karoo 11% 6% 16% 10% Hoogland

Khâi-Ma 15% 10% 8% 14%

Nama Khoi 37% 49% 36% 40%

Richtersveld 9% 12% 7% 10%

Grand Total 100% 100% 100% 100%

Table 20 demonstrates that NKLM has the highest number of income earners in the NDM, at 40% of the total district income earning population. The next highest number of income earners is in the HLM, with 18%. KMLM, KHLM, RLM and KLM all contribute about 10% of the total number of income earners in the district. Thus NKLM is by far the largest source of income for the residents on NDM.

The table further demonstrates that NKLM has the highest percentage of low income people in the district, at 37%, HLM and KHLM follow. Hence poverty alleviation efforts and programmes to improve the economy in the NKLM will yield the highest poverty alleviation benefits.

The table below gives income data, per income bracket, for all local municipalities, as a percentage of the total number of people (between 15 and 65) in each local municipality.

Table 21 Person Income per Income Bracket and Municipality (% of LM Total). Percentage of Percentage of High Percentage Percentage of Low Middle Income Local Income Earners of Total Income Earners Earners Municipality [R25 601 and above Income [0 to R3 200 pm] [R3 201 to R25 600 pm] Earners pm]

Hantam 82% 17% 1% 100%

Kamiesberg 71% 28% 1% 100%

Karoo 84% 14% 1% 100% Hoogland

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Percentage of Percentage of High Percentage Percentage of Low Middle Income Local Income Earners of Total Income Earners Earners Municipality [R25 601 and above Income [0 to R3 200 pm] [R3 201 to R25 600 pm] Earners pm]

Khâi-Ma 83% 16% 0% 100%

Nama Khoi 71% 28% 1% 100%

Richtersveld 72% 28% 1% 100%

Grand Total 76% 23% 1% 100%

Table 21 above demonstrates that the district has an overall average of 76% of its residents in the low income bracket, i.e. between 0 and R 3 200 per month. The HLM, KHLM and KMLM all have 82-84% of their residents in this income bracket. This is compared to the NKLM which has the lowest percentage of low income earners at 72%.

This table demonstrates that the levels of poverty in the NDM as a whole are very high. Thus the level of economic activity is too low to adequately support its population.

Census 2001 data has been used to analyse household income. The data confirms the trends above. The majority of the households within the NDM, 76%, earn below R38 400 per annum. Of this figure 12% of households earn no income and they depend on state grants and charity for their survival.

Table 22 Percentage of households by annual household income within the NDM

R2 R2

-

R307 R307 R614

- -

R1 228 R1 228

-

R38 400 R38 800 R76

R9 600 R9

R19 200 R19 600 R153

- -

- -

Municipality -

R4 R4 800

200 400 800

- more

457600

201

No No Income R1

R4 R4 801 R1 801228

R153601 R307201

R2 457 601 and R2 601457

R9 R9 601

R19 R38401

R614401 R76801 Hantam 472 375 1265 1381 869 462 314 175 49 24 17 6

Kamiesberg 447 201 591 588 413 259 169 59 9 12 66 19

Karoo 198 336 725 756 411 232 188 49 28 11 3 3 Hoogland

Khai Ma 386 181 580 549 396 325 217 95 23 3 0 6

Nama Khoi 1380 543 1719 2079 2201 1462 992 415 81 20 14 6

Richtersveld 465 151 358 396 461 385 279 77 19 3 3 3

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R2 R2

-

R307 R307 R614

- -

R1 228 R1 228

-

R38 400 R38 800 R76

R9 600 R9

R19 200 R19 600 R153

- -

- -

Municipality -

R4 R4 800

200 400 800

- more

457600

201

No No Income R1

R4 R4 801 R1 801228

R153601 R307201

R2 457 601 and R2 601457

R9 R9 601

R19 R38401

R614401 R76801 Total 3 348 1 787 5 238 5 749 4 751 3 125 2 159 870 209 73 103 43

Table 22 above provides additional detail on the percentage figures presented above.

According to the 2001 Census, the average household income for the NDM is R25 000 per household. However, the majority of individuals and households fall in the R 2 401 – R 6 000 per annum bracket.

Further analysis indicates that the majority of households earn less than one half of the total average i.e. less than R 12 000 per annum. Table 22 above details the number of households by annual income for each local municipality within the NDM as per the Census 2001.

The 2001 Census figures indicate low income levels in each local municipality within the NDM and many individuals are unemployed and entirely dependent on state grants and charity for their survival.

4.2.6 Education and Literacy

The education levels in the NDM are low. Approximately half of the population over 20 years old within the District have some secondary education and a very small percentage obtained Grade 12 qualification.

The statistics in Table 23 are from the 2001 Census. In total there were 6% of the people within the NDM that have a higher education; 16% have Standard 10/Grade 12 education; fully 35%, or one third of the population have some secondary education, 11% have complete primary education, another 22% have some primary education and 11% of the population had no schooling.

The highest number of individuals with no schooling was recorded within the Hantam Local Municipality.

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Table 23 Number of individuals (age 20+) by highest education level reached Std No Some Complete Some Municipality 10/Grade Higher Total Schooling primary primary secondary 12

Hantam 3 083 2 492 997 2 837 1 735 719 11 863

% of LM 26% 21% 8% 24% 15% 6% 100%

Kamiesberg 563 1 563 782 2 502 983 238 6 631

% of LM 8% 24% 12% 38% 15% 4% 100%

Karoo 1 814 1 336 474 1 535 902 524 6 585 Hoogland

% of LM 28% 20% 7% 23% 14% 8% 100%

Khai-Ma 462 1 730 851 2 793 1 044 274 7 154

% of LM 6% 24% 12% 39% 15% 4% 100%

Nama Khoi 1 248 5 484 3 315 11 068 4 489 1 760 27 364

% of LM 5% 20% 12% 40% 16% 6% 100%

Richtersveld 329 1 357 1 109 2 246 1 080 271 6 392

% of LM 5% 21% 17% 35% 17% 4% 100%

Total 7 499 13 962 7 528 22 981 10 233 3 786 65 989

% of Total 11% 21% 11% 35% 16% 6% 100%

This implies that 44% of the population had an education level below high school in 2001. Another 50% had some form of high school education. Only 21% of the population had received a matric certificate or higher, with matric being seen as minimum required for a member of the workforce not engaged in manual labour.

If it is assumed that those without matric are unlikely to have the necessary skills to work on non-manual occupations, then 79% of the population of the NDM is qualified for manual labour.

Following this basic education breakdown, Table 24 below provides a breakdown in the classification “Higher” in the table above. This analysis is done to determine the percentage of the workforce that is skilled and whose skills can be harnessed to drive the economy of the NDM.

Table 24 Number of individuals (age 20+) by higher education levels

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Municipality

12 12

Totals

degree

diploma

doctorate)

Bachelor's Bachelor's

degreeand

(master's or

Diplomawith

Higherdegree

Certificatewith

lessthan grade lessthan grade Honour'sdegree Hantam 10% 15% 29% 33% 5% 8% 100% Kamiesberg 14% 10% 32% 23% 13% 8% 100% Karoo 4% 15% 33% 24% 15% 9% 100% Hoogland Khai Ma 21% 21% 22% 15% 4% 16% 100% Nama Khoi 24% 14% 23% 20% 10% 10% 100% Richtersveld 16% 15% 24% 18% 19% 8% 100% Total 8% 16% 29% 25% 11% 11% 100%

Table 24 above indicates that of those individuals with a level of education beyond matric, 54% of the qualifications are at a bachelor’s degree level. 22% of this population have a degree above Bachelor’s level. When the entire population of the NDM is used, these figures translate to 3.2% and 1.3% respectively.

The Richtersveld Local Municipality has three high schools, seven secondary schools and several primary schools. Each of the rural towns has one primary and one pre-primary school.

The Nama Khoi Local Municipality has twenty-four high or secondary schools and a number of primary schools. Damelin College has opened a branch in Springbok that provides community tourism and management courses.

Within the Khai Ma Local Municipality there are seven high or secondary schools and several primary schools.

The Kamiesberg Local Municipality has fifteen high or secondary schools and twelve primary schools.

The Hantam Local Municipality has nineteen high or secondary schools and several primary schools.

The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality has nine high or secondary schools and a number of primary schools.

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4.2.7 Living Conditions

Living conditions in the local municipality can be approximated by reference to figures for the indicators listed below:  Type of main residential dwelling;  Household water source;  Energy used for cooking; and  Tenure status.

These four indicators are used since they reveal the socio-economic conditions of the household.

The type of residential dwelling is a key indicator that reflects the degree to which the household is permanently established in the area and has established social ties. The more permanent the housing type, the more investment that household has in the area in which they live. Thus they are ties that bind the household to the community.

The household water source is an indicator of the overall level of service in the community. The ideal service type is to have potable water supplies in the house. Any other lower standard of service indicates either that the household is highly impermanent or that the standards of service in the municipality do not allow for adequate connection. This could be due to a lack of municipal resources, or from the location of the household in question.

The energy source used for cooking is a further indicator of service level, as well as being an indicator of household financial strength. The use of electricity for cooking is relatively more expensive than alternatives such as wood or paraffin, but the convenience of this energy source allows households to devote more time to other productive activities. Similar to the case with water supplies, the availability of electricity in the house points to a high level of service from the municipality, especially if this availability is pervasive. The local environmental impact of electricity is lower than the alternatives, and is thus more desirable when seen from this viewpoint.

The tables below provide detail on the indicators. Each table is followed by a discussion of the implications of the indicator and the percentage changes between Census 2001 and the Community Survey 2007.

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Table 25 Percentage distribution of households by type of main dwelling Census Annual % Type of Main Dwelling CS 2007 2001 Change House or brick structure on a separate stand or 75.1 75.3 0% yard Traditional dwelling/hut/structure made of 7.0 4.5 -6% traditional materials Flat in block of flats 1.6 1.4 -2% Town/cluster/semi-detached house (simplex: 1.5 2.0 6% duplex: triplex) House/flat/room in back yard 1.9 1.1 -7% Informal dwelling/shack

in backyard 2.4 1.6 -6% Not in backyard e.g. Informal settlement 9.0 8.9 0% Room/flatlet not in back yard but on a shared 0.8 0.5 -6% property Caravan or tent 0.7 0.2 -12% Private ship/boat 0.0 0.0 n/a Workers' hostel (bed/room) 0.0 4.0 n/a Other 0.0 0.5 n/a Total 100.0 100.0

Table 25 above shows that 75.3% of the population of the NDM live in formal brick structures, located on a private stand or erf. The next largest dwelling type is a shack located in an informal settlement, which comprise 8.9% of the total households. The percentage change in the six years between the two surveys is almost zero, which indicates that the pressure for housing stock is not acute.

This observation is confirmed by the fact that the annual decrease in occupancy of a backyard shack is 6% (1.6% of the population) and that for traditional dwellings is 6% (4.5% of the population). This is contrasted by a growth of 6% in townhouse/cluster dwellings. Thus there is a degree of “trading up” within the NDM, where backyard shack and traditional dwellers are decreasing.

This lack of pressure on urban housing stock is maintained despite the urbanisation trends isolated in Section 4.2.3 above. This is due to a combination

Nemai Consulting C.C. 103 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT of increasing urban densities and a portion of the youth moving out of the NDM to seek better social and economic prospects elsewhere.

A trend towards increasing urban densities can be discerned by the 6% annual growth in households living in townhouses or cluster complexes. This trend is largely driven by economics, in that these types of dwelling are cheaper to purchase and cheaper to maintain than an equivalent size of dwelling located on its own private erf.

It should be noted that 10.5 of the households in the NDM are shacks. This translates to 3 826 households living in shacks.

Table 26 Percentage distribution of households by type of water source Census Annual % Type of Water Source CS 2007 2001 Change Piped water inside the dwelling 34.3 50.0 8% Piped water inside the yard 37.7 30.3 -3% Piped water from access point outside 22.0 14.1 -6% the yard Borehole 1.7 2.7 10% Spring 0.3 0.0 -17% Dam/pool 0.9 0.8 -2% River/Stream 1.3 0.7 -8% Water vendor 0.1 0.4 50% Rainwater tank 0.2 0.3 8% Other 1.7 0.7 -10% Total 100.0 100.0

Table 26 above shows that the dominant source of water for the residents of the NDM was water in the household dwelling, with 50% of the population. A further 30% have water supplied to the yard. A remaining 14% have water supplied to an access point outside their yards. When the households who have access to borehole water are added, 98% of the population of the NDM has access to some form of treated potable water. The method and effectiveness of the water treatment varies from the formal water care works serving Springbok to the community operated borehole schemes of Lekkersing in the Richtersveld LM.

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The table further reinforces the fact that water is not easily available in the NDM since fully 97% of people rely upon man-made systems for the provision of water. This compares to 92.4% in South Africa and 84.0% in the more water abundant province of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The data imply that 1 057 households do not have access to an improved water supply in the NDM.

Table 27 Percentage distribution of households by tenure status Census Annual % Household Tenure Status CS2007 2001 Change Owned and fully paid off 48.6 56.9 3% Owned but not yet paid off 12.2 9.7 -3% Rented 15.7 16.0 0% Occupied rent-free 23.5 16.4 -5% Other - 1 n/a Total 100.0 100.0

Table 27 above shows that most (57%) of the households in the NDM own their own dwelling, this figure is across all dwelling types, brick houses to shacks. A further 10% are paying off debt in order to own the house. Thus 67% of the population of the NDM live in houses owned and maintained by themselves.

Sixteen percent of the population of the NDM live in rented accommodation.

A further 16% live in rent free accommodation. This type of accommodation is typically provided to farm labourers and mine workers, and the annual percentage decrease in this type of accommodation is 5%, which is in-line with expectations given the shrinking of the mining sector and the formalisation of the labour relations in the agricultural sector.

Table 28 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for cooking Type of Energy/Fuel used for Census Annual % CS 2007 Cooking 2001 Change Electricity 54.1 77.2 7% Gas 6.6 4.1 -6% Paraffin 18.3 8.0 -9%

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Wood 19.3 10.0 -8% Coal 0.5 0.2 -10% Animal dung 0.8 0.1 -15% Solar 0.2 0.2 0% Other 0.2 0.2 0% Total 100.0 100.0

Table 28 above shows that 77% of the population of the NDM use electricity as their main source of energy for cooking. This implies that the electricity grid has a high degree of penetration in the NDM. The national average for this indicator is 66.4%.

The high percentage decreases in the use of other fuels indicates that electricity is deemed to be the most economic and convenient form of cooking energy available in the NDM.

4.3 Economic Environment

4.3.1 General Economy and Employment

The main economic activities within the NDM are agriculture and mining. Stock farming in the District includes sheep, cattle and goat farming and is the key contributor to the agricultural sector. Ostrich farming is also practised within the District. Flower bulbs and wool production are also important contributors to the agricultural sector. The Orange River plays a key role in the regions’ agricultural activities and alluvial diamond mining activities.

Karoo Hoogland and Hantam Local Municipalities are the relevant agricultural centres where stock farming is the main economic sector with very little mining occurring. The main mining activity centres are Kamiesberg, Richtersveld, Nama Khoi and Khai Ma Local Municipalities.

In the Richtersveld Local Municipality mining is the main economic activity providing most of the employment opportunities in the region.

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The main mining activity centres where alluvial diamond mining and quarrying are performed include Alexander Bay and Baken. Port Nolloth is a small-scale diamond mining and crayfish industry centre as well as a tourist resort.

Lekkersing and Kuboes are characterised by small stock farming with most farmers being small scale and/or subsistence. Small-scale harbours feature at Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth.

In Nama Khoi Springbok is the main town. Springbok is an administrative, commercial, farming and industrial centre and represents the economic activity hub for the surrounding smaller towns. Springbok is the communications, administrative, educational and commercial centre for the copper mining within the Nama Khoi Local Municipality. The towns of Kleinzee and Koiingnaas mainly house the mining industry staff. The inland area is mainly used for farming. Nababeep, the headquarters of the O’kiep Copper Company, and Concordia are copper mining towns. O’kiep hosts the copper mine and copper mining used to be the main economic activity in the area. Steinkopf is a small stock sheep farming town.

Kamiesberg Local Municipality has three main economic sectors: livestock grazing, mining and tourism. The two emerging sectors are aquaculture and conservation and ecological restoration. The main economic activities in Garies are granite works and farming. The major economic activity in Koiingnaas is mining. The main economic activity in Kamieskroon and Kharkams is stock farming.

In the Khai Ma Local Municipality Pofadder and Aggeneys are the main towns. Aggeneys is a copper, zinc and lead mining town. Pofadder has sheep farming as the main economic activity. Pella is the fruit growing centre within the Khai Ma Local Municipality where dates, figs, grapes and pomegranates are grown.

In the Hantam Local Municipality Calvinia, Niewoudtville and Loeriesfontein are the main towns. Calvinia is a sheep and wool farming town. Niewoudtville’s main economic activities are sheep farming as well as wheat and rooibos tea production. Loeriesfontein is a wool farming and salt mining centre.

In the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality Sutherland, Williston and Fraserburg are the main towns. Sutherland is a farming town with the main activities being sheep and wool farming. Williston is another farming town with the main activity

Nemai Consulting C.C. 107 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT being sheep farming. Fraserburg is a commercial farming as a well as a tourist town.

Table 29 Local municipalities contribution to NDM GGP Municipality GDP (2007) % of District Total Richtersveld R 652,467.04 17.3% Nama Khoi R 1 573, 543.68 41.7% Kamiesberg R 389,601.93 10.3% Hantam LM R 444, 112.48 11.8% Karoo Hoogland R 314,288.30 8.3% Khai Ma R 388,427.06 10.3% Namakwa R 10, 682.84 0.3% Namakwa DM (TOTAL) R 3,773, 123.32 100% (Quantec Database, Standardised Regional Data, 2007)

Table 29 above indicates that Nama Khoi Local Municipality has the highest contribution to the NDM GDP 41.7% and the lowest contribution of 8.3% was recorded within the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality.

Accessibility to the area is a significant challenge as there are no major airports within the NDM. The closest national airport is Kimberly and the nearest international airport is Upington International. The closest major port is Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. There are no commuter railway networks within the NDM which results in limited accessibility to the area.

The major south/north corridor, the N7 National Road which passes through Springbok, Garies and Kamieskroon towns has been widened between Springbok and Garies. However, there is need for further upgrading of the N7.

The major east west corridor is the N14 which connects O’kiep to Pofadder. The N14 continues to Upington and then into the Gauteng Province.

The R358 secondary road is a gravel road between Pofadder and Onseepkans. The R358 connects Pofadder to Kenhardt and Bitterfontein.

The major employment sectors within the NDM are the agriculture and mining sectors.

Table 30 Number of individuals (Age 15-65) by employment status (Census 2001)

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Not Economically Municipality Employed Unemployed % Unemployment Active

Hantam 5 228 1 337 5 493 20%

Kamiesberg 2 355 1 108 3 209 32%

Karoo Hoogland 2 933 1 175 2 375 29%

Khâi-Ma 3 976 731 2 788 16%

Nama Khoi 11 535 5 754 12 254 33%

DMA 421 0 183 0%

Richtersveld 2 831 1 558 2 467 35%

Totals 29 279 11 663 28 769 28%

Table 30 above indicates that the highest number of employed individuals was recorded within the Nama Khoi Local Municipality and the lowest number within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality.

The table demonstrates that the size of the district workforce is 40 492 and the unemployment rate was 28% in 2001. The highest unemployment rate is 35% and 33% in the RLM and NKLM respectively. This indicates that work-seekers are highest in these two municipalities given their economic size and diversity.

The lowest unemployment figures are in the DMA with no unemployment and HLM with 20% unemployment. These figures indicate that the few people living in the DMA are living there for a purpose; they are either sent there or retained there by an employer. The low employment rate in HLM could be attributed to the agricultural focus of the economy in the area which offers relatively few economic opportunities outside that sector, thus not attracting migrant work- seekers.

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Table 31 Number of employed individuals (age 15-65) by industry (Census 2001)

Municipality

trade

services

water supply water Construction

and personal personal and

Other and not not and Other

Undetermined

Manufacturing

Wholes and retail retail and Wholes

Transport; storage storage Transport; social Community;

Electricity, gas and and gas Electricity,

forestry and fishing and forestry defined adequately

Agriculture hunting; hunting; Agriculture

and communication and Households Private Mining and quarrying and Mining

Hantam 1 806 56 141 17 236 610 98 813 0 658 588

Kamiesberg 477 613 44 6 51 222 61 410 3 202 185

Karoo Hoogland 1 327 0 45 3 83 241 50 419 0 410 253

Khai Ma 1 968 474 140 41 207 359 26 371 0 163 150

Nama Khoi 821 3 314 474 67 585 1 824 282 1 993 0 1 070 541

Richtersveld 114 1 155 67 4 85 369 68 418 0 245 148

Total 6 513 5 612 911 138 12 47 3 625 585 4 424 3 2 748 1 865

% of Total 24% 20% 3% 0% 5% 13% 2% 16% 0% 10% 7%

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Table 31 above indicates that the highest number of individuals is employed within the agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing sector followed by the mining and quarrying sector. The above table indicates that agriculture and mining are the dominant employment sectors within the District with few employment opportunities within alternative industries.

Figure 18 Total Employment by Industry

The graphic above is derived from

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Table 31 and clearly demonstrates the dominance of the agricultural and mining industries towards employment creation in the NDM. Together these sectors contributed 44% of total employment in 2001.

The next largest sectors are the community services and social grouping at 16% and private households which employ 10% of the workforce.

Table 32 Number of employed individuals (age 15-65) by occupation (Census 2001)

Municipality

elatedtrades

Clerks

workers workers

assemblers

Professionals

operatorsand

Undetermined

fisheryworkers

Technicians and

andmarket sales

Legislators;senior

Plant Plant andmachine

Serviceworkers; shop

officialsand managers

Skilled agriculturaland

associateprofessionals

Craftand r Elementary occupations

Hantam 238 174 269 400 294 845 294 121 2 184 401

Kamiesberg 120 90 180 232 216 277 366 118 593 165

Karoo Hoogland 117 67 147 150 168 327 133 78 1 515 231

Khai Ma 112 74 177 210 187 267 536 173 2 169 63

Nama Khoi 485 579 878 1 495 1 277 197 2 171 737 3 277 439

Richtersveld 178 138 200 323 259 137 510 333 642 108

Total 1 250 1 122 1 851 2 810 2 401 2 050 4 010 1 560 10 380 1 407

% of Total 4% 4% 6% 10% 8% 7% 14% 5% 36% 5%

Table 32 above indicates that the highest percentages (36%) of workers were employed in the elementary occupations. These are occupations with a focus on manual labour and un-skilled jobs. The next highest category is artisans at 14%. Following this are a group of categories; clerks (10%), shop assistants and skilled workers in the agricultural and forestry industries. Of the total workforce, 8% occupy positions such as managers.

These findings match the observations made in Section 4.2.6 that education levels are low and this allows work seekers to carry out only manual and un- skilled work.

4.3.2 Tourism

The NDM is characterised by a unique environment and contains numerous areas of high conservation importance and high tourism potential. Tourism is a growing and developing sector within the NDM and its potential is yet to be fulfilled.

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Access to the District is available through two national roads, the N7 (connecting the Western Cape to Namibia) and the N14 (connecting Springbok to Upington and further east to Gauteng). Three airports are located in the region of Alexander Bay, Springbok and Calvinia.

The NDM has tourism potential in terms of the following areas: a. Eco-tourism: NDM is characterized by unique natural flora and features several national parks and nature reserves such as:

 Namakwa National Park (near Kamieskroon);  Tankwa Karoo National Park (Namakwaland, south of Hantam Local Municipality);  Richtersveld National Park (Richtersveld Local Municipality);  Groenspoeg (south of Hondeklipbaai);  Goegap Nature Reserve (Nama Khoi Local Municipality);  Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve (south of Niewoudtville);  Akkerdam Nature Reserve (north of Calvinia); and  Hantam National Botanical Gardens (Hantam Local Municipality). b. Adventure Tourism: within the NDM includes 4x4 trails, hiking, mountain biking; camping, fishing, river rafting and canoeing. Some of these facilities are listed below:

 Namakwa 4x4 Trail (from Pella to Alexander Bay);  The Richtersveld Route includes hiking, 4x4 trails and mountain biking;  Kamieskroon Trail;  Pofadder Hiking Trail (Pofadder);  Rooiberg Hiking Trail (east of Garies);  Skaaprivier Hiking Trail (near Nababeep);  Koperberg Tours and Safaris (Springbok);  Angling (Alexander Bay);  Scenic drives (Hondeklipbaai);  Hiking (Oorlogskloof);  Caracal Ecoroute (Namakwa National Park); and  Canoeing and river rafting on the Orange River. c. Historical and Cultural Tourism: the NDM offers the rich heritage of the Khoi San/Nama people with an ancient and indigenous culture; the Annual

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Namakwa Festival of Culture and Light (Springbok); historical buildings; churches and the mining museums with the history of diamond mining and settlement in the region. Some of the historical and cultural tourism features within the NDM are listed below, however a detailed list is presented in section 9 of this report.

 The Dutch Reformed Church (Steinkopf);  Rhenish Mission Church (Concordia);  Fort Shelton (O’kiep);  Klipfontein (Steinkopf);  The Dutch Reformed Church (Brandvlei);  Calvinia Museum (Calvinia);  Calvinia Meat Festival (Calvinia);  Khoisan Rock Paintings (Niewoudtville);  Fraserburg Museum (Fraserburg);  The Methodist Church (Leliefontein);  Mining Museum (Nababeep);  Bosluispan (near Pofadder);  The Dutch Reformed Church (Sutherland); and  Williston Museum (Williston). d. Technological Tourism: the undeveloped nature and climate of the NDM makes it favourable for star-gazing. The South African Large Telescope (SALT) at the Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland is the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere. SALT has a redesigned optical system using more of the mirror array and is able to record distant stars and galaxies. Potential projects include:

 Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – a US project for the development of the world’s largest radio telescope  Mining tourism – tours of diamond mines would provide visitors with fascinating insights into this largely closed and traditionally secretive industry

The NDM is characterised by a rich cultural and historical heritage. The historical buildings, the museums, the churches and the archaeological sites located within the NDM offer an opportunity to explore the local history and represent an important tourism attraction within the District.

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The Nama, the largest group of the Khoikhoi people, most of whom have largely disappeared, live in Namakwaland. The Nama culture is rich in music and literature and the Nama are known for their crafts which include amongst others leatherwork, musical instruments (such as reed flutes) and clay pots.

The table below indicates the rich cultural and historic heritage that features within the NDM.

Table 33 Cultural and historical features, NDM. Cultural And Historic Features Town Municipality Namakwa Festival Springbok Nama Khoi Anglo-Boer War Graves Springbok Nama Khoi Dutch Reformed Church Springbok Nama Khoi Monument Koppie Springbok Nama Khoi Namakwaland Museum Springbok Nama Khoi Old Cemetery outside Springbok Nama Khoi Smelting Furnace north of Springbok Nama Khoi Synagogue Springbok Nama Khoi Concordia Grave Yard Concordia Nama Khoi Granite Ore Bins near Concordia Nama Khoi Rhenish Mission Church Concordia Nama Khoi United Reformed Church Concordia Nama Khoi Kleinzee Museum Kleinzee Nama Khoi Cornish Pump House O’kiep Nama Khoi Fort Shelton between O’kiep & Nama Khoi Concordia Klondike Geological Site O’kiep Nama Khoi Magabreccia Geological Site O’kiep Nama Khoi Smokestack O’kiep Nama Khoi Graveyard O’kiep Nama Khoi The Dutch Reformed Church Steinkopf Nama Khoi Klipfontein Steinkopf Nama Khoi Kinderle Steinkopf Nama Khoi The Dutch Reformed Church Brandvlei Hantam The Dutch Reformed Church Calvinia Hantam

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Cultural And Historic Features Town Municipality Grave of Abraham Esau Calvinia Hantam Calvinia Museum Calvinia Hantam Hantam Huls Calvinia Hantam Die Dorphuls Calvinia Hantam Aspoort near Calvinia Hantam Khoisan Rock Paintings Niewoudtville Hantam Oorlogskloof 10kms south of Hantam Niewoudtville Corbelled House Driefontein Farm Karoo Hoogland Fraserburg Gansfontein Palaeosurface 5kms out of Fraserburg Karoo Hoogland Fraserburg Museum Fraserburg Karoo Hoogland Pepperbus Fraserburg Karoo Hoogland Powder Magazine Depot Fraserburg Karoo Hoogland Letterklip Garies Kamiesberg Shipwreck Hondeklipbaai Kamiesberg Lt. D.J. Darter’s Grave 15kms south of Kamiesberg Kamieskroon Paulshoek Cultural Camp Paulshoek Kamiesberg Leliefontein Mission Church Leliefontein Kamiesberg The Methodist Church Leliefontein Kamiesberg Parsonage Leliefontein Kamiesberg Bushmans Fountain Klipfontein Kamiesberg Mining Museum Nababeep Khai Ma The Roman Catholic Mission Church Pella Khai Ma The Dutch Reformed Church Pofadder Khai Ma The Catholic Nunnery Pofadder Khai Ma Bosluispan near Pofadder Khai Ma The Dutch Reformed Church Sutherland Karoo Hoogland Graves Sutherland Karoo Hoogland Louw House Museum Sutherland Karoo Hoogland Corbelled Houses Williston Karoo Hoogland Williston Museum Williston Karoo Hoogland

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Figure 19 below indicates the cultural and historical features within the NDM:

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Figure 19 Cultural and Historical Features, NDM.

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4.3.3 Land Use

The major economic drivers within the District are the agriculture and mining sectors. Tourism and construction are smaller, developing industries. Tourism is a developing industry which is currently seasonal with tourists visiting mainly during the July to October months which feature the annual Namakwa spring flower display. Urban development is not a major economic driver and is expected to increase only slightly in the future.

The relevant agricultural centres within the NDM are the Karoo Hoogland and Hantam Local Municipalities where stock farming is the main economic activity. There is very little mining occurring within these municipalities.

Most of the cultivated dryland within the District occurs within the Kamiesberg, Nama Khoi, Hantam and Karoo Hoogland Local Municipalities. There is very little mining occurring within these municipalities. The main crops grown in the District are Lucerne and wheat with rooibos being cultivated in Niewoudtville. In the Orange River Valley, including Kakamas and Keimoes, fruits (i.e. grapes) are cultivated intensively. Sheep-farming towns include Lekkersing, Kuboes, Calvinia, Steinkopf, Niewoudtville, Loeriesfontein, Garies, Sutherland, Williston, Fraserburg, Brandvlei; Middelpos and Pofadder. Pella is a fruit production centre where dates, figs, grapes and pomegranates are grown. Niewoudtville is also a bulb-production centre.

Mariculture activities are located at Port Nolloth, Alexander Bay and Hondeklipbaai and focus on oysters and some experimental farming of abalone.

The main mining activity centres are Kamiesberg, Richtersveld, Nama Khoi and Khai Ma Local Municipalities. Mining in the region comprises diamonds (Alexander Bay, Port Nolloth, Baken, Kleinzee and Koiingnaas). Aggeneys is a copper, zinc and lead mining town. O’kiep, Concordia and Nababeep are copper mining towns and Garies is a granite mining town. Loeriesfontein is a salt-mining centre.

Protected Areas

There are eleven protected areas in the NDM. Of these areas, three are proclaimed as National Parks and are managed by SANParks. Tourists have access to all these areas with the exception of Tankwa Karoo National Park that

Nemai Consulting C.C. 119 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT is considered a scientific national park and access is allowed only by prior arrangement (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008).

The eleven parks/nature reserves/conservation areas are:  Namakwa National Park, near Kamieskroon;  Tankwa Karoo National Park, partially within the southern tip of HLM;  Richtersveld National Park, in the most northern part of RLM;  The Orange River mouth, Alexander Bay;  Richterveld Community Conservancy, near the Richtersveld National Park;  Nababiep Nature Reserve, at Vioolsdrift;  Akkerdam Nature Reserve, outside Calvinia;  Goegap Nature Reserve, east of Springbok;  Molineux Private Nature Reserve, near Kleinzee;  Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, south of Nieuwoudtville; and  Black Mountain Private Nature Reserve, near Aggeneys.

The areas conserved in the NDM are not only protecting the rich biodiversity of the area but also contributes to the protection of a cultural heritage, an example of which is the Richtersveld Community Conservancy.

Please refer to Figure 20 for distribution of the conservation areas in the NDM.

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Figure 20 Location of Conservation Areas

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Namakwa National Park Namakwa National Park is a national park administered by SANParks and is located 22 km northwest of Kamieskroon. It occupies an area of more than 700km2. This park was established to protect the semi-desert Succulent Karoo biome. The park has an arid environment with succulent plants that bloom in the spring. These many-colored flowers include daisies, lilies, aloes, and perennial herbs (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008).

Amphibians and reptiles are well represented in the park, with a number of endemic species. The mammal species include Klipspringer, Aardvark, Baboon, Steenbok, Duiker, Porcupine, Black-Backed Jackal and Leopard. Birds are typical of the dry arid western regions of the country. The Speckled Padloper, a tortoise, is found in the park.

The park has been described as typical Namakwaland broken veld with a great variety of smaller succulents, such as Crassula spp., Adromischus spp., Pelargonium spp., stapeliands and cotyledon spp., as well as annuals and bulbous plants. It is also described as part of the succulent Karoo biome, dividing the area into the strandveld succulent Karoo, Upland Succulent Karoo, Lowland Succulent Karoo and North-western Mountain Renosterveld (Fynbos Biome).

The Namakwaland broken veld merges east into the mountain renosterveld of the hills and mountains of the Kamiesberg Range, part of the fynbos biome. Four of the highest peaks exceed 1 500 m while Rooiberg (south), the highest land surface in Namakwaland, reaches 1 700 m. The Kamiesberg range consists of at least 22 endemic taxa ((http://www.sanparks.org/parks/namaqua/all.php).

Endemic species (especially dwarf succulent shrubs) are clustered in broken, rocky habitats rather than sandy or loamy flats. Remaining endemics are likely to be geophyte members of the Iridaceae, Amarylliadaceae and Geraniaceae, also confined to winter rainfall areas. The hills and mountains of the Kamiesberg Range contains 201 endemic centre with 79 endemic species confined to this small area (http://www.sanparks.org/parks/namaqua/all.php).

Tankwa Karoo National Park

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Tankwa Karoo National Park lies about 70 km due west of Sutherland near the border of the Northern Cape and Western Cape., Average annual rainfall is 50 to 70 mm with temperature highs reaching 39°C. The winters are cold, with an average temperature of 5.7°C. The park is designated as a Scientific National Park, and thus offers no visitor facilities.

The park’s area is currently 1 110 km², the majority of which lies outside the NDM. It is bounded on the east by the Roggeveld Mountains, on the west by the Cedarberg, to the north by the Kouebokkeveld Mountains and on the south by the foothills of the Koedoesberge and Klein Roggeveld Mountains, and the Tankwa River.

The vegetation in the park falls within the Succulent Karoo biome and has been described as very sparse shrubland and Dwarf Shrubland. The park is home to a large variety of birds, such as the Black-headed Canary, Karoo Long-billed Lark Burchell’s Courser, Ludwig’s Bustard, and the Blackeared Sparrowlark (http://www.sanparks.org/parks/tankwa/).

Richtersveld National Park

The Richtersveld National Park comprises two sections, the first along the northern border of the NDM, whilst a small section is located north east of Port Nolloth.

The park ranges in altitude from 60m to 1 377m and is a unique Arid Biodiversity Hotspot, worldwide. Temperatures vary between 50°C in summer, with winter temperatures reaching zero. Rainfall is low. The park has an area of 1 624 km2. The Richtersveld National Park is dominated by the Succulent Karoo Biome.

In June 2007, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, just to the south of the National Park and of equivalent size, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Richtersveld World Heritage Site is located within this World Heritage Site. The World Heritage site has never been subjected to diamond mining and is thus more ecologically pristine that the Richtersveld National Park.

An international treaty, signed on 1 August 2003, incorporated the Ai–Ais Hot Springs Game Park in Namibia and Richtersveld National Park in

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South Africa, resulting in the establishment of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park. One of the main features of the combined park is the Fish River Canyon.

The Orange River Mouth

The Orange River is a Transfrontier RAMSAR Site of international importance owing to its habitat for water birds, such as flamingos and pelicans (NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan, 2008). The lichen fields outside Alexander Bay are a notable feature of this ecosystem.

Nababiep Nature Reserve Nababiep Nature Reserve is situated at Vioolsdrift and the size of of this reserve is 10 804 ha. It is situated in the Nababiep Mountains. This reserves borders the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape on the east.

Goegap Nature Reserve Goegap Nature Reserve is sistuated east of Springbok; and is 15 004 ha in size (http://go2southernafrica.com/northerncapetrip.html). This nature reserves contains succulent that are endnic to the region and has 45 mammals, which includes species such as springbok, gemsbok, the endangered Hartman's Zebra and the aardwolf amongst several others. In terms of bird wildlife, the reserve has more than 92 recorded South African bird species which can be viewed in the park and imcludes species such as ostriches, black eagles, spotted dikkops and ground woodpeckers.

Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve This Nature Reserve is found south of Nieuwoudtville and the size of this reserve is 4 811 ha. The reserve is characterised by gorges, rivers, caves and plateaus, which are suitable for hiking and is located on the transition zone between fynbos and Karoo biomes.

4.3.4 Mining

Mining is one of the major sectors within the NDM. The main mining activity centres are Kamiesberg, Richtersveld, Nama Khoi and Khai Ma Local Municipalities. Mining of diamonds is also found at the mouth of the Orange River. Diamond mining activities occur in Alexander Bay, Port Nolloth, Baken, Kleinzee and Koiingnaas. Copper, zinc and lead mining occurs in Aggeneys

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O’kiep and Nababiep are copper mining towns. Granite mining occurs in Garies. Loeriesfontein is a salt mining centre.

The main mining houses within the District are Alexkor Ltd, De Beers Consolidated Mines and the Trans Hex Group. The mines provide a number of social and infrastructure services to employees and the rural towns.

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Figure 21 Active Mines, NDM.

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Table 34 Types of mining activities within the NDM Municipality Town Type of Mining Richtersveld Alexander Bay Alluvial diamond mining Richtersveld Port Nolloth Marine diamond dredging Richtersveld O’kiep Copper mining Nama Khoi Kleinzee Diamond mining Kamiesberg Koiingnaas Diamond mining Kamiesberg Garies Granite mining Khai Ma Aggeneys Lead and Zinc Mining

Mining has been carried out in the area for at least the past 120 years. As a result of this long history there are many mines that have depleted their reserves and have closed or are closing. One of the largest mines in the District is the O’kiep Copper Company, situated north of Springbok. Its closure has impacted greatly upon the economy of the district and has resulted in great social dislocation. Connected to this has been a halting of the negative biophysical impacts of mining, with rehabilitation of the mining area proceeding apace.

This duality, where the economic and social impacts have been negative, but the biophysical impacts positive is the subject of a case study, which appears below. The case study demonstrates the need to balance biophysical needs with economic and social needs.

O’kiep Mine Closure Case Study

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Copper was first mined in O’kiep in 1855. It is the oldest mining town in South Africa. The village of O’kiep gets its name from the Nama word “U-gieb” meaning the great brackish spring. The mine closed during the copper slump of 1919, but reopened in 1937.

Metorex Ltd. of South Africa operated the O’kiep copper smelter. It was shut down in 2004 because of resource depletion.

The closure of mines has a devastating socio-economic impact on the region if an alternative source of livelihoods to sustain the post-mining economy in the area is not identified.

To ascertain the extent of some of these effects, an analysis comparing socio economic pre mine closure (using Stats SA Census data, 2001) to post mine closure (Stats SA Community Survey data 2007) is done. The data is interrogated on a local municipal level (Nama Khoi being the local municipality in which the O’kiep mine is located) and on a district municipal level (Namakwa being the district municipality). The latter offers a point of comparison for the local municipal data.

The population in both the region and the local municipality has increased during the 6 year comparison period.

Table 1 Population Size Census 2001 CS 2007 Namakwa 108 111 126 494 Nama Khoi 44 750 54 644

There has been a significant decrease in income at both the regional and local municipal level. In 2001 3% of residents had no income, and this has increased to 45% in 2007 (the same percentages at a regional and local level) (Table 2 and 3). The difference however is that on a regional level a shift was from people earning R 1 – R 800 to having no income, whilst in Nama Khoi it is from people earning R1601 – R 6400 to having no income. In other words, in the region, people that previously did not have a reliable source of income, currently have no source of income. In Nama Khoi people appear to have lost their reliable source of income.

Whilst the mining and quarrying sector continues to grow in the Namakwa region (Table 4), the closure of the O’kiep mine in Nama Khoi has Table 2 Nanakwa Income Comparison Table 3 Nama Khoi Income Comparison R 25601 or more 2007 R 25601 or more 2007 2001

R 12801 - R 25600 2001 R 12801 - R 25600

R 6401 - R 12800 R 6401 - R 12800 R 3201 - R 6400 R 3201 - R 6400 R 1601 - R 3200 R 1601 - R 3200 R 801 - R 1600 R 801 - R 1600 R 401 - R 800

Incomeperperson R 401 - R 800 Incomeperperson R 1 - R 400 R 1 - R 400 No income No income

0 10 20 30 40 50 0 50 Percentage Percentage Nemai Consulting C.C. 128 NDM EMF & SEMP FINAL REPORT resulted in mining no longer being the dominant employment provider in the area. The loss of income mentioned above can thus be attributed to a lower percentage of residents involved in the mining and quarrying sector. In 2001 it was the predominant employment provider in Nama Khoi whilst in 2007 community, social and personal services has become the dominant industry (Table 5).

Table 4 Namakwa Industry Comparison

Other and not adequately defined Community; social and personal services Financial; insurance; real estate and business…

Transport; storage and communication

Wholesale and retail trade 2007

Construction 2001 Industry Electricity; gas and water supply Manufacturing Mining and quarrying Agriculture; hunting; forestry and fishing

0 5 10 15 20 25 Percentage

Table 5 Nama Khoi Industry Comparison Other and not adequately defined Community; social and personal services Financial; insurance; real estate and business…

Transport; storage and communication

Wholesale and retail trade 2007

Construction 2001 Industry Electricity; gas and water supply Manufacturing Mining and quarrying Agriculture; hunting; forestry and fishing

0 10 20 30 40 Percentage

According to a report study by Urban –Econ, trade catering and accommodation is the second largest employment provider in the region after mining. It is possible that this accounts for the growth in community, social and personal services in the Nama Khoi area (this is not a category in the Stats SA data). This industry’s contribution to employment however remains small.

Table 6 Historical Performance and Prioritisations of Sectors in Namakwa

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Sector Contribution to GDP Contribution to Contribution to (2007) GDP (2007) Employment Agriculture, forestry & fishing 4.4% 18.0% Mining 52.3% 21.3% Manufacturing 1.9% 4.6% Electricity & water 0.4% 0.3% Construction 1.6% 6.7% Trade; catering & accommodation 13.2% 14.5% Transport & communication 4.6% 2.2% Finance & business services 7.9% 7.3% Community, social & personal 6.6% 12.0% General government services 7.2% 13.0%

A mine closure results in a devastating socio economic impact on an area. The degree of this impact is dependent on the strategies adopted by mines. Additionally it is imperative that new economic activities are identified. According to the Department of Economic Affairs and Tourism, with proper planning and co-ordination, fishing and mariculture, agriculture and tourism could lead to rejuvenation of the Namakwaland economy. Nama Khoi is located too far from the ocean (80 km’s) for fishing and mariculture to be a viable source of income. Thus agriculture (which has not shown much growth between 2001 at 7.1% and 8.1% in 2007) and tourism become the most likely employment providers. In terms of agriculture, environmental conditions are condusive to cattle, goat and sheep farming. Growth is however threatened by desertification as a result of climate change (combined with poor agricultural practices, such as over-grazing and incorrect irrigation techniques). The natural wealth of Namakwa flora & fauna, coupled with close proximity to the Goegap Nature Reserve lends itself to tourism although the seasonality of the tourism market and poor marketing of the area remains an obstacle.

The negative environmental effects of mining have been alleviated during the closure of the mine. Thuthuka Project Managers, a water- engineering company assisted in the rehabilitation and closure of operations and the management of the accompanying polluted water. They were also involved in the removal and rehabilitation of infrastructure and rehabilitating the remaining footprint by top-soiling and vegetating.

Metorex O’kiep Copper Company donated 1 200 houses to the employees and 7 700 hectares of land to the district council for communal use.

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However the O’kiep mine closed 5 years ago and alternative economic activities are yet to be established. Socio economic devastation in the area is rife as is demonstrated by the high unemployment rates and low income earned.

The largest remaining inland mine is the Black Mountain Mine in Aggeneys. This mine which mines zinc, lead, copper and, silver, was scheduled for closure in August 2002. However a new ore body “New Deeps” was discovered which has prolonged the planned life of mine. The mine operations are currently focussed upon exploiting this ore body, which includes a new open cast project, the Gamsberg Project, which still requires development.

This mine is located in the Black Mountain Nature Reserve and as such the expansion of the mine has excited controversy owing to the negative impacts that the mine will have on the ecology of the mining area. These negative impacts must be considered in future.

4.3.5 Agriculture

The NDM produces livestock consisting of beef cattle, sheep, goats, ostrich and game farming. Agriculture is one of the most important aspects of the NDM’s economy. Stock farming, flower bulbs and wool production are also important contributors to the agricultural sector. The region is also involved in game farming and food production for the local and international market.

The Karoo Hoogland and Hantam Local Municipalities are the major agricultural centres where stock farming is the main economic sector. Wool production and mohair are also produced within the NDM at Calvinia, Fraserburg and Loeriesfontein. Kamiesberg, Nama Khoi, Hantam and Karoo Hoogland Local Municipalities are the main centres for the cultivation of various crops such as Lucerne (i.e. near Alexander Bay), wheat and rooibos. Niewoudtville within the Hantam Local Municipality is the rooibos and bulb production centre. Pella within the Khai Ma Local Municipality is a fruit production centre where dates, figs, grapes and pomegranates are grown. In the Orange River Valley, especially at Kakamas and Keimoes, fruit (i.e. grapes) is cultivated intensively. The main crops cultivated along the Orange River corridor are grapes, dates, essential oils, Hoodia, and a variety of cash crops. Cabbage and lettuce are also grown seasonally in the irrigated areas.

Sheep farming towns include Lekkersing, Kuboes, Calvinia, Steinkopf, Nieuwoudtville, Loeriesfontein, Garies, Sutherland, Williston, Fraserburg,

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Brandvlei; Middelpos and Pofadder. Ostrich farming is found near Alexander Bay and near Aggeneys.

Mariculture activities are located at Port Nolloth and Hondeklipbaai and focus on oysters and some experimental farming of abalone.

The following information was provided by Mr. Sakkie van der Poll – District Manager, Namakwa.

Table 35 Types of farming within the NDM Local Municipality Type Of Farming Nama Khoi Livestock and Crop Production Kamiesberg Livestock and Crop Production Hantam Livestock and Crop Production Karoo Hoogland Livestock and Crop Production Richtersveld Livestock and Crop Production Khai Ma Livestock and Crop Production

Table 36 Types of crops within the NDM Local Municipality Types Of Crops Nama Khoi: Irrigation - Lower Orange River at Dates, mangoes, Lucerne, runner crops Henkries and Goodhouse Kamiesberg: Kamiesberg area Small grains (dry land) Hantam: Sak River flood plains Seed onions and Lucerne Richtersveld: Irrigation – Lower Orange River Mainly Lucerne at Beauvallon Khai Ma: Irrigation – Lower Orange River 1. Onseepkans 1. Grapes, pomegranates, Lucerne Rose Geranium

2. Pella 2. Vegetables, runner crops, Lucerne Rose Geranium

3. Witbank 3. Lucerne

4. Coboop 4. Citrus, mangoes, Lucerne and runner crops.

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4.3.6 Infrastructure and Service Provision

Roads and Transport

There are two major routes within the NDM. The major south/north corridor, the N7 National Road passes through Springbok, Garies and Kamieskroon towns. The N7 National Road has been widened between Springbok and Garies but there is need for further upgrading of the N7. The major east west corridor is the N14 which connects O’kiep to Pofadder. The N14 continues to Upington and then into the Gauteng Province.

Most of the roads within the Namakwa DM are not tarred roads. These roads are mostly gravel roads and are often in poor condition. The low quality of the access roads within the District also negatively affects the services delivery to the area.

Roads from Calvinia in Hantam Local Municipality have been tarred to Cape Town, Springbok, Upington and Kimberley. There are railways from Calvinia to Sak River and eastwards inland but these railways are not in use and are in very poor condition.

The state of the roads within the Richtersveld Local Municipality is very poor and in need of upgrade with most of the roads between the rural towns being gravel roads.

Kamiesberg Local Municipality is the only municipality in the NDM with all roads being gravel roads. These roads are in poor condition and need upgrading.

Table 37 Transport Mode within the Northern Cape Province and the NDM (Census, 2001) Mode of Transport to Northern Cape Namakwa DM work/school On foot 31.91% 32.61% By bicycle 0.79% 0.63% By motorcycle 0.16% 0.15% By car as a driver 4.38% 4.96% By car as a passenger 4.21% 3.95%

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By minibus/taxi 3.30% 1.39% By bus 2.94% 5.12% By train 0.09% 0.00% Transport: Other 0.81% 0.89% Transport: Not applicable 51.41% 50.25%

Table 37 above indicates that the main mode of transport is walking with 32.61% and the cars, buses and minibuses / taxis being the second most used modes of transport.

It is important to note that the people living within the NDM have limited capacity to travel sometimes long distances between different cities and towns. Improved public transport will positively impact the local people and the economy of the region.

Water and Sanitation

The majority of households within the NDM have access to piped water inside the dwelling, yard or from an access point outside the yard.

Table 38 Percentage distribution of households by type of water source in the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Households CS 2007 Census 2001 Piped water inside the dwelling 64.4% 47.4% inside the yard 28% 39.2% from access point outside the yard 3.1% 9.4% Borehole 2.5% 0.8% Spring 0.1% 0.2% Dam/pool 0.2% 0.3% River/stream 0.4% 0.6% Water vendor 0.2% 0.1% Rainwater tank 0.4% 0.6% Other 0.8% 1.5% Total 100% 100%

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Table 38 above indicates that the number of households that have access to piped water inside the dwelling has increased from 47.4% as indicated in the 2001 Census to 64.4% as indicated in the 2007 Community Survey. It is also noted that the number of households that have access to piped water inside the yard has decreased from 39.2% as indicated in the 2001 Census to 28% as indicated in the 2007 Community Survey.

The information below was provided by Richtersveld Local Municipality.

The water sources for the Richtersveld Local Municipality are the Orange River and boreholes. The Orange River forms the northern boundary of the Richtersveld Local Municipality. The towns that benefit from the Orange River include: Sendelingsdrift, Sanddrif, Kuboes, Brandkaros, Beauvallon, Klengel, Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth.

Borehole water is provided for the following towns and areas:  Kuboes;  Lekkersing;  Eksteenfontein;  Port Nolloth;  The Commonage area of the Richtersveld Municipal Area; and  Richtersveld National Park.

The water is used for household consumption and agricultural activities as well as for industrial activities (i.e. diamond mining).

Khai Ma Local Municipality water sources information was provided by the Khai Ma Local Municipality.

Pofadder, Pella, Onseepkans, Witbank and Aggeneys depend on the Orange River as a water source for water supply. There are no dams or catchment areas within the Khai Ma Local Municipality. Water is extracted near Pella and is distributed to a nearby water purification plant - PellaDrift Water Board Plant, and then the water is pumped to the towns of Pella, Pofadder and Aggeneys.

In the case of Witbank (diesel pump) and Onseepkans (electrical pump), water is extracted from the Orange River. The water is pumped into conventional plastic tanks where the purification process takes place. There are a number of boreholes, but predominantly on the commercial farms, to

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provide water for the sheep and cattle. Water from boreholes on these farms is also used for human consumption.

In the case of Witbank, Onseepkans and Pella (to a lesser extent) water from the Orange River is also used for agricultural purposes alongside the banks of the river.

The following information was provided by the Kamiesberg Local Municipality.

The water sources within the Kamiesberg Local Municipality are boreholes. The list below indicates the number and location of these boreholes.  Garies: Source 1; Source 2; Leliekloof; Voëlfontein; Putpomp; Roodebergkloof;  Kheis: LF 90 146 and LF 90 29;  Lepelfontein: LF90-201 and G45821;  Kharkams/Tweerivier: G39001, G39007 and LF90-201;  Klipfontein: LF90-207;  Spoegrivier: LF90-208;  Soebatsfontein: Soebat-1 and Borehole B;  Leliefontein: LF131414-3;  Rooifontein: LF90-102;  Kamassies: KAM99-1;  Paulshoek: G45815;  Nourivier: LF98 -314; and  Kamieskroon: Kardou and Letterkop.

Water from the above-mentioned boreholes is used for consumption as well as for industrial use. Agriculture activities use their own borehole water.

There are five desalination plants in the Kamiesberg Local Municipality and they are located in Kheis, Lepelfontein, Spoegrivier, Soebatsfontein and Klipfontein.

The information regarding water sources for the Hantam Local Municipality was provided by the Hantam Local Municipality. Calvinia is the only town within the Hantam Local Municipality that has a dam - the Karee Dam: 1 000 000 ml which is fed by the Karee River and catchment from the Hantam mountains to the north of the town. Boreholes are utilized for emergencies. There are eight boreholes within Calvinia that

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supply water for the town consumption. These boreholes are located as follows: Calvinia Nature Reserve, Golf course, Witwal Farm, Willemsrus Farm, Akkerenddam, Ramskop Farm with two boreholes at Downes Farm.

All the other towns including Nieuwoudtville, Loeriesfontein, Brandvlei and Middelpos utilize boreholes for water supply. There are seven boreholes located within Nieuwoudtville. These seven boreholes are located on Oustal Farm (municipal land).

Loeriesfontein has seven boreholes but only six are in use. These boreholes are located as follows: three boreholes on the Golf course; one borehole at the Shooting range; three boreholes on the Hoek van Berg Farm with only two operational boreholes. Middelpos has one borehole which is located on the Middelpos Farm.

Brandvlei is supplied by six boreholes located on the Romanskolk Farm, approximately 45km east of Brandvlei.

The earth dam – Romans Dam, is used to harvest rainwater for the boreholes. The water gravitates from the 190ml reservoir on the farm for approximately 45km to Brandvlei to a 536ml reservoir and a 90ml overhead reservoir from where it is distributed for household consumption in Brandvlei. The current issue in this area is that the hard borehole water is causing limescale deposits in the water network. This affects the water pipes which become completely blocked and water meters need regular maintenance for proper operation.

The following information was provided by the Nama Khoi Local Municipality.

The water sources within the Nama Khoi Local Municipality include the Orange River and ten boreholes. The main water supply is piped from the Orange River. From the ten existent boreholes, eight are located in Komaggas. These boreholes are located as follows: one borehole is located on the south side of Komaggas; two are located southeast of town; three boreholes are located in the centre of town and two are located on the east side outside of town. There are two boreholes in Buffelsrivier and they are located on the south side of town. The water from these boreholes is used for household consumption.

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The following information was provided by the Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality.

All the water within the Karoo Hoogland comes from boreholes. These boreholes are located within Fraserburg, Williston and Sutherland and are listed below:

 Fraserburg: o Rante Pump on Rante Road o Jaap’s Pump on the Rante Road o Williston Pump on Williston Road o Nuwedam Pump at the Nuwedam o Van Tonder Pump, next to the old power station

 Williston: o Pump No. 6 on Brandvlei Road o Pump No. 9 on Carnavon Road o Pump No. 10 on Carnavon Road o Overflow Pump on Carnavon Road

 Sutherland: o One pump on the road to Matjiesfontein o One pump above the town o One pump next to the Rugby field

The water from the above mentioned boreholes is used exclusively for household consumption. No borehole water is used for agriculture or industrial uses.

Table 39 Percentage distribution of households by type of toilet facilities in the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Sanitation Type CS 2007 Census 2001 Flush toilet (connected to sewerage system) 67% 50.3% Flush toilet (with septic tank) 5.8% 10.9% Dry toilet facility 13.1% - Chemical toilet 6.8% 2.1% Pit latrine with ventilation (VIP) 1.4% 5.2% Pit latrine without ventilation 0.3% 4.9% Bucket latrine 2.4% 16.7%

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Sanitation Type CS 2007 Census 2001 None 3.2% 9.8% Total 100% 100%

Table 21 above indicates that the number of households with access to flush toilets (connected to sewerage system) has increased from 50.3% as indicated by the 2001 Census to 67% as indicated by the 2007 Community Survey. The number of households with no toilet facilities has decreased from 9.8% (Census, 2001) to 3.2% (Community Survey, 2007).

Electricity

The majority of the households within the NDM have access to electricity in their homes.

The town of Witbank within the Khai Ma Local Municipality has no access to electricity.

All the rural towns in the Richtersveld Local Municipality are directly supplied with electricity from Eskom. Eksteenfontein has continuous problems with its supply, despite being upgraded. Alexander Bay experiences problems with its high tension network and Port Nolloth’s low tension network needs upgrading or replacing.

All towns within Hantam Local Municipality are supplied with electricity from Eskom, except Nieuwoudtville which has a municipality supply. All the rural towns in the Hantam Local Municipality use generators as the main source of energy.

In the Kamiesberg Local Municipality the electricity grid is fragmented and does not form a coherent backbone connected to the National Grid (Kamiesberg Municipality, IDP 2008/2009).

Table 40 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for lighting within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Lighting Energy CS 2007 Census 2001 Electricity 91.4% 75.7% Gas 0.6% 0.3% Paraffin 0.6% 2.8%

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Lighting Energy CS 2007 Census 2001 Candles 5.1% 17.5% Solar 0.9% 2.4% Other 1.4% 1.2% Total 100% 100%

Table 40 above indicates that the number of households with access to electricity has increased from 75.7% (Census, 2001) to 91.4% (Community Survey, 2007). This resulted in the reduction of the number of households using paraffin from 2.8% (Census, 2001) to 0.6% (Community Survey, 2007) and the number of households using candles from 17.5% (Census, 2001) to 5.1% (Community Survey, 2007). No significant changes were noted between the 2001 Census and the 2007 Community Survey for the other sources of energy / fuel used for lighting.

Table 41 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for heating within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Heating Energy CS 2007 Census 2001 Electricity 85.7% 56.4% Gas 1.5% 3% Paraffin 0.8% 2.2% Wood 10.1% 30.2% Coal 0.3% 0.6% Animal dung 0% 0.1% Sola 0.5% 0.2% Other 1% 7.3% Total 100% 100%

Table 23 above indicates that the number of households using electricity for heating has increased from 56.4% (Census, 2001) to 85.7% (Community Survey, 2007). This resulted in a decrease in the number of households using wood for heating from 30.2% (Census, 2001) to 10.1% (Community Survey, 2007) and other sources of energy have also decreased from 7.3% (Census, 2001) to 1% (Community Survey, 2001). No significant changes were noted between the 2001 Census and the 2007 Community Survey for the other types of energy/fuel used for heating.

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Table 42 Percentage distribution of households by type of energy/fuel used for cooking within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Cooking Energy CS 2007 Census 2001 Electricity 88.2% 62.8% Gas 5.1% 17.6% Paraffin 0.9% 2.4% Wood 4.2% 15.9% Coal 0.1% 0.7 Animal dung - 0.2% Sola 0.4% 0.2% Other 1.1% 0.2% Total 100% 100%

Table 24 above indicates that the number of households by type of energy/fuel used for cooking increased from 62.8% (Census, 2001) to 88.2% (Community Survey, 2007). This resulted in a decrease in the number of households using gas from 17.6% (Census, 2001) to 5.1% (Community Survey, 2007) and in the number of households using wood from 15.9% (Census, 2001) to 4.2% (Community Survey, 2007). No significant changes were noted between the 2001 Census and the 2007 Community Survey’s data regarding the other types of energy/fuel used for cooking.

Health Facilities

There are twenty fixed clinics within the NDM: three in Khai Ma, nine in Nam Khoi, three in Richtersveld, two in Kamiesberg and three in Hantam. These clinics are operational eight hours a day and five days a week.

Port Nolloth has a hospital which is poorly equipped and a clinic which is without any doctors. Alexander Bay has a well equipped 26-bed hospital which functions as a private hospital for the people who can afford its services.

In the rural towns of Richtersveld Local Municipality there are two full-time sisters: one based at Kuboes and the other at Lekkersing. The sister in Kuboes goes to Sanddrif twice a week and the sister in Lekkersing goes to Eksteenfontein once a week. All rural towns have ambulances available.

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Port Nolloth has an ambulance and Alexander Bay features an emergency unit that is fully equipped and has a back up ambulance available.

There are also satellite clinic facilities within the NDM: four in Khai Ma, eight in Nama Khoi, four in Richtersveld, thirteen in Kamiesberg and one in Hantam. These clinics are operational for about eight hours a day fewer than five days a week.

According to the Department of Health, in NDM the satellite facilities are understaffed and only 3 professional nurses serve all the clinics within the area (Kamiesberg Municipality, IDP 2006-2011).

Health care facilities in the area also include mobile services in the form of mobile buses for the rural areas. They operate on a weekly basis, or once every second week and on a monthly basis.

Police Stations

There are twenty-three police stations within the NDM: five are located in Nama Khoi, five in Karoo Hoogland, four in Kamiesberg, two in Richtersveld, four in Hantam and three in Khai Ma. It is noted that the highest number of police stations is found within the Nama Khoi Local Municipality and the lowest number is found within the Richtersveld Local Municipality.

There are forty six libraries within the NDM: four in Hantam, four in Karoo Hoogland, fourteen in Nama Khoi, seven in Richtersveld, five in Khai Ma and twelve in Kamiesberg.

Information Technology

Approximately 31.5% of the households within the District have access to telephone facilities in their homes. 56.6% of households have a cellular phone. A small percentage of households 5.1% have access to internet facilities.

The Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality will be introducing the Karoo Hoogland Computer Project which will provide local community access to computer facilities. There is also a Community Soup Kitchen project which will be undertaken within the Karoo Hoogland.

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Waste Management and Recycling

Solid waste in the NDM is currently managed by the six local municipalities. The local mines manage their own waste.

Table 43 Percentage distribution of households by type of refuse disposal within the NDM (Community Survey 2007 and Census, 2001) Refuse Disposal CS 2007 Census 2001 Removed by local authority/private company at least once a week 85.5% 73.1% less often 3% 2.5% Communal refuse dump 0.6% 0.9% Own refuse dump 9.6% 21% No rubbish disposal 0.8% 2.5% Other 0.4% -

Total 100% 100%

Table 43 above indicates that the number of households that have their disposal removed by local authority or private company at least once a week has increased from 73.1% (Census, 2001) to 85.5% (Community Survey, 2007). It is also noted that the number of households that use their own refuse dump had decreased from 21% (Census, 2001) to 9.6% (Community Survey, 2007). No significant changes were noted between the 2001 Census and the 2007 Community Survey’s data regarding the other types of refuse disposal. The majority of the households within the NDM have access to waste removal by local authority/private company at least once a week. A very small percentage of 0.8% (Community Survey, 2007) has no access to rubbish disposal facilities.

Table 44 Percentage distribution of households by type of refuse disposal by local municipalities (Community Survey 2007) Type of Refuse Nama Karoo Khai Richtersveld Kamiesberg Hantam DMA Disposal Khoi Hoogland Ma Removed by local authority/private company at least once a week 82.4% 92.5% 80.3% 87.7% 69.6% 81,6 9,5

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less often 6.8% 2.1% 5.1% - 1.3% 6,2 5,3 Communal refuse 1.6% 0.5% - 0.4% 0.4% 0,9 7,5 dump Own refuse dump 6.3% 4% 13.5% 10.7% 27.1% 10,7 73,0 No rubbish disposal 1.6% 0.7% - 1.2% 1% 0,6 4,5 Other 1.3% 0.2% 1.1% - 0.7% - - Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Table 44 above indicates that the majority of households within the local municipalities have access to refuse disposal removed by local authority/private company at least once a week.

In Port Nolloth, waste is collected on a weekly basis using a compactor truck which currently needs upgrading. In the rural towns of the Richtersveld Local Municipality waste is collected in open trucks except for Lekkersing which has a closed truck.

The District Management Area has the highest number of households that handle their own domestic waste and this is due to the isolated nature of the region.

Witbank within Khai Ma Local Municipality has no access to refuse removal.

Within the Richtersveld Local Municipality there is large scale informal dumping of waste and landfill sites are not managed.

The following statistics are recorded for the Kamiesberg Local Municipality: 71% have waste removed by the local authority at least once a week; 26 % have their own refuse dump, 2% have waste removed by local authority less often and 1% has no rubbish disposal (NDM, Integrated Waste Management Plan for Kamiesberg Municipality, 2006).

The information in the table below which includes the mixed use landfill sites within the NDM was supplied by Mr. Willem Auret from the NDM.

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Table 45 Landfill sites mixed use within the NDM. Landfill Sites – Mixed Use Municipality Black Mountain Aggeneys Khai Ma Black Mountain Zuurwater Khai Ma Transhex reuning Richtersveld Transhex Baken (old site) Richtersveld Alexkor Richtersveld Buffelsriver Nama Khoi Komaggas Transitional Council Nama Khoi Steinkopf Nama Khoi Paulshoek Kamiesberg Kheis Kamiesberg Klipfontein Kamiesberg Rooifontein Kamaasses Kamiesberg Lepelfontein Kamiesberg Spoegrivier Kamiesberg Rooifontein (closure) Kamiesberg Lekkersing Richtersveld Sanddrift Richtersveld Eksteenfontein Richtersveld Khuboes Richtersveld Karkhams Kamiesberg Tweerivier Kamiesberg Klein Nourivier Kamiesberg Port Nolloth Richtersveld Springbok Nama Khoi Kamieskroon Kamiesberg Loerisfontein Hantam Soebatsfontein Kamiesberg Brandvlei Hantam Onseepkans Khai Ma Giftop Alexkor Richtersveld Onseepkans Sendling Khai Ma

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Landfill Sites – Mixed Use Municipality Calvinia Hantam Vaalputs Kamiesberg Gamsberg Richtersveld Baken (new site) Richtersveld De Beers Annex Kleinzee HSD Nama Khoi De Beers Kleinzee Salvage Dump Nama Khoi De Beers Kleinzee Town GRD Nama Khoi De Beers Kleinzee Town Dreyers Pan DRD Nama Khoi De Beers Kleinzee Town Koiingnaas RHS Kamiesberg De Beers Kleinzee Town BRS Nama Khoi De Beers Buffels Inland Complex Nama Khoi Langlaagte HS De Beers Buffels Inland Complex Nutabooi Nama Khoi SSD De Beers Buffels Inland Complex Nama Khoi Langhoogte SS De Beers Buffels Marine Complex Annex Nama Khoi Kleinzee De Beers Buffels Marine Complex Tweepad Kamiesberg SS De Beers Koiingnaas MHSD Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Complex MSS Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Complex Mitchellsbay Kamiesberg SS De Beers Koiingnaas Town GRD Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Town BR Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Town HS Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Town DRD Kamiesberg De Beers Koiingnaas Town Hostel KR Kamiesberg De Beer Mitchellsbay HSD Kamiesberg De Beers Tweepad HSD Richtersveld De Beers Samsons Bak CRD Nama Khoi Brandkaros (Alexkor) Richtersveld Beauvallon Richtersveld

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The Integrated Waste Management Plan for NDM (Jeffares and Green, and Ingerop Africa, April 2006) provides the following information regarding waste management within the NDM.  The estimated total waste for the NDM is approximately 22 600 tons per year, the majority being household waste.  Waste generation is estimated at 0.5kg per household per day for the low income class; 0.7kg per household per day for the middle income class and 1kg per household per day for the high income class.  76% of the households within the NDM have access to municipal waste removal services while 24% of the households manage their own waste.  There are no waste collection services in the rural areas and domestic waste is dumped in local holes and burnt.  The general waste types include domestic waste, business waste, industrial waste, garden refusal and building waste.  Vaalputs, located 100kms southeast of Springbok features a 500-1000 ha of land developed for low and intermediate intensity radioactive waste. For the past fifteen years radioactive waste has been transported from Koeberg to Vaalputs.  Most waste recycling activities in the region are managed by private companies.

With regards to recycling, waste minimisation is generally not undertaken within the District. There are no large scales recycling projects within the NDM.

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CHAPTER 5. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

A Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) presents a management framework and specifications for a large geographic area. This framework and specifications are to be followed, at project level, by Environmental Impact Assessments and their associated Environmental Management Plans. SEMPs do not replace these documents since the scale of the SEMP is necessarily different, and larger, than that used from a project level study. However the project level study should takes its lead from the framework and specification detailed in the SEMP.

Since SEMPs consider a larger geographic area than EIA and project level EMPs, SEMPS are in the unique position of being able to identify aspects where cumulative impacts of development projects will have an increasingly negative impact on the environmental. SEMPs can warn of these areas of cumulative impact and thus allow better management of the environment.

In addition SEMPs prescribe mitigation of possible impacts through environmental guidelines and monitoring requirements.

5.1 Environmental Management Planning Considerations

As a result of the Status Quo investigation in the study area, each environmental aspect under consideration offers opportunities and constraints. Opportunities represent the environmental features that are underexploited or that have not been exploited before in the District. Constraints are the environmental resources that will be harmed through uncontrolled development. Damage to these resources will impact negatively upon the population in the study area.

The opportunities and constraints are distilled into strategic issues. The strategic issues are the issues that require management in terms of the SEMP.

Management of each issue is addressed using the following model

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 Management of the Element – what are the strategic issues that management should consider when addressing this aspect of the environment and what should the management responses to these issues?  Monitoring Indicators – how should progress in achieving these objectives be measured?  Desired State of the Environment – describes the final goal of the management interventions and what aspects of the environment would be in place if the element management is successful.

The section that follows serves to develop the vision, the legislative framework within which environmental management operates and then to provide the strategic planning issues that should be considered by all environmental managers in the NDM.

Strategic objectives have been formulated as a means to managing and minimizing the impact of development on the environment. The approach used included formulating strategic issues that would retain the environmental opportunities as well as setting requirements to ensure that environmental constraints are identified early in the development cycle. Management responses follow best practice approaches and minimum requirements from a legal compliance point of view.

The management responses are provided to give environmental managers the key, and most highly prioritised responses to each strategic issue, which will assist in achieving the desired state of the environment.

Indicators serve to track performance in relation to the specific strategic objectives.

5.2 Vision for the Environment

The vision for the NDM is as follows:

“To ensure that economic and social development in the NDM advances to meet inhabitants’ needs whilst ensuring that environmental goods and services are protected where stressed and used where sustainable”.

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The fundamental principles that should be applied to attain the vision include:  Present and future generations must be assured of a healthy and productive life;  The ecological integrity, biodiversity and physical attributes of the district should be protected and sustainably utilised;  The impacts of development must be minimized and managed;  Emissions and discharges of pollutants onto soils, air and water must not exceed the limits of nature;  The cultural and historical features should be preserved;  The opportunities for tourism, ecotourism and sustainable land use should be explored and expanded;  Emerging technologies requiring open spaces for implementation should be encouraged;  Adequate infrastructure provision should be made available to all inhabitants, with due regard to environmental sustainability;  Renewable resources should be efficiently utilized so as to protect natural systems;  Employment opportunities and business development strategies using techniques that take advantage of the natural attributes of the district’s environment and opportunities for income must be created; and  A high degree of environmental awareness should be encouraged amongst all development planning and implementation entities, be they public or private.

5.2.1 Natural Environment

The vision is to protect and promote the:  Natural vegetation and ecosystems;  Existing vegetation as an erosion control measure;  Viable agricultural areas;  Existing game reserves and parks;  Protected area network should be expanded  Prohibit development or impacts on critically important biodiversity sites;  Preserve the visual appeal of the high ridges and mountains in the NDM;  Natural veld through the management of overgrazing;  Sustainable utilization of biodiversity

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 Use of Orange River water resource to encourage irrigation farming;  Implement the NDM Bioregional Plan;  Wise utilisation of Surface water sources; and  Wise utilisation of Groundwater resources;

In addition, the vision includes preventing or halting:

 Developing on steep slopes and ridges;  Developing or impacting upon critical biodiversity areas;  Locating or expanding human settlements to areas of high quality or viable agricultural land;  Any activity that will add to the pollution loads of groundwater sources;  Any activity that will unsustainably utilise groundwater sources;  Polluting rivers;  Urban sprawl – limit the footprint of existing human settlements are far as practical and  Illegal or unsustainable use of biodiversity.

5.2.2 Socio-Economic Environment

The vision is to protect and promote the:

 Activities that provide low skilled workers with a means to an income;  Access to studies and environmental information;  Local Economic Development Plan for NDM;  Cultural and historical sites, statues and buildings that occur in the area;  Tourism in all its forms;  Educational leverage provided by large scale technological projects being established in the NDM;  Information on the natural and cultural heritage that is stored in publicly unavailable formats to inform environmental and local authorities of such resources;  Establishment of well managed mining projects;  The proper use of sites accessible to the public by means of tourism- related infrastructure to protect the sites.

In addition, the vision includes preventing or halting:

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 Unplanned or poorly planned development that may impact negatively on tourism;  The visual impact of development in mountainous areas or ridgelines;  Informal settlement growth; and  Exodus of the youth and skilled workers from the NDM;

5.2.3 Services Environment

The vision is to protect and promote:  Development of appropriate infrastructure;  Secure water supplies for all human settlements by improvements in water treatment technology;  Establishment of high capacity data and voice links between settlements;  Road infrastructure, particularly roads leading to tourism areas;  Operation of waste management facilities in accordance with the license conditions;  Secure water supplies for small livestock, thereby encouraging concentration and control and reducing reliance on wetlands for livestock watering;  Provision of sewage services to rural areas by means of appropriate technologies, but not septic tanks or VIP toilets.

In addition, the vision includes preventing or halting:  Poorly managed sewer treatment works;  The establishment of on-site sanitation schemes;  The operation of illegal waste management facilities.

5.2.4 Land Use Environment

The vision is to protect and promote the:  Irrigated agricultural activity using the Orange River resource, in the northern areas of the NDM;  Agricultural practice that reduced groundwater pollution; and  The use of large areas for emerging technologies such as wind and solar energy generation;  Overgrazing and

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 Mining

In addition, the vision includes preventing or halting:  Extensive small livestock farming as a traditional activity; and  Informal settlements;

5.2.5 Policy Environment

The vision is to protect and promote:  Use of sustainable environmental practice through the use of the EMF in conjunction with EIAs;  Inclusion of environmental principles into the town planning process;  Use of environmental enforcement of legislation to limit destruction of environmental resources;  Establishment of a regular environmental co-ordinating committee which oversees environmental issues in the NDM;  Institution of monitoring and liability assessments;  Improvement the timeframe for the EIA studies;  Provision of guidance through policy and strategic direction;  Ensuring the application of the existing regulations;  Ensuring staff and institutional capacity; and  Ensuring political leadership towards protection of the environment.

5.3 Legislative Framework

Development and conservation planning must be contextualised within the framework of national government, provincial government, district municipality and local municipality’s legal, regulatory and policy.

Environmental law provides mechanisms for the management and conservation of environmental features and the sustainability of new developments. The importance of environment management is to make responsible use of natural, economic and human resources in ways that protect and improve the environment.

Environment law is divided into various sections and most laws applicable to protection and management of the environment were developed to protect and manage specific sectors.

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The most common laws applicable to environment management are described in Section 5.3.1 with an explanation of the management of various environmental features in Section 5.3.2.

5.3.1 Environmental Law

5.3.1.1 The Constitution of South Africa (108 of 1996)

Environmental Rights

Section 24 of the Constitution deals with Environmental Rights and gives the right to all citizens: “to an environment that is not harmful to their health and well being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that: o Prevent pollution and ecological degradation o Promote conservation; and o Secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development”.

The Constitution of South Africa is the highest form of law enforceable on any individual or organisation. This section therefore provides the basic environmental rights to all citizens to safe and healthy environment.

5.3.1.2 National Environmental Management Amended Act (62 of 2008)

The NEMA is considered the overarching act in terms of environmental legislation. Every act that relates to environmental matters is directly or indirectly linked to the NEMA and provisions are made in acts that followed publication of NEMA 1998 to accommodate conditions specified in various acts.

The NEMAA act was promulgated in 2008 and was aimed at substituting certain definitions, further regulating environmental authorisations and to effect certain textual alterations.

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NEMAA provides for cooperative governance and establishes principles for decision-making on matters affecting the environment such as: o People and their needs must be placed at the forefront of environment management; o Development must be sustainable and therefore requires avoidances of pollution and degradation of the environment, disturbances of landscapes and sites of cultural heritage o The integrated nature of the environment and that responsibility for environmental management exists throughout the life cycle of an activity (from cradle to grave); o Public Participation; o Transparent decision making; and o Intergovernmental co-ordination and harmonisation of policies, legislation and actions.

Chapter Five of NEMA provides for Integrated Environmental Management and defines the general objectives of IEM. Minimum procedures are laid down with respect to investigating, assessing and communicating the potential impacts of activities.

Section 24 of NEMA provides for Environmental Management Frameworks through provisions for the identification of sensitive and geographical areas. Chapter Eight of NEMA specifies the sensitive and geographical areas mentioned above and maps created as a result thereof to be used as environmental management framework.

5.3.1.3 National Environmental Laws Amendment Act (14 of 2009)

The above-mentioned act amended various sections of an array of laws related to environmental management. Below is a summary of amended laws:  Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act, 1965,;  Environment Conservation Act, 1989;  National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003;  National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004; and  National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004.

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5.3.1.4 National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (39 of 2004)

The purpose of this act was to reform the law regulating air quality by providing measures for the prevention of pollution and ecological degradation and for securing ecologically sustainable development.

The acts aims to promote justifiable economic and social development; to provide for national norms and standards regulating air quality monitoring, management and control by all spheres of government; and for specific air quality measures.

5.3.1.5 National Environmental Management: Waste Act (59 of 2008)

This act was developed to reform the law regulating waste management in order to protect health and the environment.

This act places a high liability on waste producers and government to supply adequate waste removal, treatment and disposal facilities to ensure that waste is not threatening the health and safety of citizens.

Waste management was previously conducted in terms of the NWA and several sections of law have been repealed by NEMWA. This act must be read with NEMA and application must be guided by principles set out in section 2 of NEMA.

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

The purpose of the National Environment Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) is to provide for the management and conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity within the framework of the National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998).

The Act allows for the publication of provincial and national lists of ecosystems that are threatened and in need of protection.

The list should include:

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 Critically Endangered Ecosystems, which are ecosystems that have undergone severe ecological degradation as a result of human activity and are at extremely high risk of irreversible transformation.  Endangered Ecosystems, which are ecosystems that, although they are not critically endangered, have nevertheless undergone ecological degradation as a result of human activity.  Vulnerable Ecosystems, which are ecosystems that have a high risk of undergoing significant ecological degradation.  Protected Ecosystems, which are ecosystems that are of a high conservation value or contain indigenous species at high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

Similarly, the Act allows for the listing of endangered species, including critically endangered species, endangered species, vulnerable species and protected species. A person may not carry out a restricted activity (including trade) involving listed threatened or protected species without a permit.

The NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan optimised on this opportunity and defined and demarcated areas in need on protection in terms of their vulnerability. Biodiversity sector plans does not have the legal weight of bioregional plans but may be used on the interim until such plans become available.

5.3.1.7 National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Amendment Act (15 of 2009)

The purpose of NEMPAA is to amend the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003, so as to provide for:  a comprehensive list in the schedule of all national parks;  the assignment of national parks, special nature reserves and heritage sites to the South African National Parks;  flight corridors and permission of the management authority to fly over special nature reserve, national park or heritage site;  specific areas available for training and testing of aircraft.

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This act creates a national system of protected areas in order to protect and conserve ecologically viable areas representative of biodiversity in the country. It further seeks to achieve co-operative environmental governance and to promote sustainable and equitable utilisation and community participation.

The legislation requires the State to act as trustee of protected areas, and to implement the Act ‘in partnership with the people' to achieve the progressive realisation of the environmental rights contained in Section 24 of the Constitution.

Once an area is declared protected, the Minister must appoint management authorities, who in turn must prepare management plans for the special nature reserve, national park, nature reserve or protected environment. These plans must, amongst other things, contain the terms and conditions of any applicable biodiversity management plan, procedures for public participation, including participation by the owner (if applicable), any community or other interested party, and where appropriate, the implementation of community-based natural resource management.

The management authority may enter into an agreement with another organ of state, a local community, an individual or other party for the co- management of the area by the parties, or the regulation of human activities that affect the environment in the area.

5.3.1.8 National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (24 of 2008)

The aim of this act is to establish a system of integrated coastal and estuary management in South Africa, including norms, standards and policies, in order to promote the conservation of the coastal environment.

Additional aims are to:

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 maintain the natural attributes of coastal landscapes and seascapes;  ensure that development and the use of natural resources within the coastal zone is socially and economically justifiable as well as being economically sustainable;  define rights and duties in relation to coastal areas;  determine the responsibilities of organs of state in relation to coastal areas;  prohibit incineration at sea;  control dumping at sea, pollution in the coastal zone, inappropriate development of the coastal environment and other adverse effects on the coastal environment; and  give effect to South Africa's international obligations with regard to coastal matters.

The South African coastline is currently not being managed and developed in a way that optimises its resources and opportunities. Economic and social opportunities for wealth creation and equity are being missed while coastal ecosystems are being systematically degraded. This act will be the regulating force to control these measures in an attempt to protect the coastline. It also gives government the power to prevent development too close to the sea by establishing 'set-back lines'. This stimulates a more holistic way of thinking by promoting co-ordinated and integrated coastal management, which views the coast as a system and emphasises the importance of managing it as such.

An important concept contained in the act is Coastal Public Property. Coastal Public Property covers all the non-privately owned area from the sea, 12 kilometres from the coastline, to the top of an area traditionally known as the Admiralty Reserve. The Admiralty Reserve is a traditional concept but is roughly 45 - 60m from the High Water Mark of the shore, where proof of the reserve exists in title deeds or any such similar document. This area is to be managed for the benefit of the “whole community” and should be held in trust. It can never be sold and rights to this land cannot be acquired through prescription.

The Coastal Protection zone is, using simplification for the purposes of this report, the area of land one kilometre inland from the High Water Mark, where the land was not zoned or zoned for agriculture or is undermined. This includes all privately owned land in the zone. The purpose of the

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Coastal Protection zone is to manage, regulate or restrict activities that may negatively affect the Coastal Public Property.

5.3.1.9 National Water Act (38 of 1998)

The purpose of this Act is to ensure that the nation's water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in ways which take into account amongst other factors:  meeting the basic human needs of present and future generations;  promoting equitable access to water;  redressing the results of past racial and gender discrimination;  promoting the efficient, sustainable and beneficial use of water in the public interest;  facilitating social and economic development;  providing for growing demand for water use; protecting aquatic and associated ecosystems and their biological diversity;  reducing and preventing pollution and degradation of water resources;  meeting international obligations;  promoting dam safety; and  managing floods and droughts.

The National Government is responsible for the equitable allocation and use of the scarce and unevenly distributed water resources of the nation. The aim of water resource management is to ensure the sustainable use of water through the protection of the quality of water resources for the benefit of all water users.

5.3.1.10 Environmental Conservation Act (73 of 1989)

The objective of the Environmental Conservation Act (ECA) is to provide for the effective protection and controlled utilisation of the environment. This Act was historically the main act that governed environmental management in South Africa.

Several sections of ECA have been repealed by various pieces of legislation mentioned in this section. ECA should therefore always be read

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in conjunction with especially NEMA and other legislation applicable to the subject in question.

5.3.1.11 National Heritage Resources Act (25 of 1999)

The purpose of the NHRA is to protect and promote good management of South Africa's heritage resources, and to encourage and enable communities to nurture and conserve their legacy so it is available to future generations.

The Act makes heritage resources of cultural significance or other special value part of the national State, and therefore places them under the care of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).

Heritage resources may include buildings, historic settlements, landscapes and natural features, burial grounds and certain moveable objects, including objects of decorative art or scientific interest. Provincial and municipal authorities also play a role in managing provincial heritage resources and local-level functions.

New landowners should be made aware of any pre-existing heritage sites or objects located on their properties, and be further educated on their responsibilities regarding those sites or objects. They may also wish to approach heritage authorities in order to obtain a designation for a particular site or object under this Act.

5.3.1.12 Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (43 of 1983)

CARA seeks to provide for the conservation of natural agricultural resources by maintaining the production potential of land, combating and preventing erosion and weakening or destruction of water resources, protecting vegetation and combating weeds and invader plant species.

CARA generally does not apply to any land situated in an urban area (which is land under the control of a local authority, excluding any commonage or other land used for agricultural purposes; or any land that is subdivided). However, the provisions relating to weeds and invader plants do apply in urban areas.

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5.3.2 Management of Environmental Elements

The legislative framework governing each environmental element is discussed below.

5.3.2.1 Water

Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act.

Ensure compliance to the National Water Act in which each water use must be licensed. It is a requirement that the 1:100 year flood line level appears on all maps involving the proposed development of land. An assessment of the impact of the proposed development on the water quality and quantity must also be undertaken.

The control of storm water in urban areas falls under the ambit of the Municipal Systems Act and is a local authority responsibility.

5.3.2.2 Air

Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act and National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act.

The National Environmental Management: Air Quality aims to provide the framework for governance of air quality management through:

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 The establishment of national norms and standards,  Setting up a regulatory framework for an air quality management planning;  Setting up a reporting regime and numerous regulatory instruments for the control of air pollution; and  Ensuring a comprehensive approach to compliance and enforcement.  Protecting, restoring and enhancing the air quality in the Republic, having regard to the need to ensure sustainable development;  Providing increased opportunities for public involvement and participation in the protection of air quality;  Ensuring that the public has access to relevant and meaningful information about air pollution; and  Reducing risks to human health and prevent the degradation of air quality.

5.3.2.3 Soil

Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act.

Pressure on soil resources is increasing as a result of land use change and transformation. The CARA requires that alien species be removed or controlled on site. Furthermore CARA excludes any urban soils from agricultural soils and any area outside urban settings should therefore consider impacts on potentially arable land.

5.3.2.4 Flora

Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act, National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Environmental Conservation Act and National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act:

The objectives of the Biodiversity Act include:

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 The management and conservation of biological diversity within South Africa;  The use of indigenous biological resources in a sustainable manner;  The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercialisation through bioprospecting of traditional uses and knowledge of genetic resources;  Giving effect to international agreements relating to biodiversity which are binding on South Africa;  Providing for co-operative governance in biodiversity management and conservation;  Providing for a National Biodiversity Institute to assist in achieving the above objectives.

The following principles should be applied in the application of a Red Data Plant Policy, designed by the provincial government.

 Conserve the diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, communities, populations, species and genes in South Africa;  Species endemic to the province should receive the utmost protection;  All populations of Red Data plant species should be protected;  In situ conservation is preferable to ex situ conservation;  The ecological processes of a population must be protected;  The natural habitat of the species must be retained;  Translocation of species should be avoided;  The occurrence of Red Data species on a site must be evaluated in light of the ecosystem drivers;  Suitable habitat for such species should be protected;  Buffer zones should be used to protect species in a fragmented landscape. A distance of 200m should be used in such a case; and  Mining, overgrazing, infrastructure developments and agricultural transformation of land are threats to Red Data Plant species.

5.3.2.5 Fauna

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Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act, National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Environmental Conservation Act and National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.

The objectives of the Biodiversity Act include:  The management and conservation of biological diversity within South Africa;  The use of indigenous biological resources in a sustainable manner;  The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the commercialisation through bioprospecting of traditional uses and knowledge of genetic resources;  Giving effect to international agreements relating to biodiversity which are binding on South Africa; and  Providing for co-operative governance in biodiversity management and conservation.

The following principles should be applied in the application of a Red Data Animal Policy, designed by the provincial government.

 Conserve the diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, communities, populations, species and genes in South Africa;  Species endemic to the province should receive the utmost protection;  All populations of Red Data animal species should be protected;  The ecological processes of a population must be protected;  The natural habitat of the species must be retained;  The occurrence of Red Data species on a site must be evaluated in light of the ecosystem drivers; and  Suitable habitat for such species should be protected;  Mining, overgrazing, infrastructure developments and agricultural transformation of land are threats to Red Data animal species.

5.3.2.6 Ecology

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Ensure compliance to the National Environmental Management Act, National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, Environmental Conservation Act and National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.

In terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act the following legislation is provided for the management of the environment:  The management and conservation of the biological diversity of South Africa;  The sustainable use of our biological resources; and  The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use and application of genetic resources.

5.3.2.7 Noise

No noise control policy could be traced within the NDM.

Control of noise is however dealt with as part of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Environment Conservation Act. These regulations include that it is necessary to:  Prevent, reduce or eliminate noise, vibration and shock;  Not exceed levels of noise, vibration and shock either in general or by specified apparatus or machinery or in specified instances or places.

Construction activities and other noise impacts can cause noise pollution. A disturbing noise is one that exceeds the zone sound level or the ambient sound level by 7dBA or more. A noise nuisance is defined as meaning “any sound that disturbs or impairs or may disturb or impair the convenience or peace of persons”. This includes the use of power tools, movement of vehicles, etc.

An average of 20dBA is given for Rural Areas and 85dBA is given for Urban Areas for ambient noise.

5.3.2.8 Waste and Pollution

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Ensure compliance with the National Environmental Management Act and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. Important requirements included in this legislation are:  Promote the prevention and minimization of waste generation and hence pollution at source;  Promote the management and minimization of the impact of unavoidable waste from its generation to final disposal;  Ensure the integrity and sustained “fitness for use” of all environmental media, i.e. air, water and land;  Ensure the remediation of any pollution of the environment by holding responsible parties accountable; and  Ensure environmental justice by integrating environmental considerations with the social, political and development needs and rights of all sectors, communities and individuals.

5.3.2.9 Open Spaces

In terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act the following legislation is provided for the management of the environment:  The management and conservation of the biological diversity of South Africa;  The sustainable use of our biological resources; and  The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use and application of genetic resources.

5.3.2.10 Cultural / Historic sites

The National Heritage Resources Act requires the submission of a Phase 1 cultural historic assessment (including archaeology) for any site greater than 1000m2 that is proposed to be developed. This assessment must map the site and indicate the significance of the site along with adequate mitigation measures. The Heritage Impact Assessment report should accompany and form part of the EIA, or alternatively the South African Heritage Resources Agency should be notified of the report and findings from it.

5.4 Environmental Elements

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5.4.1 Climate

5.4.1.1 Constraints

There is very low rainfall in the entire district. Evapotranspiration greatly exceeds the available annual average rainfall.

The climate is not conducive to large-scale agriculture. Rainfall is too limited for crop production without supporting irrigation or other water sources.

The climate does not encourage human settlement. Large areas of natural refuge from the high temperatures and lack of water have been settled and unless water supplies are made available it is unlikely that the establishment of further human settlements will be successful or sustainable. Thus new settlements established for mining or other extraction purposes are not likely to survive the closure of the supporting activity.

High evapotranspiration rates would limit the effectiveness of raw water storage reservoirs. Such reservoirs, where proved feasible, would have to have a very low surface area to storage volume ratio (i.e. be narrow and deep) to limit evaporation from the water surfaces.

Climate change is likely to impact the district by making the climate hotter and dryer. Rainfall patterns may shift seasonally. Groundwater and surface water quality may deteriorate.

5.4.1.2 Opportunities

Insolation in the NDM is suitable for solar energy generation.

The relatively strong winds, coupled with wide open spaces, may also be suitable for wind energy generation.

The climate is amenable to inbound international tourism. The inland areas are reliably hot and dry, whilst the coastal areas are cool. These characteristics present an opportunity to encourage tourism from the cold areas of the world. The benefit of being able to experience desert-like

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conditions, whilst a refuge is provided along the cooler coastal areas, would appeal to residents of countries where total sunshine is limited and winter dominates the annual seasons.

5.4.1.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Very low and erratic rainfall.  Discourage new human settlements where water supplies cannot be secured

 Where new settlements are established, for example new mines, ensure that provision has been made for adequate water quality and quantity in the project planning

 Alternative water sources should be sought ensure security of water supplies

 Prohibit large scale extensive agriculture which is not irrigated

 Low rainfall has serious impacts on ability of vegetation to recover after disturbance. Limit any disturbances to vegetation

 Water conservation awareness and technology to reduce water use should be encouraged in the NDM.

2. High evapotranspiration  Storage reservoirs, where they are considered should have a very low surface area to storage volume ratio

 Ground water supplies must be wisely used

 Alternative means of securing water supplies should encouraged e.g. groundwater exploitation or water resource exploitation from the Orange River

3. Changing climatic conditions  Development planning, agricultural practices as a result of climate change. and resource use should include actions to manage the existing and predicted effects of climate change, including impacts on temperature, rainfall and water availability.

 Effective measures for the management of droughts and floods to be developed and

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

implemented where required. Drought resistant crops to be investigated where needed.

 Current industries and proposed new developments should be encouraged to make use of water and energy conservation measures.

 Ground water and surface water quality is expected to drop, thus placing an emphasis on the use of better water treatment technologies.

4. High insolation values,  Private enterprise wishing to investigate the coupled with large open feasibility of solar energy generation should be spaces make the climate encouraged suitable for solar energy generation  Land with high solar energy potential should be identified and earmarked for potential use.

5. The climate is conducive to  Develop a tourism strategy focused upon the international tourists from weather and the sights. The strong advantages colder climes are the desert climate, flora and mountainous terrain, coupled with cooler coastal areas provide refuge.

6. High wind speeds, coupled  Private enterprise wishing to investigate the with large open spaces, make feasibility of wind energy generation should be the climate suitable for wind encouraged energy generation  Land with high wind energy potential should be identified and earmarked for potential use.

5.4.1.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Discourage new human  No new human settlement  Number of new human  DWA settlements where where water supplies cannot be settlements with adequate  DENC water supplies cannot secured. water supply.  Department of Cooperative be secured. Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs  Relevant municipal unit  Where new settlements  Adequate provision of quantity  Proof of water provision for  Relevant municipal unit are established, ensure and quality water. each new settlement  DWA that provision has been required in EIAs.  Department of Cooperative made for adequate Governance, Human water quality and Settlement and Traditional quantity in the project Affairs planning.

 Alternative water  Identify suitable water sources.  Water Resource  DWA sources should be Development planning.  Relevant municipal unit sought to ensure security of water supplies.

 Prohibit large scale  All large scale agriculture which  Hectares under non-  NCDALR extensive agriculture are not irrigated are allowed. irrigated cultivation. Use  DWA which is not irrigated. legal processes such as  Agricultural sector plough certificates.  Relevant municipal sector

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Water conservation  Encourage water conservation  Overall potable water use  DWA awareness and awareness. volumes in the NDM.  Department of Education technology to reduce  Relevant municipal sector water use should be encouraged in the NDM.

 Storage reservoirs,  Low surface area storage  Appropriate planning during  DWA where they are reservoirs. Water Resource  Relevant municipal sector considered should have Development planning. a very low surface area to storage volume ratio.

 Alternative means of  Identify alternative means of  Volumes of surface water  DWA securing water supplies securing water supply. use and volumes of ground  Relevant municipal sector should encouraged e.g. water used. groundwater exploitation or water resource exploitation from the Orange River

 Development planning,  Identify actions to manage  Project tracking  DWA agricultural practices effects of climate change.  Relevant municipal sector and resource use  Agricultural sector should include actions  DENC to manage the existing and predicted effects of

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities climate change, including impacts on temperature, rainfall and water availability.

 Effective measures for  Develop effect measures to  Project tracking  NCDALR the management of manage droughts and floods.  DWA droughts and floods to  Agricultural sector be developed and  Relevant municipal sector implemented where required. Drought resistant crops to be investigated where needed.

 Current industries and  Use of water and energy  Overall potable water use  NCDALR proposed conservation measures by volumes in the NDM  DWA developments should industries and proposed  Relevant municipal sector be encouraged to make developments. use of water and

energy conservation

measures.

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Private enterprise  Encourage use of solar energy  Project tracking  DENC wishing to investigate  DWA the feasibility of solar  Relevant municipal sector energy generation

should be encouraged.

 Land with high solar  Identify land with high solar  Project tracking  NCDALR energy potential should energy potential.  DMR be identified and  Agricultural sector earmarked for potential  Relevant municipal sector use.  Develop a tourism  Develop a tourism strategy  Number of international  NCDALR strategy focused upon focused upon the weather and visitors, taken from  DWA the weather and the the sights. accommodation guest  DENC sights. The strong registers.  Agricultural sector advantages are the  Department of Finance, desert climate, flora Economic Development and and mountainous Tourism terrain, coupled with  Relevant municipal sector cooler coastal areas provide refuge.

 Private enterprise  Identify private enterprise that  Project tracking  NCDALR wishing to investigate would utilise wind energy  DMR the feasibility of wind generation.  Agricultural sector energy generation  Relevant municipal sector

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities should be encouraged.

 Land with high wind  Identify land with high wind  Project tracking  NCDALR energy potential should energy.  DMR be identified and  DENC earmarked for potential  Agricultural sector use.  Relevant municipal sector

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5.4.1.5 Desired State of the Environment

A District Municipality that responds proactively to the need to adapt to changing climatic conditions as a result of climate change, and which promotes energy generation, tourism and water conservation measures. Water resource plans are required that take the climate into account.

5.4.2 Hydrology

5.4.2.1 Constraints

The overall shortage of surface water flow represents the most significant constraint to development in the NDM. The two WMAs which lie within the NDM are amongst the two smallest capacity WMAs in South Africa, by a wide margin.

The hydrology of the Olifants/Doorn catchment is in deficit, which implies that no further water can be allocated for use. Thus the southern areas of the NDM have no additional water resources to support expansionary projects in agriculture or industry.

Agricultural activities involving irrigation are highly dependent on surface water, and especially the Orange River. Sufficient water must be left in Orange River for ecological reserve at ORM RAMSAR Site.

The lack of monitoring and control of water used for irrigation in the region represents another constraint considering the scarcity of the resource and thus potential abuse, over use or miss-allocation occurring.

5.4.2.2 Opportunities

The Orange River represents an extremely valuable source of water within the District. The Lower Orange WMA is in surplus, which indicates that additional water can be allocated for use in activities such as agriculture or in large projects. This would mainly affect the northern areas of the NDM.

Given the surplus water availability, an opportunity exists to exploit the large volumes of water that enter the Orange River from the Fish River. This water enters the Orange River approximately 144 kilometres from the mouth of the Orange River at Alexander Bay. An opportunity exists to

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exploit the water resource along this stretch of river for large-scale irrigation.

Given that the NDM lies upstream of the two dams in the Olifants/Doorn WMA, an opportunity exists to maintain and possibly improve the water qualities reaching these dams. This will improve overall water quality from these dams and reduce water treatment costs. This benefit is in addition to the ecological benefits to the river should it contain less solid and pollution loads.

Water re-use and recycling schemes would find fertile scope for growth and development. The NDM is an arid area that suffers from a shortage of water, thus technology development in both re-use and water recycling should be given official encouragement. The development of the necessary technology and the adoption of such schemes could generate a new economic sector in the NDM economy. The refurbishment of an existing desalination plant in the Eastern Cape is set to make it the biggest plant of its kind in South Africa. The plant is located at the Bushmans River Mouth, near Kenton-on-Sea and once completed will have a throughput of 1800m3/d. The plant is within the Ndlambe Municipality and will serve a population of about 50 000. (http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/large- seawater-desalination-plant-being-established-in-eastern-cape-2010-01-05).

5.4.2.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures 1. The water resources of the  Discourage new human settlements where NDM are very limited water supplies cannot be secured

 Where new settlements are established, for example new mines, ensure that provision has been made for adequate water quality and quantity in the project planning

 Alternative water sources should be sought to ensure security of water supplies

 Prohibit large scale extensive agriculture which is not irrigated and use legal processes such as plough certificates.

 Water conservation awareness and technology to reduce water use should be encouraged in the NDM.

2. The Olifants/Doorn WMA is in  No new developments requiring surface water

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

deficit, which implies no supplies can be developed in the further water allocations can Olifants/Doorn WMA. Affected municipalities be made include KLM, HLM and KHLM.

 Groundwater sources should be used for developments that require water. Sustainable exploitation of groundwater is key.

3. Monitoring of water use  Water use monitoring should be implemented in should be implemented. conjunction with the regional office of DWA. The aim of the monitoring would be to identify areas of over-use and miss-allocation. The monitoring would also perform a tracking function to ensure that water supplies do not fall below expected demand.

4. Water resource exploitation  Water resource exploitation would involve the from the lower reaches of the construction of a dam, with international Orange River has the implications. This would be handled by DWA potential to expand irrigation Head Office in Pretoria. Motivations for its in the northern areas of the development should be submitted to the NDM. It would also secure Directorate: Options Analysis. water supplies to the towns of Alexander Bay and Port  Ensure ecological reserve at Ramsar site Nolloth.

5. Catchment management  Encourage catchment management actions measures should be such as encouraging better land management implemented in the southern and removing alien plant species form the municipalities to improve upper catchment. flows in the Olifants/Doorn WMA.  Catchment management actions such as these are job creating and thus will benefit the local economies.

6. Water re-use and recycling  Effective water re-use and recycling will lower schemes should be total water demand in the NDM, thereby encouraged in the district. reducing stress on the water resources in the district.

 The installation of water re-use and recycling technology and infrastructure is a new area for economic growth and should be exploited.

 The NDM should encourage research into this area by offering student bursaries, hosting pilot projects on municipal property and making sure that newly approved development plans incorporate water re-use and recycling measures.

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5.4.2.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Discourage new human  No new human settlement  Number of new human  DWA settlements where water where water cannot be settlements  Department of supplies cannot be secured. secured. Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs  Relevant municipal units  DENC  Water User Associations  Where new settlements are  Adequate provision of  Proof of water provision for  DWA established, for example new quantity and quality water. each new settlement  Department of mines, ensure that provision required in EIAs Cooperative has been made for adequate Governance, Human water quality and quantity in the Settlement and project planning. Traditional Affairs  Relevant municipal units  DENC  Water User Associations  Alternative water sources  Identify suitable water  Water Resource  DWA should be sought to ensure sources. Development planning  Relevant municipal units

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities security of water supplies.  DENC  Water User Associations

 Discourage large scale  All large scale agriculture  Hectares under non-irrigated  DWA extensive agriculture which is which are not irrigated are cultivation  Agricultural sector not irrigated. allowed.  Relevant municipal units  DENC  Water User Associations  Water conservation awareness  Encourage water  Overall potable water use  DWA and technology to reduce water conservation awareness. volumes in the NDM  Department of use should be encouraged in Education

the NDM.  Relevant municipal units  Water User Associations  No new developments requiring  No new developments that  IDP prohibition of major new  DWA surface water supplies can be require surface water water using developments  Agricultural sector developed in the Olifants/Doorn supplies in Olifants/Door KLM, HLM and KHLM.  Relevant municipal WMA. Affected municipalities WMA. units include KLM, HLM and KHLM.  DENC

7. Groundwater sources should be  Sustainable use of  Volumes of surface water  DWA used for developments that groundwater. use and volumes of ground  Relevant municipal require water. Sustainable units

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities exploitation of groundwater is water used.  DENC key.  Project tracking through EIAs.

 Water use monitoring should be  Implement water use  Project tracking  DWA implemented in conjunction with monitoring.  Relevant municipal the regional office of DWA. The  Review of water use licences units aim of the monitoring would be in the NDM. to identify areas of over-use and miss-allocation. The monitoring would also perform a tracking function to ensure that water supplies do not fall below expected demand.  Encourage catchment  Encourage catchment  Project tracking  DWA management actions such as management actions.  Agricultural sector encouraging better land  Relevant municipal management and removing units alien species form the upper  DENC catchment.

 Catchment management action  Encourage catchment  Project tracking  DWA are job creating and thus will management actions.  Agricultural sector benefit the local economies.  Relevant municipal units  DENC

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Effective water re-use and  Ensure effective water re-  Volumes of surface water  DWA recycling will lower total water use and recycling. use and volumes of ground  Relevant municipal demand in the NDM, thereby water used. units reducing stress on the water  DENC resources in the district.  Water User Associations

 The installation of water re-use  Install water re-use and  Volumes of surface water  DWA and recycling technology and recycling. use and volumes of ground  Agricultural sector infrastructure is a new area for water used.  Relevant municipal economic growth and should be units exploited.  DENC  Water User Associations

 The NDM should encourage  Offer bursaries to conduct  Number of bursaries offered.  DWA research into this area by research in the area.  Agricultural sector offering student bursaries,  Relevant municipal hosting pilot projects on units municipal property and making  DENC sure that newly approved  Water User development plans incorporate Associations water re-use and recycling measures.

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5.4.2.5 Desired State of the Environment

Hydrological resources are protected and used within their capacity. Catchment management and surface water sources are protected. Water reuse and recycling is a key element towards ensuring continued economic growth.

5.4.3 Groundwater

5.4.3.1 Constraints

Groundwater quality is generally poor with high levels of TDS and nitrates in large areas of ground water. Thus water treatment costs will be high and areas that rely upon groundwater supplies for domestic water do not enjoy a high guarantee of supply.

The aquifer at Port Nolloth is stressed and is currently fully exploited. Alternative water sources should be found for this area.

Nitrate loads are high around Garies, which limits borehole exploitation, or places additional water-treatment burdens on water users.

Efforts to manage ground water resources in the NDM are limited by the fact that much of the groundwater pollution is imported down the Orange River, from the Upper Orange WMA. In addition, the geological structure of much of the NDM limits the yield of boreholes.

Development projects can put a strain on wetlands within the District.

Owing to the shortage of surface water sources and low rainfall, reliable groundwater sources attract a great deal of use from livestock, and in some cases, direct human use. This natural competition between anthropogenic influences and ecosystem uses limits the ecological state in which wetlands can be maintained.

5.4.3.2 Opportunities

Groundwater resources of good quality are in the main not overexploited, thus the groundwater capacity exists to continue to supply isolated communities with water.

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Given the relatively low volumes of groundwater that are present in the NDM, improvement in the management of groundwater polluting activities will yield improved groundwater quality. In this regard enforcement of anti- pollution legislation, particularly that enacted by the National Water Act of 1998, will be beneficial. Targeted activities should be areas of intensive agriculture, feedlots and dairy farms, poorly managed sewerage works, sanitation in informal settlements and mining areas.

Groundwater management would also be enhanced should a comprehensive borehole monitoring programme be implemented. This would provide information in the management of groundwater yield and pollution loads.

Treatment of groundwater could be improved through the use of technology such as permeable reactive barriers containing slowly degradable carbon sources, photochemical oxidation, microfiltration and electrokinetics.

Schemes for artificial recharge of groundwater should be considered. Usually, the recharge water is surface water, which, where it exists in the NDM, is exposed to high rates of evaporation. Artificial recharge schemes aim to re-charge the aquifers by directing surface water to the groundwater, either by using natural infiltration areas or by actively pumping water underground. The feasibility of such schemes could be investigated.

Multiple- source schemes could be used for rural water supply. Where surface, or tankered, water exists, but in insufficient qualities to supply all the water needs of the community, consideration could be given to treating surface water to potable standards and then using the lower quality groundwater sources for other household uses such as toilet flushing, clothes and household cleaning and small-scale irrigation requirements.

Management of wetlands to prevent ground water pollution and sustainable use for livestock watering is important in NDM. This will limit the pollution to and overuse of these water sources. The goods and services that wetlands provide will thus be protected.

5.4.3.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Overall ground water quality  Encourage the use of better water treatment

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

in the NDM is poor, unreliable technologies and requires expensive treatment. This is particularly  Reduce the usage of ground water sources true of Garies where possible through the use of surface water from the Orange River

 Pollution control measures should be enforced in the NDM. Particularly around sewerage treatment works, intensive and irrigated agriculture

 No on-site sanitation systems (such as VIPs or septic tanks) should be allowed for new human settlements. Wherever possible this practise should be phased out.

 Water conservation awareness and technology to reduce water use should be encouraged in the NDM.

2. The Port Nolloth Aquifer is  Reduce the usage of ground water sources stressed where possible through increased use of surface water from the Orange River

 Investigate interim solutions such as the provision of potable water from desalination.

 Investigate water uses in Port Nolloth and identify areas of misuse and where water re- use and recycling would reduce overall water demand.

 Water conservation awareness and technology to reduce water use should be encouraged in the NDM.

3. Wetlands offer an opportunity  Monitor agricultural practises around wetlands for groundwater recharge, to ensure that agricultural fertilisers do not enter and if they are polluted, the wetlands. Wetland based wheat farming pollution will migrate to presents a particular challenge in this regard if nearby groundwater the soil is dosed using fertilisers.

 The use by small livestock of wetlands for watering should be discouraged through the establishment of livestock watering points in high impact areas

 EIA tracking to ensure that wetlands are identified and not impacted upon. Buffers of at least 32m from the edges should be implemented and enforced.

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

4. Groundwater resource  Groundwater sources should be matched with exploitation is possible over adequate treatment facilities. Due regard the vast majority of the NDM. should be had to the capacity of the receiving This should be done in a community to manage these treatment facilities. manner that limits to the drawdown to the yield of the  Geohydrological and water quality studies borehole and the associated should accompany all applications for aquifer. boreholes in the NDM.

5. Wetlands and the surrounding  Monitor important wetlands to ensure the areas, especially in surrounding land uses and wetland use conservation areas are a practices support their use as tourism tourism resource that should resources. be developed.

5.4.3.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Encourage the use of  Identify water treatment  Project tracking  DWA better water treatment technologies.  Relevant municipal units technologies.  DENC  Water User Associations

 Reduce the usage of  Reduction of ground water  Volumes of water used from  DWA ground water sources usage. surface water sources  Relevant municipal units where possible through versus the volumes used for  DENC the use of surface groundwater sources in the  Water User Associations water from the Orange affected areas. River.

 Pollution control  Enforce the usage of pollution  Number of sewerage  DWA measures should be control measures. treatment works complying  Relevant municipal units enforced in the NDM. with discharge permits and  DENC Particularly around those that do not comply will  Water User Associations sewerage treatment be closed.  Agricultural sector works, intensive and  irrigated agriculture.

 No on-site sanitation  No on-site systems for new  Borehole monitoring results  DWA systems (such as VIPs human settlement. near areas of intensive  Relevant municipal units or septic tanks) should agriculture.  DENC be allowed for new  Water User Associations human settlements. Wherever possible this

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities practise should be phased out.

 Water conservation  Encourage water conservation  Number of households  DWA awareness and awareness. served with on-site  Relevant municipal units technology to reduce sanitation systems.  Department of Education water use should be  DENC encouraged in the  Overall potable water use  Water User Associations NDM. volumes in the NDM will be monitored at the extraction and end points and loss of water along the way due to poor infrastructure will be maintained.

 Ensure ecological reserve at ORM.

 Investigate interim  Provide potable water.  Feasibility report  DWA solutions such as the  Relevant municipal units

provision of potable  DENC water from  Water User Associations desalination.

 Investigate water uses  Identify areas of water misuse.  Water Usage Report  DWA in Port Nolloth and  Relevant municipal units  identify areas of misuse  DENC and where water re-use  Water User Associations and recycling would

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities reduce overall water demand.

 Monitor agricultural  No agricultural impacts on  Wetland monitoring reports  DWA practises around wetlands. results.  Relevant municipal units wetlands to ensure that  DENC agricultural fertilisers do  Water User Associations not enter wetlands. Wetland based wheat farming presents a particular challenge in this regard if the soil is dosed using fertilisers.

 The use by small  No use of wetlands by small  Wetland monitoring reports  NCDALR livestock of wetlands livestock. results  DWA for watering should be  Relevant municipal units

discouraged through  DENC the establishment of  Water User Associations livestock watering points in high impact areas.

 EIA tracking to ensure  No impacts around 32m buffer  Number of livestock  DENC that wetlands are wetlands. watering points.  Relevant municipal units identified and not impacts upon. Buffers  Wetland monitoring reports

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities of at least 32m from the results. edges should be implemented and  Project tracking enforced.

 Groundwater sources  Identify ground water sources  Project tracking  DWA should be matched with to match treatment facilities.  Relevant municipal units adequate treatment facilities. Due regard to the capacity of the receiving community to manage these treatment facilities.

 Geohydrological and  Geohydrological and water  Project tracking  DWA water quality studies quality studies.  Relevant municipal units should accompany all applications for boreholes in the NDM.

 Monitor important  Monitor wetlands  Wetland monitoring reports  NCDALR wetlands to ensure the results.  DWA surrounding land uses  Relevant municipal units and wetland use  DENC practices support their  Department of Finance, use as tourism Economic Development and

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities resources. Tourism

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5.4.3.5 Desired State of the Environment

Groundwater sources should be exploited within the limits of their potential. Ground water treatment technology should be improved and overall misuse reduced, whilst opportunities for water recycling and re-use are maximised. It is important that water reticulation infrastructure is properly maintained.

5.4.4 Topography

5.4.4.1 Constraints

The steep, rugged nature of the terrain within the NDM plays an important role in limiting potential developments. High elevations and steep gradients limit development activities, especially infrastructure development.

Given the topography, increased visual impacts may also accrue, since developments can be viewed from a far. This is especially severe with developments that might include highly visible impacts e.g. lights at night, noise, scarring of the landscape and associated impacts.

Ridges and high lying areas are sensitive environments and development in these areas should be avoided.

As a result of steep gradients, development in the area also interferes with soil stability. Thus, for example, construction may create the potential for severe erosion within the area, unless proper management plans are put in place during these activities.

Steep gradients increase the potential for surface water based soil erosion, particularly where soils are bare during major rainfall months.

5.4.4.2 Opportunities

The varied topography increases the aesthetic appeal of the district. The landscape can be used as a tool for promoting tourism-related developments such as the development of tourism routes and destinations. This opportunity is available in all the landscapes of the NDM.

Plains are suitable for extensive agriculture where climatic conditions are favourable or where irrigation schemes replace the need for regular rainfall.

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Plains are also suitable for any extensive projects that require vast, uninhabited open spaces, except in areas where sensitive vegetation occurs. Examples in this regard include astronomy, solar and wind power generation, nuclear fuel storage, vehicle testing and racing and military manoeuvres.

The NDM is also a potential location for the proposed Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project. This is a project funded by the United States for the development of the world’s largest radio telescope. One example is the space and astronomy project South Africa Large Telescope (SALT) in Sutherland. MeerKAT (Karoo Array Telescope) is a seven dish array telescope project that is in the early implementation stages.

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5.4.4.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Ridges and high lying areas  Ridges and high lying areas should be play an important role in the regarded as sensitive areas. Where possible, maintenance of biodiversity development should be limited to footpaths. and ecological integrity.  Development on slopes greater than or equal to 8º should be avoided.  Development on slopes between 5º to 8º should consider appropriate development types and mitigation measures for managing soil erosion, surface runoff and other impacts.  An EIA with specialist studies must supersede any development on a topographical feature.  Footpaths and lookout points should include appropriate soil erosion reduction measures, including path stabilisers and controlled water runoff points.

2. Ridges and high lying areas  Developments on high lying areas should be can exacerbate noise and planned to minimise visual impacts as part of visual impacts. the EIA process.

 Developments that include lights at night and landscape scarring should be avoided where possible.

 Lighting should not be dispersed but focused downwards.

 Activities on slopes and ridges that could generate significant noise for downstream residents should be discouraged.

3. The mining of sand (sand  Sand winning should be avoided on steep winning) on ridges, granite slopes. and slopes can produce permanent landscape  Measures to rehabilitate indigenous vegetation scarring and accelerate soil on slopes characterised by sand winning erosion. should be followed.

4. Encouragement of the use of  Private enterprise wishing to investigate the open plains for extensive feasibility of energy generation should be activities where feasible, such encouraged. as agriculture, energy generation, scientific projects,  Land with high energy generation potential vehicle testing and racing and should be identified and earmarked for potential military manoeuvres. use.

 Ensure that sensitive vegetation is not disturbed.

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

 Opportunities for military sites should be actively followed up, this includes contact with international militaries who have a need for specialised desert warfare training or acclimatisation prior to deployment.

7. The topography is  Develop a tourism strategy with a focus on aesthetically appealing and unique topographical features. The strong conducive to tourism. advantages are the Kamiesberg and the desert landscapes in the northern municipalities of the district.

5.4.4.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Ridges and high lying  No development on ridges and  Project tracking  DENC areas should be high lying areas.  Relevant municipal units regarded as sensitive areas. Where possible, development should be limited to footpaths.

 Development on slopes  No development on slopes  Project tracking  DENC greater than or equal to greater or equal 8º.  Relevant municipal units 8º should be avoided.

 Development on slopes  No development on slopes  Project tracking  DENC between 5º to 8º should between 5º and 8º.  Relevant municipal units consider appropriate development types and mitigation measures for managing soil erosion, surface runoff and other impacts.

 An EIA with specialist  Specialists’ studies conducted  Project tracking  DENC studies must supersede on any topograpgical feature.  Relevant municipal units any development on a topographical feature.

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Footpaths and lookout  Soil erosion reduction  Project tracking  DENC points should include measures in any footpaths and  Relevant municipal units appropriate soil erosion lookout points. reduction measures, including path stabilisers and controlled water runoff points.

 Developments on high  Minimise any visual impacts on  Project tracking  DENC lying areas should be high lying developments.  Relevant municipal units planned to minimise visual impacts as part of the EIA process.

 Developments that  No development that include  Project tracking  DENC include lights at night lights at night and landscape  Relevant municipal units and landscape scarring scarring. should be avoided where possible.

 Lighting should not be  No lightning should be  Project tracking  DENC dispersed but focused dispersed.  Relevant municipal units downwards.

 Activities on slopes and  No activities on slopes that  Project tracking  DENC ridges that could generate noise.  Relevant municipal units generate significant noise for downstream

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities residents should be discouraged.

 Sand winning should  No sand winning on steep  Project tracking  DENC be avoided on steep slopes.  Relevant municipal units slopes.

 Measures to  Rehabilitate slopes  Project tracking  DENC rehabilitate indigenous characterised by sand winning.  Relevant municipal units vegetation on slopes characterised by sand winning should be followed.

 Private enterprise  Identify private enterprise  Project tracking  DENC wishing to investigate wishing to investigate feasibility  Relevant municipal units the feasibility of energy of energy generation. generation should be encouraged.

 Land with high energy  Identify land with high energy  Project tracking  DENC generation potential generation.  Relevant municipal units should be identified and earmarked for potential use.

 Opportunities for  Identify opportunities for military  Project tracking  DENC military sites should be sites.  Relevant municipal units

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities actively followed up,  Inclusion in the IDP this includes contact with international militaries who have a need for specialised desert warfare training or acclimatisation prior to deployment.

 Develop a tourism  Develop a tourism strategy with  Number of visitors, taken  DENC strategy with a focus on a focus on unique from accommodation guest  Relevant municipal units unique topographical topographical features. registers features. The strong advantages are the Kamiesberg and the desert landscapes in the northern municipalities of the district.

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5.4.4.5 Desired State of the Environment

Development in high lying areas should be restricted thereby protecting the habitats supporting ecosystems in the affected areas. Restrictions limit potential visual impacts and maintain the present undisturbed sense of place.

5.4.5 Soils

5.4.5.1 Constraints

Generally, the soils within the NDM have little agricultural potential. Exceptions are alluvial areas along the Orange River and the north western part of the Richtersveld Local Municipality.

The sandy nature of the soils makes them prone to erosion when the natural vegetation cover is negatively impacted.

Severe erosion has been caused due to long periods of overcultivation and overgrazing.

5.4.5.2 Opportunities

There is a need to develop sustainable livestock grazing practices within the NDM to minimize the impact on the natural vegetation and avoid the loss of vegetation species.

Leisure activities such as off road recreational driving should be restricted to areas that are not sensitive to vegetation disturbance.

Potential opportunities are noted along the Orange River – the soil type is suitable for orchard-type agriculture.

Given the potentially productive nature of the soils in the north western part of the Richtersveld Local Municipality, irrigation schemes could be extended to these areas to encourage crop production.

The potential for irrigated agriculture along the Orange River and in the north-western parts of the RLM can be linked to the opportunities in the Hydrology section (Section 4.1.3) of this report. The development of additional water resources in this area should be encouraged.

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5.4.5.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Soils within the NDM are  Appropriate agricultural practices should be generally poorly suited to promoted in order to maintain or enhance the agriculture (with important soil’s agricultural potential. exceptions).  Consideration should be given to the impact of future agricultural activity on the maintenance of acceptable soil quality – overexpansion would place stresses on existing soil capacity (as well as water sources).  Legal plough certificates are important. 2. The soils are particularly  Areas susceptive to erosion (such as slopes vulnerable to erosion, given and steep areas) should be regarded as their poor ability to support sensitive and development limited in these vegetation and the long periods areas. of time it takes for vegetation to  All developments in areas susceptible to re-establish. These points are erosion must consider storm water runoff reinforced by the low rainfall control measures. and sometimes steep  Measures to control soil erosion from topography in some areas. agricultural areas, must be implemented. Therefore do not promote  Agriculture should avoid use of land for destructive practices such as grazing, or for crops, that result in bare soils large scale agriculture and on slopes during the major rainfall period of military exercises. November to March.  Proposed developments should demonstrate compatibility of the proposed land use with the soil type. 3. Soil erosion due to overgrazing.  The implementation of soil conservation measures is required in all areas. These measures include:  The proper installation and placement of erosion control structures, such as sediment fences and retention ponds;  The planting of indigenous vegetation, particularly as part of land rehabilitation efforts;  The prevention of overgrazing through controls on stocking rates and practising of rotational grazing.  Effective storm water runoff management;  Soil conditions, including composition, permeability, slope and carrying capacity to be given careful consideration in the design and planning of agricultural projects.

4. Sand winning activities can  Sand winning to be discouraged on steep permanently scar landscapes slopes and ridges. Methods to mitigate soil

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

and accelerate erosion. erosion during mining activities to be employed.

5. Off-road recreational vehicle  Information regarding good driving conduct driving, similar to small should be made available to the off-road livestock grazing, and military community. This can be provided on district activities can cause soil tourism websites and brochures produced for erosion. use by training academies and clubs. 6. Expansion of existing irrigated  The expansion of irrigation schemes would areas using water from the increase the productivity of farming in the Orange River. northern areas of the NDM.  Ensure there is no destruction of sensitive vegetation, especially lower Orange alluvial vegetation.

5.4.5.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Appropriate agricultural  Promote agricultural practices.  Agricultural productivity  NCDALR practices should be measured in crop mass per  DENC promoted in order to hectare.  DWA maintain or enhance  Agricultural Sector the soil’s agricultural  Relevant municipal units potential.

 Consideration should  No overexploitation of existing  Agricultural productivity  NCDALR be given to the impact soil capacity. measured in crop mass per  DENC of future agricultural hectare.  DWA activity on the  Agricultural Sector maintenance of  Relevant municipal units acceptable soil quality – overexpansion would place stresses on existing soil capacity (as well as water sources).

 Areas susceptive to  Limit development on areas  Project tracking  DENC erosion (such as slopes susceptible to erosion.  DWA and steep areas)  Relevant municipal units should be regarded as sensitive and development should be

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities limited in these areas.

 All developments in  Storm water runoff control  Project tracking  NCDALR areas susceptible to measures should be  DENC erosion must consider considered in areas susceptible  DWA storm water runoff to erosion.  Agricultural Sector control measures.  Relevant municipal units

 Measures to control soil  Implement measures to control  Project tracking  NCDALR erosion from soil erosion.  DENC agricultural areas, must   DWA be implemented.  Agricultural Sector  Relevant municipal units

 Agriculture should  Avoid bare soils due to grazing.  Project tracking  NCDALR avoid use of land for  DENC grazing, or for crops,  Relevant municipal units that result in bare soils on slopes during the major rainfall periods.

 Proposed  Any development should  Project tracking  NCDALR developments should demonstrate compatibility of  DENC demonstrate proposed land use with land  Agricultural Sector compatibility of the type.  Relevant municipal units proposed land use with the soil type.

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  The implementation of  The implementation of soil  Project tracking  NCDALR soil conservation conservation measures.  DENC measures is required in   DWA all areas. These  Agricultural Sector measures include:  Relevant municipal units  The proper installation and placement of erosion control structures, such as wind breaks, sediment fences and retention ponds;  The planting of indigenous vegetation, particularly as part of land rehabilitation efforts;  The prevention of overgrazing through controls on stocking rates and practising of rotational grazing.  Effective storm

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities water runoff management.  Soil conditions,  Any agricultural projects should  Project tracking  NCDALR including composition, consider soil conditions and  DENC permeability, slope and capabilities.  Agricultural Sector carrying capacity to be  Relevant municipal units given careful consideration in the design and planning of agricultural projects.

 Information regarding  Provide information regarding  Level of awareness  NCDALR good driving conduct good driving conduct. amongst target community.  DENC should be made  Department of Transport, available to the off-road Safety and Liaison community. This can be  Agricultural Sector provided on district  Relevant municipal units tourism websites and brochures produced for use by training academies and clubs.

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5.4.5.5 Desired State of the Environment

Sound agricultural practices need to be encouraged in order to maintain a balance between the productive use of land and the longer term maintenance of soil resources. In addition, effective measures must be taken to:  Mitigate the soil erosion potential of future developments;  Implement soil conservation and land rehabilitation efforts.

5.4.6 Flora

5.4.6.1 Constraints

The greatest threat to biodiversity within the NDM is livestock grazing; more than 90% of the Municipality is utilized for livestock grazing. Ploughing and game farming are considered to have an increasingly negative impact on the biodiversity within the region. Mining (diamonds, heavy metals and minerals) also threaten this fragile region and its biodiversity. The cultivation of grapes, citrus and vegetables within the hotspot areas negatively impact on its biodiversity. Although the extent of these activities is limited, when compared to that of livestock grazing, the impact can be severe and can result in species extinction and habitat disturbance. The vegetation along the Orange River (Lower Orange River alluvial vegetation) is the most threatened vegetation type in the province.

Approximately 2 560km2 (2.5%) of the Succulent Karoo, is protected in Northern Cape. The lack of statutory protected areas in some parts of the NDM prevents the conservation of biodiversity in these areas.

According to the 2004 Northern Cape State of the Environment Report Overview, alien plant species are the second largest threat to biodiversity after direct habitat destruction. An example of alien plant invasion is the Orange River where Prosopis sp is spread along the river banks. Other alien plant species include Black Wattle and poplar trees and may have serious impact on species with limited destination ranges.

Urban and rural settlements also have a negative impact on the natural vegetation cover.

Other threats to the biodiversity within the region include the illegal collection of succulents, bulbs and reptiles.

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Development within the 5 SKEP priority conservation areas should be limited to those developments with a low environmental impact. If moderate to high impact developments are required then mitigation measures for the protection of the floral and faunal species and their habitat must be strictly adhered to.

5.4.6.2 Opportunities

There is a need to develop well-managed livestock grazing practices that are compatible with biodiversity conservation.

It is important to develop and implement alien vegetation clearing programmes which will have a positive impact on biodiversity conservation within the region.

It is important to integrate conservation priorities into land-use planning and management practices and to promote sustainable practices within the industrial sectors to promote biodiversity conservation.

The potential for tourism, both eco-tourism and adventure tourism (hiking and fishing) is high as the NDM has large open spaces and unique flora, as well as a number National parks and nature reserves, these are:  Namakwa National Park;  Tankwa Karoo National Park;  Goegap Nature Reserve;  Nababiep Nature Reserve;  Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve and  Richtersveld National Park.

The Richtersveld Community Conservancy is the centre of a World Heritage Site. This Conservancy should be retained.

There is the opportunity to expand the protected areas to include more of the 5 SKEP priority conservation areas.

5.4.6.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Biodiversity loss due to  All local municipalities have promulgated overgrazing. grazing by-laws. These should be enforced. 2. Presence of a number of  All EIAs for developments to facilitate the

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

Category 1-3 alien invasives, removal of alien invasive plants where these especially along river courses, occur on development property. according to CARA.  The removal of alien invasive plants prioritised, with or without the support of the Working for Water programme.  Landowners educated and empowered concerning their legal mandate to clear Category 1 invasives on their property.  Specialist study conducted to ensure that all invasive weeds in the study area are catalogued.

3. Biodiversity loss due to  Create biodiversity offsets ploughing or other development  The loss of biodiversity should be weighed activity. against the economic and social gains that development brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the development – all development is prohibited in areas of critical biodiversity and all extensive developments are prohibited in conservation areas;  The chances of the development’s success – the better chance the proposed development has, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The size of the economic intervention, the larger the size, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The impacts that the development will have on the poorest inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable. 4. Biodiversity loss due to mining.  The loss of biodiversity should be weighed against the economic and social gains that the mine brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the mine – all mining is prohibited in areas of critical biodiversity;  The proximity of the mine to established tourist areas. Impacts of the proposed mine should be limited to ensure the minimum impact on tourism, which has a longer economic impact than the typical mine;  Large mines may destroy species with limited destination ranges and the loss will

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be unacceptable;  The impacts that the development will have on the poorest inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable.  Mine rehabilitation measures should be established at the start of mining. The final land use should be established and planning should start at feasibility stage to determine if indeed the rehabilitated land will be suitable for the use in which it was intended. NDM officials should carefully review mining applications for evidence of this type of planning and reviews the plan’s effectiveness.

5. The need to protect more of the  Approaches should be made to SANParks SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot. and regional conservation bodies to formally conserve more of the SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot;  Floral tourism should be encouraged to support the claim for additional conservation space;  Development activities should be limited in SKEP areas to ensure that the ability to formally declare a conservation area is not compromised. 6. The loss of biodiversity due to  Biodiversity loss in this manner can be limited human settlement expansion. through the establishment of town boundaries, over which a town cannot expand. This would encourage densification of the NDM towns, reducing the biodiversity impacts. This intervention will also have the beneficial economic effects of being able to supply social and infrastructural services at a lower household cost than would be possible for a sprawling town planning scheme; 7. Severing of biodiversity  Longitudinal developments should be planned corridors by longitudinal with due concern as established through developments. biodiversity corridors, any development that traverses a biodiversity corridor should have mitigation measures established to ensure that the traverse does not sever the corridor. 8. Illegal trading of flora has a  This illegal trade should be controlled in large impact of biodiversity, accordance with CITES (The Convention on since the most threatened the Trade In Endangered Species of Wild species are those which are the Fauna and Flora) and TRAFFIC regulations. target of such trading.

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5.4.6.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  All local municipalities  Enforcement of grazing by-laws  Number of enforcement  DENC have promulgated actions  Agricultural Sector grazing by-laws. These  Results of veld monitoring  Relevant municipal units should be enforced. visits  All EIAs for  Removal of alien invasive  Project tracking  DENC developments to species  Agricultural Sector facilitate the removal of  Relevant municipal units alien invasive plants where these occur on development property.

 The removal of alien  Removal of all alien invasive  Results of veld monitoring  DENC invasive plants species visits  Agricultural Sector prioritised, with or  Size of the area cleared  Relevant municipal units without the support of the Working for Water programme.

 Landowners educated  Educate landowners about  Number of landowners  DENC and empowered Category 1 invasives reached  Agricultural Sector concerning their legal  Relevant municipal units mandate to clear Category 1 invasives on their property.

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Specialist study  Document/report with all  Project Tracking  DENC conducted to ensure invasive species  Agricultural Sector that all invasive weeds  Relevant municipal units in the study area are catalogued.

 The impacts that the  Measurement of biodiversity  Project Tracking  NCDALR development will have loss against economic benefit  DENC on the poorest to poorest inhabitats.  Relevant municipal units inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable.  The loss of biodiversity  Measurement of biodiversity  Project Tracking  NCDALR should be weighed loss against economic and  DENC against the economic social gains.  Relevant municipal and social gains that the mine brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the mine – all mining is prohibited in areas of critical

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities biodiversity;  The proximity of the mine to established tourist areas. Impacts of the proposed mine should be limited to ensure the minimum impact on tourism, which has a longer economic impact than the typical mine;  The size of the mine, the larger the size, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The impacts that the development will have on the poorest inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities will be acceptable.

 Mine rehabilitation  Mine rehabilitation Plan  Project Tracking  DENC measures should be  DMR established at the start  Relevant municipal units of mining. The final land use should be established and planning should start at feasibility stage to determine if indeed the rehabilitated land will be suitable for the use in which it was intended. NDM officials should carefully review mining applications for evidence of this type of planning and reviews the plan’s effectiveness.  Approaches should be  More areas formally conserved  Number of SKEP  DENC made to SANParks and as SKEP Biodiversity Hotspots. Biodiversity hotspots  Relevant municipal units regional conservation bodies to formally conserve more of the SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot.

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities

 Floral tourism should  Floral tourism  Project Tracking  DENC be encouraged to  Relevant municipal units support the claim for additional conservation space.

 Development activities  Limit developments on SKEP  Increases in the percentage  DENC should be limited in areas. of the Succulent Karoo area  Relevant municipal units SKEP areas to ensure protected. that the ability to formally declare a conservation area is not compromised.  Biodiversity loss in this  Establishment of town  Number of established town  DENC manner can be limited boundaries. boundaries written into town  Relevant municipal units through the planning schemes. establishment of town boundaries, over which a town cannot expand. This would encourage densification of the NDM towns, reducing the biodiversity impacts. This intervention will also have the beneficial

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities economic effects of being able to supply social and infrastructural services at a lower household cost than would be possible for a sprawling town planning scheme.  Longitudinal  Develop biodiversity corridors.  Project Tracking  DENC developments should  Relevant municipal units be planned with due concern to the biodiversity corridors, any development that traverses a biodiversity corridor should have mitigation measures established to ensure that the traverse does not sever the corridor.  The illegal trade should  No illegal trading  Number of enforcement  DENC be controlled in actions.  Relevant municipal units accordance with CITES (The Convention on the Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations.

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5.4.6.5 Desired State of the Environment

The preservation of the study area’s floral heritage through the promotion of conservation and protection.

Particular attention is to be paid to the impacts of development of areas of critical biodiversity and of the areas of succulent karoo.

Finally, a proactive and shared responsibility approach to the removal of alien invasive plants and these alien plants systematically removed from the system.

5.4.7 Fauna

5.4.7.1 Constraints

Tourism activities in terms of wildlife ranching would be limited because the District Municipality does not have a large amount of habitat suitable for that use (Todd et. al., 2009).

Development within areas of critical biodiversity should be prohibited.

Development within the Succulent Karoo should be limited, as far as possible, to those with a minimal environmental impact. Where this is not feasible, mitigation measures should be put in place to reduce the impact of the development on the indigenous fauna or alternatively create the biodiversity offsets.

5.4.7.2 Opportunities

According to Todd et. al. (2009), poor grazing management can lead to land degradation and biodiversity loss at a landscape scale, however, well managed livestock grazing is compatible with biodiversity conservation.

Ongoing biodiversity conservation would contribute to meeting the national commitments to international biodiversity agreements (SKEP, 2003).

The Riverine Rabbit Working Group is a non-government conservation group that is undertaking activities to conserve the Riverine Rabbit. There is therefore the opportunity for government to engage with, and participate in, the Riverine Rabbit Working Group.

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5.4.7.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. There are natural limits placed  Tourism plans that place a large focus on on the expansion of wildlife game viewing should be discouraged. Game ranching by the nature of the viewing has a place in the NDM, but it is not climate, soils and vegetation. the natural strength of the area. 2. Presence of a number of alien  All EIAs for developments to facilitate the species. removal of alien species where they occur on development property.  Landowners educated and empowered concerning their legal mandate to remove alien species on their property.  Specialist study conducted to ensure that all alien species in the study area are catalogued.

3. Biodiversity loss due to  The loss of biodiversity should be weighed ploughing or other development against the economic and social gains that activity. development brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the development – all development is prohibited in areas of critical biodiversity and all extensive development is prohibited in conservation areas;  The chances of the developments success – the better chance the proposed development has, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The size of the economic intervention, the larger the size, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The impacts that the development will have on the poorest inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable. 4. Biodiversity loss due to mining  The loss of biodiversity should be weighed against the economic and social gains that the mine brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the mine – all mining is prohibited in areas of critical biodiversity;  The proximity of the mine to established tourist areas. Impacts of the proposed

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mine should be limited to ensure the minimum impact on tourism, which has a longer economic impact than the typical mine;  The size of the mine, the larger the size, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The impacts that the development will have on the poorest inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable.  Mine rehabilitation measures should be established at the start of mining. The final land use should be established and planning should start at feasibility stage to determine if indeed the rehabilitated land will be suitable for the use in which it was intended. NDM officials should carefully review mining applications for evidence of this type of planning and reviews the plan’s effectiveness.

5. The need to protect more of the  Approaches should be made to SANParks SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot. and regional conservation bodies to formally conserve more of the SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot;  Floral tourism should be encouraged to support the claim for additional conservation space;  Development activities should be limited in SKEP areas to ensure that the ability to formally declare a conservation area is not compromised. 6. The loss of biodiversity due to  Biodiversity loss in this manner can be limited human settlement expansion. through the establishment of town boundaries, over which a town cannot expand. This would encourage densification of the NDM towns, reducing the biodiversity impacts. This intervention will also have the beneficial economic effects of being able to supply social and infrastructural services at a lower household cost than would be possible for a sprawling town planning scheme; 7. Severing of biodiversity  Longitudinal developments should be planned corridors by longitudinal with due concern to the biodiversity corridors, developments. any development that traverses a biodiversity corridor should have mitigation measures established to ensure that the traverse does not sever the corridor. 8. Illegal trading of fauna has a  This illegal trade should be controlled in

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large impact of biodiversity, accordance with CITES (The Convention on since the most threatened the Trade In Endangered Species of Wild species are those which are the Fauna and Flora) and TRAFFIC regulations. target of such trading.

5.4.7.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above. Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  There are natural limits  Limit game ranching  Number of enforcement  DENC placed on the actions  Relevant municipal units expansion of wildlife ranching by the nature of the climate, soils and vegetation.  All EIAs for  Removal of alien species.  Project tracking  DENC developments to  DMR facilitate the removal of  DWA alien species where  Relevant municipal units these occur on development property.

 Landowners educated  Educate landowners about  Number of landowners  DENC and empowered to alien species. reached  DWA remove alien species  Relevant municipal units on their property.

 Specialist study  Document/report with all alien  Project Tracking  DENC conducted to ensure species.  DMR that all alien species in  DWA the study area are  Relevant municipal units catalogued.

 The loss of biodiversity  Measurement of biodiversity  Project Tracking  DENC should be weighed loss against economic and  DMR

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities against the economic social gains.  DWA and social gains that  Relevant municipal units development brings. Factors to be weighed include:  The nature of the flora and fauna that will be destroyed by the development – all development is prohibited in areas of critical biodiversity and all extensive development is prohibited in conservation areas;  The chances of the developments success – the better chance the proposed development has, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable;  The size of the economic

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities intervention, the larger the size, the more likely the biodiversity loss will be acceptable.

 The impacts that the  Measurement of biodiversity  Project Tracking  DENC development will have loss against economic benefit  Relevant municipal units on the poorest to poorest inhabitats. inhabitants of the NDM. The larger the benefit to poorer inhabitants, the more likely the loss of biodiversity will be acceptable.  Mine rehabilitation  Mine rehabilitation Plan  Project Tracking  DENC measures should be  DMR established at the start  DWA of mining. The final  Relevant municipal units land use should be established and planning should start at feasibility stage to determine if indeed the rehabilitated land will be suitable for the use in which it was intended. NDM officials

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities should carefully review mining applications for evidence of this type of planning and reviews the plan’s effectiveness.  Approaches should be  More areas formally conserved  Number of SKEP  DENC made to SANParks and as SKEP Biodiversity Hotspots. Biodiversity hotspots  Relevant municipal units regional conservation bodies to formally conserve more of the SKEP Biodiversity Hotspot.

 Development activities  Limit developments on SKEP  Increases in the percentage  DENC should be limited in areas. of the Succulent Karoo area  DMR SKEP areas to ensure protected.  DWA that the ability to  Relevant municipal units formally declare a conservation area is not compromised.  Biodiversity loss in this  Establishment of town  Number of established town  DENC manner can be limited boundaries. boundaries written into town  DMR through the planning schemes.  DWA establishment of town  Relevant municipal units boundaries, over which a town cannot expand. This would encourage

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities densification of the NDM towns, reducing the biodiversity impacts. This intervention will also have the beneficial economic effects of being able to supply social and infrastructural services at a lower household cost than would be possible for a sprawling town planning scheme.  Longitudinal  Develop biodiversity corridors.  Project Tracking  DENC developments should  Relevant municipal units be planned with due concern to the biodiversity corridors, any development that traverses a biodiversity corridor should have mitigation measures established to ensure that the traverse does not sever the corridor.  The illegal trade should  No illegal trading  Number of enforcement  DENC be controlled in

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities accordance with CITES actions  Relevant municipal units (The Convention on the Trade In Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulations.

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5.4.7.5 Desired State of the Environment

Sound agricultural practices to be encouraged in order to maintain a balance between the productive use of land and the longer term maintenance of soil resources. In addition, effective measures must be taken to:  Mitigate the soil erosion potential of future developments; and  Implement soil conservation and land rehabilitation efforts.

5.4.8 Coastal Environment

5.4.8.1 Constraints

Access to the coastline is a constraint that hampers the use of the area for eco-tourism or for the development of marine fishing. Access to very long portions of the coastline is controlled by diamond mining companies, who are loath to give up this degree of control whilst mineral resources remain to be exploited. This situation will however change as the mines close, and planning for this event should begin.

Eco-tourism development along the northern section of the coastline, and certainly above Port Nolloth, is constrained due to the degree to which the environment has been transformed from its natural habitat. Rehabilitation measures taken by the diamond mining companies help mitigate this impact, but it seems likely that the ecosystem will not recover for a long time after rehabilitation has been completed.

The life of the remaining alluvial diamond mining is relatively short, with both dominant companies focusing on marine mining, whilst constraining land-based mining. Thus, the economic benefits derived from mining activities are waning, with the concomitant impact on the socio-economic environment. No plans are in place to replace this source of economic activity given the lack of clarity on closure of the mines.

The SANParks initiative for the development of a coastal park will contribute largely to the conservation of this coastline. However, the financial achievability of this initiative should be tested. Furthermore, conservation of this section of coastline will not alleviate the current need of access to coastal and marine resources and initiatives should be put in place to address this issue by providing adequate access to local entrepreneurs.

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Development of tourism and large scale fisheries could lead to degradation of the better preserved or pristine coastal area, which lie to the south of the study area. Tourism and large-scale fisheries should therefore be planned at a regional scale to improve management and reduce the impact on the receiving environment.

5.4.8.2 Opportunities

The lack of a harbour suitable for the development of a fishing fleet is an opportunity that could be seized by the RLM. If a breakwater were to be constructed at Port Nolloth, access to the area for fishing and other economic activities would be provided.

None of the beaches in the NDM have blue flag status. Blue flag status is awarded to beaches that meet 14 water quality, safety, services and environmental information criteria. These beaches are internationally recognised as having excellent management and hence are a tourism draw card. An opportunity exists to create a safe swimming beach in the NDM which would be protected from harsh coastal action and which would have blue flag status.

The mining companies on the coastal areas of NDM have invested in the development of the residential areas for the development of infrastructure and local economic development. This should be built upon to continue to provide a basic standard of living to the affected settlements.

The high degree of transformation could be an opportunity to locate heavy industry or energy generation projects, which need to be near the sea, on heavily transformed land. An obvious choice for this type of activity would be Nuclear Energy Generation projects. This opportunity would reduce the potential impact of such a project by otherwise locating it on a better preserved or pristine section of coastline.

Given that the land along the coastline is owned or controlled by relatively few entities, a vibrant opportunity exists to manage the coastline for the future. During closure negotiations, the area of theoretical Coastal Public Property should be secured for the future use of inhabitants by acquiring state ownership of all the land up to 40- to 60m of the HWM, for as much of the coastline as possible. In conjunction with this measure, ensure that management plans for the Coastal Protected Zone is drawn up and implemented.

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5.4.8.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. Lack of access to the shoreline  Clarity should be obtained from mining due on on-going mining companies on the closure plans for the mines. activities. Planning for the future use of the coastline should be developed taking into account these deadlines.  Access to the coastline, in the southern and less disturbed parts of the NDM should be secured. The objective is to open up further areas of the coast for tourism development. 2. Rehabilitation of the coastal  Representations should be made to the areas as part of the mines’ Department of Mineral Resources to intercede closure plans. on behalf of the NDM to determine the planned scope and duration of rehabilitation plans along the entire length of NDM coastline.  Closure plans should be commented upon by the NDM to ensure that the interests of the NDM are contained in the plans. 3. Securing the Coastal Public  The NDM should initiate a programme to Property. ensure state ownership of as much of the theoretical Coastal Public Property as possible is secured for future use.  Landownership of the entire length of Atlantic coast should be determined.  All municipal IDPs with an Atlantic coastline should have the theoretical Coastal Public Property demarcated. As state land ownership over this land is achieved, the theoretical demarcation can be changed to an actual demarcation of the Coastal Public Property.  Representations should be made to the Department of Mineral Resources to intercede on behalf of the NDM to negotiate transfer of mining land to state hands. Funds to achieve this object should be secured. Alexkor land should present less of a challenge than De Beers owned land, since Alexkor is state owned.  Al development in the theoretical Coastal Public Property zone should be prohibited. 4. Identifying the Coastal  All municipal IDPs with an Atlantic coastline Protection Zone and should have the Coastal Protection Zone establishing management rules identified and demarcated. A Coastal for its use. Management Plan should regulate development in this zone.  To achieve management objectives in this

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

zone state ownership of the land is not necessary, nor desirable. 5. Encouraging Coastal Tourism  The coastline access points that have been obtained should be improved to expand the tourism offering in this regard;  Hondeklipbaai should have the road improved to allow access and the necessary infrastructure installed to cater for increased volumes of tourists;  Expansion of the tourism product to include industrial tours of the diamond mine workings is a unique draw card that can be offered by the NDM  Investigate the possibility of making the necessary improvements to a beach at McDougalls Bay or in Port Nolloth in order for it the achieve Blue Flag Status. 6. Opening up of the marine  Consideration should be given to constructing environment for other shipping. a breakwater at Port Nolloth. This would allow safe harbour for vessels other than diamond miners and would potentially open up the fishing industry and ocean based tourism. 7. The SANParks initiative to  This initiative should receive a financial expand the current Namakwa feasibility study to ensure that it offers the National Park to the coastal correct tourism product to the market; areas should be encouraged.  The conservation aspects of the proposed park are highly beneficial for a coastline that is under-protected. NDM support for this initiative should be secured. 8. Placing of energy generation of  The preference for locations for this type of heavy industry that needs to be activity would be in heavily impacted upon located close to a coastline. areas of the shoreline, i.e. along the coast, north of Hondeklipbaai.  Notwithstanding the need to secure the coastal management zones, location of this type of activity will bring economic benefits to the NDM, but could also inversely create potentially serious environmental threats.  Possible sites to be identified along the coastline and included in the relevant municipal IDPs.

5.4.8.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Clarity should be  Closure plan  Mining Area Future Use  DMR obtained from mining Planning Document  DENC companies on the  Relevant municipal units

closure plans for the  DWA mines. Planning for the future use of the coastline should be development taking into account these deadlines.  Access to the coastline,  Secure access to coastline  Number of additional coastal  DENC in the southern and access points  Relevant municipal units less disturbed parts of  DWA the NDM should be secured. The objective is to open up further areas of the coast for tourism development.  Representations should  Duration of rehabilitation plan  Analysis of mine Closure  DMR be made to the Plans  DENC Department of Mineral  Relevant municipal units

Resources to intercede  DWA on behalf of the NDM to determine the planned scope and duration of

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities rehabilitation plans along the entire length of NDM coastline.  Closure plans should  Comments on closure plans by  Analysis of mine Closure  DMR be commented upon by NDM. Plans  DENC the NDM to ensure that  Relevant municipal units

the interests of the  DWA NDM are contained in the plans.  The NDM should  Ownership of CPP by the state  Length of CPP land in state  DMR initiate a programme to hands  DENC ensure state ownership  Relevant municipal units

of as much of the  DWA theoretical Coastal Public Property as possible is secured for future use.  Landownership of the  Determine the landowners of  Land Ownership Report  DMR entire length of Atlantic the entire Atlantic coast.  DENC

coast should be  Relevant municipal units determined.  DWA

 All municipal IDPs with  All municipal IDPs with an  CPP Line in each LM IDP  DENC an Atlantic coastline Atlantic coastline should have  Relevant municipal units

should have the the theoretical Coastal Public  DWA theoretical Coastal Property demarcated. Public Property

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities demarcated. As state land ownership over this land is achieved, the theoretical demarcation can be changed to an actual demarcation of the Coastal Public Property.  Representations should  Transfer on mining land to  Length of CPP land in state  DMR be made to the state. hands  DENC Department of Mineral  Relevant municipal units

Resources to intercede  DWA on behalf of the NDM to

negotiate transfer of mining land to state hands. Funds to achieve this object should be secured. Alexkor land should present less of a challenge than De Beers owned land, since Alexkor is state owned.  All development in the  No development along in the  Project tracking  DMR theoretical Coastal theoretical CCP zone.  DENC Public Property zone  Relevant municipal units

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities should be prohibited.  DWA

 All municipal IDPs with  All municipal IDPs with an  CPZ Line in each LM IDP  DMR an Atlantic coastline Atlantic coastline should have  DENC

should have the the Coastal Protection Zone  Relevant municipal units Coastal Protection identified and demarcated.  DWA Zone identified and demarcated. A Coastal Management Plan should regulate development in this zone. To achieve management objectives in this zone state ownership of the land is not necessary, nor desirable.  The coastline access  Improve coastline access  Number of additional coastal  DMR points that have been access points  DENC obtained should be  Relevant municipal units  improved to expand the  DWA tourism offering in this regard.

 Hondeklipbaai should  Improve road on Hondeklipbaai  Improved road to  Department of Roads and have the road improved Hondeklipbaai Public Works to allow access and the  Department of Transport, necessary  Safety and Liaison

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities infrastructure installed  DENC to cater for increased  Relevant municipal units volumes of tourists.  DWA

 Expansion of the  Industrial tours of the diamond  Project tracking  DENC tourism product to mine workings.  Relevant municipal units  include industrial tours  DWA of the diamond mine  Department of Finance, workings is a unique Economic Development and draw card that can be Tourism offered by the NDM.

 Investigate the  Improve McDougalls Bay or  Project tracking  DWA possibility of making Port Nolloth beaches to achieve  DENC the necessary Blue Flag status.  Department of Roads and improvements to a Public Works beach at McDougalls  Department of Transport, Bay or in Port Nolloth in Safety and Liaison order for it the achieve  Relevant municipal units Blue Flag Status.

 Consideration should  Construction of a breakwater at  Project tracking  DWA be given to constructing Port Nolloth.  DENC a breakwater at Port .  Department of Roads and Nolloth. This would Public Works allow safe harbour for  Department of Transport, vessels other that Safety and Liaison diamond miners and  Relevant municipal units would potentially open

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities up the fishing industry  and ocean based tourism.  The expansion of the  Financial backing to the  Project tracking  DWA NNP should receive a expansion of NNP.  DENC financial feasibility   Relevant municipal units study to ensure that it offers the correct tourism product to the market.  The conservation  Secure support from NDM.  Project tracking  DENC aspects of the  Relevant municipal units proposed park are highly beneficial for a coastline that is under- protected. NDM support for this initiative should be secured.  The preference for  Location should be along the  Project Tracking  DENC locations for this type of coast, north of Hondeklipbaai  DWA activity would be in  Relevant municipal units heavily impacted upon areas of the shoreline, i.e. along the coast, north of Hondeklipbaai.  Notwithstanding the  Conserve the coastal  Project Tracking  DENC need to secure the management zones.  DWA coastal management

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Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities zones, location of this  Relevant municipal units type of activity will bring economic benefits to the NDM.  Possible sites to be  Identify the possible sites along  IDP project  DENC identified along the the coastline.  DWA coastline and included  Relevant municipal units in the relevant municipal IDPs.

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5.4.8.5 Desired State of the Environment

The coastline should be secured for conservation management by establishing desirable landownership and management frameworks along the entire length of coastline. The coastline should be restored its previous condition and the remaining pristine areas should be protected and conserved.

5.4.9 Social Environment

5.4.9.1 Constraints

The levels of education in the NDM are generally low. The vast majority of the population’s educational status equips them for manual and/or other forms of un-skilled labour.

All educational institutions within the District are located in the main towns thus restricting access to education to youth within commuting distance of the larger population settlements.

Population density in the NDM is very low thus increasing the costs of providing basic services to the population. Either these costs are accepted, or efforts are made to further encourage urbanisation and densification within the district.

The outward migration of younger inhabitants of the NDM to other areas of the country is cause for concern since economic and social dynamism decreases. The cause of this migration is perceived to be better economic and social opportunities elsewhere.

Income levels in the NDM are generally low, with 76% of the population in 2001 earning less than R3 200 per month. This implies that the level of economic activity, and the nature of this activity, is insufficient to support the population.

Education levels in the NDM are generally low, with 79% of the population in 2001 not having matric. This implies that the level of economic activity, and the nature of this activity, is insufficient to support the population.

5.4.9.2 Opportunities

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An opportunity exists to expand the Adult Basic Education Programme (ABEP) and Artisan Skills Training Programmes (AKTP) in the NDM. These programmes have been established to re-skill and up-skill those whose basic education has been lacking.

Large-scale success in this endeavour will result in a better skilled workforce, ready to take advantage of the higher skilled jobs that are on offer by a modern economy such as exists in the NDM.

The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is set up by the Department of Public Works to provide work opportunities to un-skilled people whilst carrying out works of regional importance. Projects that are implemented using the EPWP programme include mass services infrastructure such as road construction, water, and sanitation and electricity provision. They also include environmental projects such as Working for Water and Working for Wetlands. Given the higher proportion of un-skilled people in the NDM, projects such as this will be highly effective in poverty alleviation efforts and in providing working skills to many programme beneficiaries.

Due to the migration of people towards the urban centres, an opportunity exists to provide services at lower unit costs than would have been the case if the migration had not occurred.

Most of the population lives in brick houses, which are more permanent and thus easier to service than informal dwellings.

5.4.9.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures 1. Low education levels amongst  Provision of suitable and sufficient the population of the NDM educational facilities for the youth;  Implement education awareness campaigns that stress the need for an education in order to access opportunities in the modern economy;  Encourage the development and operation of ABET facilities in the NDM. 2. Low income levels in the NDM  Provision of economic opportunities geared towards the employment of relatively low skilled employees.  Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) developments and poverty alleviation projects to target the unskilled.

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

 Encourage economic sectors that are capable of providing mass employment, examples include tourism, logistics, retail and wholesale trade and agriculture. 3. Relatively low population  Encourage urban densification by creating density in the urban areas. development boundaries around each population centre in the NDM. This should be done at SDF level for each local municipality.  Take advantage of the higher population densities by proving better services to residents of the main urban areas, this, in turn will encourage further migration into these areas. 4. Outward migration of younger  The measures taken to boost income levels members of the NDM are applicable; population.  Increasing urban densities would enable better social opportunities, thus the management measures above are applicable. 5. Encouraging the use of labour  Ensure that all government construction intensive or EPWP construction projects are conducted using the EPWP methodologies. methodologies;

 Encourage all private development projects to use the same methodologies through the EIA comment process or the town planning approval process.

6. Reducing service provision cost  Increasing densities will increase the per unit of the population, thus efficiency of resource utilisation in the NDM. being able to service high Better quality services should be designed numbers of the population at into projects in the existing urban areas, to the same costs. encourage urban migration; Services in this context include potable water, sanitation, electricity supplies, roads, housing and educational and health facilities.

5.4.9.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Provision of suitable  Educational facilities for youth.  Number of schools per 1  Department of Education and sufficient 000 children of school going  Relevant municipal units educational facilities for age the youth.

 Implement education  Provide education to NDM  Campaign awareness  Department of Social awareness campaigns communities. measures Development that stress the need for  Department of Education

an education in order to  Relevant municipal units access opportunities in the modern economy.

 Encourage the  ABET facilities  Number of functioning ABET  Department of Education development and Facilities  Relevant municipal units operation of ABET facilities in the NDM.  Provision of economic  Opportunities for low skilled  Project tracking  Department of Finance, opportunities geared employees Economic Development and towards the Tourism employment of  Department of Social relatively low skilled Development employees.  Relevant municipal units

 Small, Medium and  Poverty alleviation projects  Number of SMME projects  Department of Finance, Micro Enterprise Economic Development and

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(SMME) developments Tourism and poverty alleviation  Department of Social projects to target the Development unskilled.  Relevant municipal units

 Encourage economic  Employment opportunities to  Unemployment rate  Department of Finance, sectors that are NDM communities. Economic Development and capable of providing Tourism mass employment,  Department of Social examples include Development tourism, logistics, retail  Relevant municipal units and wholesale trade and agriculture.  Encourage urban  Urban densification  Population density within  Department of Finance, densification by urban settlements Economic Development and creating development Tourism

boundaries around  Department of Social each population centre Development in the NDM. This  Relevant municipal units should be done at SDF  Department of Cooperative level for each local Governance, Human municipality. Settlement and Traditional Affairs  Take advantage of the  Provide better services to urban  SDF measures adopted  Department of Finance, higher population areas. Economic Development and densities by proving Tourism better services to  Department of Social residents of the main Development urban areas, this, in  Relevant municipal units turn will encourage  Department of Cooperative

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further migration into Governance, Human these areas. The Settlement and Traditional measures taken to Affairs boost income levels are applicable.  Increasing urban  Provide better services to urban  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, densities would enable areas. Economic Development and better social Tourism opportunities, thus the  Department of Social management measures Development above are applicable.  Relevant municipal units  Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs

 Ensure that all  Projects through EPWP  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, government Economic Development and construction projects Tourism are conducted using  Department of Social the EPWP Development methodologies.  Relevant municipal units  Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs

 Encourage all private  Projects through EPWP  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, development projects Economic Development and to use the same Tourism

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methodologies through  Department of Social the EIA comment Development process or the town  Relevant municipal units planning approval  Department of Cooperative process. Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs  DENC  Increasing densities will  Provide better services to urban  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, increase the efficiency areas. Economic Development and of resource utilisation in Tourism the NDM. Better quality  Department of Social services should be Development designed into project in  Relevant municipal units the existing urban  Department of Cooperative areas, to encourage Governance, Human urban migration; Settlement and Traditional Services in this context Affairs include potable water,  Department of Health sanitation, electricity supplies, roads, housing and educational and health facilities.

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5.4.9.5 Desired State of the Environment

A growing population in which the basic needs of all residents are addressed, and to provide sufficient economic and social opportunities that ensure the population’s health and happiness.

5.4.10 Infrastructure and Service Provision

5.4.10.1 Constraints

The lack of good quality transport routes to access the coastline and to open up important tourism areas for further exploitation is a constraint to the development of tourism.

Groundwater sources are subject to pollution and require high levels of upkeep. This is a challenge in smaller, isolated communities.

Small communities in sparsely populated areas make effective electricity distribution very expensive.

Rural dwellers and the poor do not have access to well developed public transport infrastructure and it is difficult to establish these networks due to low population densities.

Lack of waste collection services within the rural areas results in waste being dumped in unsuitable areas and burned, thus negatively impacting the environment.

There is a lack of recycling projects and initiatives to reduce waste levels within the NDM.

5.4.10.2 Opportunities

Providing improved access to tourism destinations would increase the size of the tourism market in the NDM. In particular, projects such as upgrading the road to Hondeklipbaai and improving access to the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park would yield tourism benefits.

The number of households without piped water in the District is relatively low.

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Due to the climate of the region there is great potential to utilise solar energy more widely, especially in the remote areas of the District

The main transport infrastructure in the District is well positioned to deal with increased number of tourists and commercial traffic.

There is a need to upgrade landfill sites and implement recycling projects in all settlements to DWAF standards; also to improve and develop waste management practices that have minimal impact on the environment and to develop recycling initiatives and projects that will benefit the environment and will provide employment opportunities for the local people. 5.4.10.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

3. Opening of road networks to  Improve the road access to Hondeklipbaai; allow better access to tourist  Improve the road access to the Ai- areas and maintenance of Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park. existing roads. 4. Improved service for isolated  Retrofit groundwater sources with high settlements and rural dwellers. technology treatment plants that are lower maintenance and provide better quality water.  Investigate the use of solar power to provide electricity to isolated communities.  Efficient public transport networks should be investigated in the NDM. These networks would service isolated communities by means of taxis. The NDM should improve the current taxi rank infrastructure to all needy communities to facilitate taxi route development; 7. Improvements in waste  All landfill sites in the NDM should be management practise. permitted and operated in accordance with their permit conditions.  Establish recycling initiatives in the larger towns; Springbok, Port Nolloth and Calvinia.

5.4.10.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Improve the road  Improve the road access to  Project tracking  Department of Transport, access to Hondeklipbaai. Safety and Liaison Hondeklipbaai.  Department of Roads and Public Works  Relevant municipal units

 Improve the road  Improve the road access to the  Project Tracking  Department of Transport, access to the Ai- Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Safety and Liaison Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier National Park.  Department of Roads and Transfrontier National Public Works Park.  Relevant municipal units

 Retrofit groundwater  Retrofit groundwater sources  Number of settlements using  DWA sources with high with high technology treatment low technology water  Relevant municipal units technology treatment plants. treatment systems. plants that are lower maintenance and provide better quality water.  Investigate the use of  Provide electricity to poor  Project Tracking  DMR solar power to provide communities  Relevant municipal units electricity to isolated  Department of Social communities. Development  Efficient public  Provision of efficient public  Average journey times  Department of Transport,

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transport networks transport to NDM communities. between isolated Safety and Liaison should be investigated settlements and the main  Department of Roads and in the NDM. These economic and social centres Public Works networks would service  Relevant municipal units isolated communities by means of taxis. The NDM should improve the current taxi rank infrastructure is all needy communities to facilitate taxi route development.  All landfill sites in the  All landfill sites should be  Number of unpermitted  DMR NDM should be permitted in NDM landfills  DENC permitted and operated  Relevant municipal units in accordance with their permit conditions.

 Establish recycling  Identify recycling initiatives.  Project Tracking  DENC initiatives in the larger  Relevant municipal units towns; Springbok, Port Nolloth and Calvinia.

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5.4.10.5 Desired State of the Environment

Infrastructure and service provision should be at a level to provide the necessary support to NDM inhabitants to improve their economic and social condition. Service provision, and services, should be designed and conducted so as to have as small an environmental impact as possible.

5.4.11 Economic Environment

5.4.11.1 Constraints

High levels of unemployment and economic inactivity are of concern in the NDM. This is due to the nature of the economy, the size of the markets and education levels.

The economic environment is characterised by an undiversified economy and a strong reliance on agriculture and mining. The region is also characterised by a virtually nonexistent manufacturing industry. A traditional mainstay of the NDM economy has been the mining industry. This industry is in its sunset phase and thus cannot be relied upon to drive economic growth in the future.

5.4.11.2 Opportunities

Sustainable alternative employment opportunities should be investigated. There is a need for diversification of the economy within the NDM which will strengthen the economy in the region and benefit the local community by increased employment opportunities.

The diversification of the economy to include other economic activities such as energy generation, technological projects and tourism represent options that provide long term sustainable economic growth and development.

An increase and expansion of tourism in the NDM will yield great economic benefits. Economic benefits will be derived from projects in energy generation and technology. Every encouragement should be given to these new sources of income.

An expansion of agricultural activity will have the potential to yield large economic benefits, thus any expansion of the area under irrigation would benefit the economy and provide mass employment opportunities. On the

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other hand, sensitive areas such as the Bokkeveld Plateau will be negatively influenced by an expansion of agricultural activities like the planting of rooibos tea and will also destroy the biodiversity and decrease water availability for the ecological reserve at the Ramsar site.

The NDM has developed the District Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and the Integrated Economic Development Plan to promote economic growth within the District. The District aims to develop a Regional and Local Tourism Development Plan which will also promote economic development in the region. Implementation of these plans is crucial.

5.4.11.3 Management Strategy

Strategic Issue Management Measures

1. High levels of unemployment and  Diversification of the economy into new economic inactivity sectors such as energy generation, technological projects and expansion of existing activities, such as tourism and agriculture, should be encouraged.  Suitable job creation, SMME development and skills development initiatives are required to assist in raising employment levels.  The recruitment of local labour for developments should be encouraged where possible.  Developments should prioritise the creation of long-term employment opportunities.  Involvement in the poverty alleviation and job creation projects of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) should be investigated.

2. Implementation of the economic  Implementation of the economic aspects of development strategies proposed the IDPs in the various local municipal IDPs.

5.4.11.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Diversification of the  Encourage diversification of  Sector contribution to NDM  Department of Finance, economy into new economy. GGP Economic Development and sectors such as energy Tourism generation,  DMR technological projects  Relevant municipal units and expansion of existing activities, such as tourism and agriculture, should be encouraged.  Suitable job creation,  Employment opportunities to  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, SMME development local people. Economic Development and and skills development Tourism initiatives are required  Relevant municipal units to assist in raising employment levels.  The recruitment of local  Employ local people  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, labour for Economic Development and developments should Tourism be encouraged where  Relevant municipal units possible.  Developments should  Long-term employment  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, prioritise the creation of opportunities. Economic Development and long-term employment Tourism opportunities.  Relevant municipal units

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 Involvement in the  Involvement in EPWP  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, poverty alleviation and Economic Development and job creation projects of Tourism the Expanded Public  Relevant municipal units

Works Programme (EPWP) should be investigated.  Implementation of the  Implementation of IDP  Project Tracking economic aspects of programme. the IDPs.

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5.4.11.5 Desired State of the Environment

An economy that is sufficiently large to provide full employment, across the employment spectrum, for all inhabitants. The economy should be sufficiently diversified to reduce its reliance on sunset industries and setbacks in particular economic sectors.

The goods and services provided by the environment, in the quest for economic growth, should be sustainably used so as to benefit both present and future residents of the NDM.

5.4.12 Tourism

5.4.12.1 Constraints

The NDM offers natural and cultural heritage resources that can attract both local and international tourists. However tourism in the District has not reached its full potential.

Eco-tourism and adventure tourism need appropriate management. Poor practices include uncontrolled quad biking and informal camping by river rafters along the Orange River. These practices increase land degradation through the deterioration and possible loss of natural vegetation.

5.4.12.2 Opportunities

Successful market awareness campaigns are important in order to promote the NDM.

A tourism development plan should be implemented to identify opportunities by promoting partnership investments.

Growth areas identified within the tourism industry are: eco-tourism, adventure tourism and technological tourism.

The inclusion of local communities into tourism development programmes is important for the sustainable economic growth of the NDM as well as promoting biodiversity conservation in the region.

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The varied landscape of the NDM represents an important factor in promoting sustainable tourism developments. Wetlands can be promoted as tourist attractions within the NDM. The development of scenic routes will enhance tourism development in the region.

5.4.12.3 Management Strategy

Strategic Issue Management Measures 1. Tourism as a relatively  Further explore opportunities in both cultural underdeveloped industry in the and ecological and technological tourism in study area. the region, given the proximity of various significant sites.  Evaluate the protection of suitable visually appealing and ecologically significant areas, in order to promote the conservation value of the study area.  Engage with the provincial roads authority to provide improved access to area with high tourist potential.  Ensure that places of cultural and ecological interest in the secondary nodes are properly advertised and accessible.  Individual enterprise encouraged as a means for filling or developing the market demand for tourism.

2. Environmental damage caused  An Environmental Management Plan by uncontrolled eco and focused upon the potential impacts of the adventure tourism. eco and adventure tourism markets should be developed. This document would provide a basis for control of such environmental impacts. Where necessary by-laws for this sector should be developed. 3. Local community involvement in  The NDM should provide means for smaller tourism activities should be operators to access the tourism market, encouraged wherever possible. ideas in this regard are to allow smaller operators access to a central tourism website and to facilitate the inclusion of smaller operators in the booking systems of the accommodation and tours booking agencies active in the NDM.  Providing road access to isolated communities would allow grater community participation in tourism ventures.

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5.4.12.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Further explore  Opportunities in cultural,  Implement tourism  Department of Finance, opportunities in both ecological and technological development plan Economic Development and cultural and ecological tourism. Tourism and technological  Relevant municipal units tourism in the region, given the proximity of various significant sites.

 Evaluate the protection  Protection of visually appealing  Project Tracking  Department of Finance, of suitable visually and ecological important areas. Economic Development and appealing and Tourism ecologically significant  Relevant municipal units areas, in order to  DENC promote the conservation value of the study area.

 Engage with the  Improve access roads  Kilometres of roads  Department of Transport, provincial roads improved to provide access Safety and Liaison authority to provide to tourism areas.  Department of Roads and improved access to Public Works area with high tourist  Relevant municipal units potential.

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 Ensure that places of  Advertise cultural and  Project Tracking  DENC cultural and ecological ecological important areas.  Department of Cooperative interest in the Governance, Human secondary nodes are Settlement and Traditional properly advertised and Affairs accessible.

 Individual enterprise  Individual enterprise  Tourism sector contribution  Department of Finance, encouraged as a as a percentage of GGP. Economic Development and means for filling or Tourism developing the market  Relevant municipal units demand for tourism.

 An Environmental  Develop an EMP  Final Environmental  DENC Management Plan Management Plan  Department of Finance, focused upon the Economic Development and potential impacts of the  Eco and adventure tourism Tourism eco and adventure by-laws adopted.  Relevant municipal units tourism markets should be developed. This document would provide a basis for control of such environmental impacts. Where necessary by- laws for this sector should be developed.

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5.4.12.5 Desired State of the Environment

The preservation and sustainable utilisation of the region’s ecological, cultural and historical heritage, in order to promote employment, tourism and sustainable development that is of broad benefit to residents.

5.4.13 Mining

5.4.13.1 Constraints

The areas of un-rehabilitated or poorly rehabilitated mining activities have a negative impact on the natural and scenic environment within the NDM. The constraint of having an unrehabilitated coastline in perpetuity cannot be overstated and is estimated by the authors to be the most serious environmental risk facing the NDM.

The curtailment of mining activity will have a negative effect upon employment and the economy of the NDM. Whilst the protection of ecological systems is an important goal, especially the securing of biodiversity after mine closure, the economic and social benefits of mining in the NDM cannot be ignored.

5.4.13.2 Opportunities

The rehabilitation of the old or declining mines within the NDM is important for the protection of the natural environment and the increased tourism, development and aesthetic appeal. Rehabilitation of mines is a critical issue for the NDM, if large mines such as the coastal diamond mines are closed without proper rehabilitation, the NDM will have to deal with the unrehabilitated coastline in perpetuity. The NDM would be constrained in developing its economy, tourism and ecological protection of the coastline.

Coastal diamond mines are of particular concern since the nature of the impact, the extent of the impact and the duration of the existing environmental impacts are larger than that of a traditional mine such as Black Mountain or O’kiep. Concern is also heightened by the imminent closure of the mines and the overall lack of engagement with mining companies over this issue.

It is important to note the conservation agreement managed by the Black Mountain mine covering approximately 23 000 ha of mine holdings near

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Aggeneys which represents an important biodiversity habitat. If this agreement is successfully implemented, it will provide a template on how the protect ecosystems, whilst providing the economic benefits of the mine.

Mining projects should be encouraged in the NDM, subject to appropriate environmental controls. Thus the NDM should actively provide support to mining projects that are long-term and whose environmental impacts can be successfully managed.

5.4.13.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

5. Mining activity should be  NDM should provide mining projects with the encouraged in the NDM. This necessary institutional support that would be activity should have the required to get these projects into sustainable appropriate controls over the operation; environmental impacts.  The NDM reviews of mining project’s EMPRs should focus on the environmental impacts of the mine and whether or not these can be successfully mitigated. A special focus should be placed on the closure plans and the end planned use of the area after mining has been completed. If these aspects of the mining plan are satisfactory, mining should be encouraged by the NDM. 6. Rehabilitation of coastal  Obtain the closure plans of mines with short diamond mines. remaining life of mine and review these documents critically. This applies especially to the coastal diamond mines where transformation of the natural vegetation over large areas has been total.  The DME should be lobbied to ensure that complete rehabilitation is carried-out by these mines  Closure plans that offer to trade complete rehabilitation off against the transfer of infrastructure or land should be viewed with suspicion. It is likely that the environmental liability and the costs to the economy of incomplete rehabilitation would be greater than the benefit derived from infrastructure or land ownership.  Any transfer of ownership of these declining assets should be carefully reviewed whenever the opportunity presents itself. Of particular concern should be which party holds the environmental liability of the mining land. Strategically, the best outcome for the NDM

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Strategic Issue Management Measures

would be to ensure that the environmental liability remains with the owner that has access to the largest financial resources. In this light ownership transfer schemes that purport to improve local ownership should be viewed with circumspection, since local owners do not have access to the resources to carry out rehabilitation works.  In the case of Alexkor, caution should be exercised by NDM managers to ensure that the primary result of the historic land claim won by the Richtersveld Community is not their ownership of the liability for environmental cleanup of the mine. This may be one of the unintended consequences of the Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture currently being embarked upon by both parties.

5.4.13.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  NDM should provide  Institutional support to mining.  Number of new of  DMR mining projects with the expansions to mining  Relevant municipal units necessary institutional projects support that would be required to get these projects into sustainable operation.

 The NDM reviews of  Reviews of mining project’s  Formal result of EMPR  DMR mining project’s EMPRs should focus on review;  DENC EMPRs should focus impacts of mine to  Relevant municipal units on the environmental environment.  Hectares of mine land impacts of the mine returned to planned closure and whether or not use these can be

successfully mitigated. A special focus should be placed on the closure plans and the end planned use of the area after mining has been completed. If these aspects of the mining plan are satisfactory, mining

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should be encouraged by the NDM.  Obtain the closure  Closure plan  Formal result of EMPR  DMR plans of mines with review  DENC short remaining life of  Relevant municipal units mine and review these documents critically. This applies especially to the coastal diamond mines where transformation of the natural vegetation over large areas has been total.  The DMR should be  Enforce rehabilitation of mines.  Project Tracking  DMR lobbied to ensure that  DENC complete rehabilitation  Relevant municipal units is carried by these mines.  Closure plans that offer  Closure plan  Memorandum of  DMR to trade complete understanding with DMR  DENC rehabilitation off against  Relevant municipal units the transfer of infrastructure or land should be viewed with suspicion. It is likely that the environmental liability and the costs to the economy of incomplete

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rehabilitation would be greater than the benefit derived from infrastructure or land ownership.

 Any transfer of  Ownership of assets  Percentage of the impacted  DMR ownership of these coastline returned to  DENC declining assets should planned closure use  Relevant municipal units be carefully reviewed whenever the opportunity presents itself. Of particular concern should be which party holds the environmental liability of the mining land. Strategically, the best outcome for the NDM would be to ensure that the environmental liability remains with the owner that has access to the largest financial resources. In this light ownership transfer schemes that purport to improve local ownership should be viewed with

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circumspection, since local owners do not have access to the resources to carry out rehabilitation works.  In the case of Alexkor,  NDM managers should ensure  Percentage of the impacted  DMR caution should be that the primary result of the coastline returned to  DENC exercised by NDM historic land claim won by the planned closure use  Relevant municipal units managers to ensure Richtersveld Community is not that the primary result their ownership of the liability of the historic land for environmental cleanup of claim won by the the mine Richtersveld Community is not their ownership of the liability for environmental cleanup of the mine. This may be one of the unintended consequences of the Pooling and Sharing Joint Venture currently being embarked upon by both parties.

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5.4.13.5 Desired State of the Environment

Mining in the NDM should be encouraged where the mining can be carried out with a minimum of environmental impact and where the mining area can be returned to planned closure use after mine closure.

Existing mine rehabilitation should be complete and effective to allow continued beneficial use of the mining area by all inhabitants of the NDM.

5.4.14 Agriculture

5.4.14.1 Constraints

Overgrazing is a major threat to biodiversity within the NDM. The situation is particularly severe in Pella, Komaggas, Richtersveld, Steinkopf, Concordia and Kamiesfontein.

The NDM is an area which is susceptible to land degradation and desertification. Policies and programs are required to promote and ensure the sustainable management of land resources within the District. Williston and Fraserburg are commercial farming areas within the District where land degradation is a serious problem

5.4.14.2 Opportunities

Sustainable agricultural practices are needed to avoid further land degradation within the NDM.

Stock farming guidelines are required and if adopted will have positive conservation benefits.

The development of the fishing and mariculture sector is considered a good alternative to mining. This alternative has good economic potential for the three coastal local municipalities: Kamiesberg, Nama Khoi and Richtersveld.

Increased manufacturing and sustainable growth can empower the local farmers and in turn benefit the local community.

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5.4.14.3 Management of the Element

Strategic Issue Management Measures

7. Overgrazing  Implement and enforce the grazing by-laws adopted by local municipalities in the district  Stock farming guidelines for the NDM should be developed and used by authorities, community representatives and organised agriculture. 8. Addressing land degradation  Sound agricultural practices to be promoted in generally, but with a focus on order to maintain and enhance the soil’s the Williston and Fraserburg agricultural potential. area.  Soil conservation measures to be adopted where appropriate  Implementation of these measures should be through the EIA process where the agricultural project requires environmental authorisation;  Enforcement using CARA should be used in cases where the EIA process does not apply. 9. Game farming expansion  Game farming should be encouraged where possible due to its contribution to tourism and its generally reduced ecological impact when compared to stock farming;  Game management needs to be practised to ensure that the farms are stocked with indigenous species and that the carrying capacity of the land is not exceeded.  The construction of access roads on game farms should be controlled through the EIA process. A layout plan of the tracks required on the game farm should be submitted with all EIA applications to allow for the appropriate control.  Hunting regulations to be enforced. 10. Expansion of irrigated  DWA should be approached with the agriculture, with water being suggestion regarding the feasibility of a dam provided by the Orange River. located after the Fish River confluence on the Orange River;  DWA should also be approached with regards to increasing the scope for irrigated agriculture, using water allocated from the Lower Orange Water Management Area.  Dept of Agriculture should be approached to determine the feasibility of expanding irrigated agriculture in the vicinity of the Orange River and alongside the existing raw water pipe to Springbok.

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5.4.14.4 Monitoring Indicators

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The following monitoring indicators should be used to track progress on each of the issues above.

Strategic Issue Target Monitoring Indicator Roles and Responsibilities  Implement and enforce  Enforce grazing by-laws  Number of enforcement  NCDALR the grazing by-laws measures undertaken  Agricultural Sector adopted by local  Water User Associations municipalities in the  Relevant municipal units district.

 Stock farming  Develop guidelines for stock  Development and use of  NCDALR guidelines for the NDM farming stock farming guidelines;  Agricultural Sector should be developed  Relevant municipal units and used by authorities, community representatives and organised agriculture.  Sound agricultural  Promote sound agricultural  Number of enforcement  NCDALR practices to be practices measures undertaken  Agricultural Sector promoted in order to  Relevant municipal units maintain and enhance the soil’s agricultural potential.

 Soil conservation  Adopt soil conservation  Project Tracking  NCDALR measures to be measures  Agricultural Sector

adopted where  Relevant municipal units appropriate.

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 Implementation of  EIA process to be followed  Project Tracking  NCDALR these measures should  Agricultural Sector be through the EIA  DENC process where the  Relevant municipal units agricultural project requires environmental authorisation.

 Enforcement using  Apply CARA  Project Tracking  DENC CARA should be used  Relevant municipal units in cases where the EIA process does not apply.  Game farming should  Encourage game farming  Project Tracking  NCDALR be encouraged where  Agricultural Sector possible due to its  DENC contribution to tourism  Relevant municipal units

and its generally reduced ecological impact when compared to stock farming.

 Game management  Practice game management  Number of enforcement  NCDALR needs to be practised measures undertaken  Agricultural Sector to ensure that the farms  DENC are stocked with  Relevant municipal units indigenous species and

that the carrying capacity of the land is not exceeded.  The construction of  Control construction of access  Number of enforcement  NCDALR

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access roads on game roads on game farms measures undertaken  DENC farms should be  Relevant municipal units controlled through the EIA process. A layout plan of the tracks required on the game farm should be submitted with all EIA applications to allow for the appropriate control.

 Hunting regulations to  Enforce hunting regulations  Feasibility Investigation  NCDALR be enforced.  Agricultural Sector  Hunting Associations  Relevant municipal units

 DWA should be  Construction of Dam  Feasibility Investigation  DWA approached with the  DENC suggestion regarding the feasibility of a dam located after the Fish River confluence on the Orange River.

 DWA should also be  Increase irrigated agriculture  Feasibility Investigation  DWA approached with  DENC regards increasing the scope for irrigated agriculture, using water allocated from the Lower Orange Water

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Management Area.

 Dept of Agriculture  Increase irrigated agriculture  Feasibility Investigation  NCDALR should be approached  Agricultural Sector to determine the  DENC feasibility of expanding  Hunting Associations

irrigated agriculture in  Relevant municipal units the vicinity of the Orange River and alongside the existing raw water pipe to Springbok.

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5.4.14.5 Desired State of the Environment

Agriculture in the NDM is an important economic resource and should be expanded where ecological considerations allow and where good agricultural practice is followed. Existing poor agricultural practice is to be rectified and rehabilitated through enforcement actions. The feasibility of securing additional water sources should be investigated.

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CHAPTER 6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ZONES

6.1 Purpose

The purpose of developing Environmental Management Zones (EMZ) in an Environmental Management Framework is to establish the sensitivity of the environment in a given area and the development of appropriate management measures for each feature.

These control zones, along with the management measures will not dictate the type of development allowed but will give an indication of that environment’s resilience to various types of development.

Due to the scale of this project it is advisable that due cognisance of surrounding management zones be undertaken in order to get a representative impression of the area studied.

A computerized Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to map all the biophysical elements recorded in the study area. For the Status Quo phase of the Namakwa EMF and SEMP, the following biophysical attributes were described, and mapped:  SKEP Sites;  SANParks;  Provincial Nature Reserves  Coastline;  Priority Areas;  Biodiversity Corridors;  Nature Reserves;  Kloofs;  Rivers;  Slopes;  Wetlands;  Population Centres;  Cultural and Historical Features;  Mines; and  Climatic Regions.

The information was used to compile an environmental sensitivity map that was used to manage the area.

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It is important to note that the accuracy of this document is restricted to the accuracy of information sourced during the Status Quo phase of the development of this EMP. In a constantly changing environment features may change in significance, sensitivity and importance in a short time period. This system is therefore a potential existing document that should be updated constantly to keep up with changes in the environment.

An A3 map of the Environmental Management Zones is contained as Appendix B.

6.2 Methodology 6.2.1 Introduction

The methodology for management zones has been developed based on principles of various assessment methods but relies heavily on the Overlay Analysis.

This refers to the integration of different data layers during a process of overlaying. This could be conducted as a visual operation or analytical operation that requires joining more than one data layer to show distinct combination of attributes and determine the environmental vulnerability of a given area.

6.2.2 Process for Development of Environmental Management Zones

The NDM has been overlaid with a grid. The grid size is 4,7km x 5,5km. This size was selected for a number of reasons:  Due to the size of the study, it is expected that this is the most useful size to give an overall image of the study area without compromising the importance level of each environmental feature.  This is the same size as the 1:10 000 orthophotos. In other words, a single block can be investigated and compared to the Orthophoto of the area. This is useful in cross-referencing of information.  This grid size makes provision for sufficient buffer areas around each feature.

The second step in the development of the environmental management zones was to assign a sensitivity rating to each environmental attribute that was sourced during the status quo of this study. An explanation of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) is provided in Section 6.3 of this document.

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A standard query was conducted to assign each grid block with a rating equivalent to the sensitivity of the environmental attributes in that block. The highest sensitivity of each block took precedence over any other attributes and the block was therefore by default assigned to an Environmental Management Zone with the same rating as the highest rated environmental sensitivity in that area. Please refer to Plate 19 and Plate 20 for a demonstration of process.

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Plate 19 Calculation for ESI Rating

This is the area near Damsfontein River, in the Karoo Hoogland Municipality. The river has an ESI Rating of D but there are critical biodiversity sites in the same area, with an ESI of A. This the whole block is assigned into EMZ “A”. River – ESI Rating D

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Plate 20 Resultant EMZ Assignment

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Population centres have been excluded from the principle above of precedence of the highest rating. The reason for this is because there has been a high level of impact on developed areas and it is therefore assumed that environmental attributes have already been impacted upon and should therefore be reduced to give a true reflection of the area in question.

6.3 Environmental Management Zones

The Environmental Management Zones are derived from the Environmental Sensitivity Index for each of the environmental attributes within a given block.

The Environmental Sensitivity Index has been developed to make provision for seven categories. These categories vary from critical to very low and there is a category for not applicable. Please refer to Table 46 for a description of each element of the sensitivity index.

Table 46 Environmental Sensitivity Index EMZ ESI Description The zone includes a number of environmentally sensitive features and development should be avoided. If the development A Critical is critical to the economic and social wellbeing of the local population, utmost care should be taken to avoid impacts and mitigate where possible. Several environmentally sensitive features are present. Development should be restricted in terms of type and magnitude of impact. This rating is not very lenient in terms of development but does recognise that development cannot be excluded where compelling economic and social benefits will be derived for the B Very High local and regional population. All legislative requirements should be adhered to and a fully inclusive consideration of the biophysical receptors should be undertaken. Development in these areas will also require a comprehensive public participation process with input from stakeholders and government organisations. These areas include environmentally sensitive features. Development in this zone must serve to complement the area C High and should be limited where relevant. Adequate provision should be made for the protection of environmental features and a fully inclusive participation process should be conducted. These areas include environmentally sensitive features which are relatively common in the study area. Development must be guided by the constraints offered by the site and must be ensure D Medium that adequate provision is made for protection of environmental features. Applicable legislation should drive the process to be followed.

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EMZ ESI Description The area is regarded to have little environmental sensitivity in comparison to the Zones A to D. Development should be E Low facilitated in this area whilst ensuring compliance to existing legislation and best practice approaches. The area is regarded to have been potentially has been heavily impacted upon. Development should be facilitated in this area F Very Low whilst ensuring compliance to existing legislation and best practice approaches. G Not applicable No rating was provided due to lack of relevant information.

The criteria used in determining the ESI rating was based on the following:  Uniqueness of the feature  Biophysical importance of the feature  Percentage of groundcover in the study area  Replaceability of the feature  Existing conservation status  Existing biophysical degradation

The following are the environmental elements that make up the ESI, which are in turn allocated to various Environmental Management Zones.

6.3.1 Critical Sites

Critical biodiversity areas (CBA’s) are terrestrial and aquatic features in the landscape that are critical for retaining biodiversity and supporting continued ecosystem functioning and services.

The NDM Critical Biodiversity sites have been developed based on various sources of biodiversity information. These areas have been defined according to the Guideline Regarding the Determination of Bioregions and the Preparation and Publication of Bioregional Plans. These sites reflected on reactive decision making and land-use legislation, proactive forward planning and proactive conservation.

All developments, irrespective of type or magnitude, will be subject to environmental screening, EIA in terms of NEMA where applicable, specialist investigations, project specific environmental management plans and a comprehensive public consultation process.

ESI RATING: A

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6.3.2 Important Sites

Important sites form part of the same spectrum as critical biodiversity sites but are not considered on the same level as critical sites. In the study area important sites specifically refer to quartz and gravel patches, areas with slopes that cover surfaces of more than 25 hectares, kloofs that are larger than 50 hectares or modelled Riverine Rabbit habitat.

ESI RATING: B

6.3.3 Protected Areas

SANPArks manages the indigenous fauna, flora, landscapes and associated cultural heritage of the country in geographically defined areas. These protected areas are recognized in the Protected Areas Act. Development in parks are planned with due consideration of biodiversity of the area. It is therefore considered appropriate to apply the precautionary principle in the development of areas neighboring national parks and to cooperate with SANParks in this regard. The provincial reserves such as Nababieps Nature Reserve and Garlagskloof are also recognized in NEMPAA.

Furthermore, public nature reserves are included in conservation areas. Several nature reserves are found in the area of which Goegap Nature Reserve and Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, Nababiep Nature Reserve and Richtersveld World Heritage Site are some of the more prominent Nature Reserves.

ESI RATING: B

6.3.4 Coastal line

The Namakwaland Coast area includes 432 plant species, 85 of which are unique to the Succulent Karoo Hotspot and 44 of which are classified as globally threatened.

The Northern Cape has an abundance of diamond deposits both onshore and offshore. Diamond mining and tourism development have transformed much of the Namakwa coastline.

All mining concession areas have some level of restriction in terms of access to the area. Marine and coastal resources can therefore not be utilised to their maximum sustainable capacity for the socio-economic benefit of the people of the Northern Cape. Due to the limited use of coastal areas, the physical

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The Coastal Public Property, an area 1.2km offshore of the high Water Mark and 45 – 60m above the High Water Mark, is considered a rating of ECI C. This applies to state land. However, the Coastal Protection Zone covers an area of approximately 1 km of the High Water Mark. This applies to all land that is un- zoned or zoned undetermined or agricultural.

Even though large portions of the coast are owned by mining houses, the entire coastal area has been included. Development in this zone will be restricted.

ESI RATING: C

6.3.5 Priority Areas

Only 2.5% of the Succulent Karoo is formally protected, and the locations of formal protected areas mean that they do not represent the wide array of environmental heterogeneity, biodiversity patterns and processes in the region.

Conservation planning exercises generally distinguish between different types of protected areas, according to the degree of protection of biodiversity provided. A common distinction made is between statutory and non-statutory reserves. Statutory reserves are supported by strong legal and institutional structures, while non-statutory reserves represent varying degrees of legal protection and institutional capacity that are consistently weaker than statutory protected areas.

ESI RATING: C

6.3.6 Ecological Supporting Areas

The principal goal of corridor-planning is to maintain or restore connectivity across the landscape. Achieving this requires stimulating the creation of additional protected areas through voluntary stewardship agreements in the form of conservation areas, biodiversity agreements and contract nature reserves.

ESI RATING: C

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6.3.7 Rivers

The scarcity of water resources is a defining feature of this arid environment. Two main rivers that are present in the area – the Orange River and the Oliphants / Doring rivers are under pressure from agriculture and alien vegetation encroachment.

The conservation of aquatic (river, wetland and estuary) resources can help ensure that the region is able to withstand climate change, and sustain the NDM’s people and globally unique biodiversity in the face of climate change.

However, water as a resource – especially in the riverine environment – can be sufficiently managed while allowing for sustainable development of the area.

ESI RATING: D

6.3.8 Wetlands

Wetlands play an important role in accumulating sediment from rivers and streams. This is important since it acts as a natural water purification system and it also provide suitable habitat for an array of fauna and flora. Sediment overload due to water pollution is a major threat as well as trampling of wetland vegetation that leads to soil compaction and erosion.

Legislation with regards to wetlands and water bodies in terms of the National Water Act is considered an appropriate enforcement means to protect wetlands against unsustainable development.

ESI RATING: D

6.3.9 Slopes

South-facing slopes play an important role in biodiversity of the area. These create unique habitats for invertebrates due to cooler habitats where species under threat from changing climate colonise.

Furthermore slopes are at higher risk of exposure of soil that could lead to erosion or settlement of invader plant species.

In terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, cultivation of slopes that exceed 20% is prohibited. Several measures are available to reduce the impact on slopes for cultivation purposes

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ESI RATING: D

6.3.10 Population Centres

Developed areas have already impacted on the environment and changed the characteristic to such an extent that very little of the natural area is still visible in most cases. It is therefore a fair assumption that environmental attributes that are overlaid with population centres should be excluded from a higher environmental sensitivity zoning.

Another factor to bear in mind where population centres are affected, is the impact of humans and the possible consequences on socio-economic level. Settlements in NDM are generally in the lower income groups and are therefore more vulnerable to changes that could affect their well-being on a socio economic level.

The exploitation of the natural environment in pursuit of achieving economic growth and poverty alleviation, does not come without consequence- adversely affecting land, water and soil quality and availability, pollution, desertification and forest cover levels. Overexploitation not only results in environmental degradation, but also worsens poverty conditions - counteracting the very goal economic growth aims to achieve.

The rating of this attribute is therefore based on the town planning principle of densification. Urban sprawl would lead to further degradation over a larger area while densification will limit this.

ESI RATING: E

6.3.11 Cultural and Historical Features

Cultural and historical features are widely spread over NDM. These features have a great deal of historical and cultural meaning for a number of ethnic groups.

Most of the cultural and historical features are located in or near population centres. It is important to protect these features from destruction of development but is in most cases they are very small – less than one hectare – and are difficult to consider geographically in this study area.

This feature will therefore be addressed in the SEMP.

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ESI RATING: E

6.3.12 Mines

Mining is an important sector in providing jobs and contributing to the Gross Geographic Product (GGP) of an area. Typical environmental impacts associated with the mining sector include the loss of biodiversity due to the transformation of natural habitats and ecosystems. Mining processes usually require large volumes of water and this creates a huge demand on available water resources. Other impacts include air pollution, noise pollution and the visual impact of large open-cast mining operations.

It is therefore evident that mining has already transformed large portions of the district and contributed to environmental degradation. This can never be considered as a positive but, in the absence of more sensitive environmental attributes, the advantages of this activity outweigh the damage done.

This attribute should be treated with caution and by no means exempts potential development from compliance with applicable legislation.

ESI RATING: F

6.4 Management of Environmental Management Zones

The resultant Environmental Management Zones are presented in the figure in Appendix B. The figure colouring shows each of the zones. The management criteria for each zone are specificed in the table below.

The table below provides guidance on the resilience of each Environmental Management Zone to absorb various development types.

It should however be noted that this document does not authorise or prohibit certain development types but merely serves as guideline as to which development types will be suitable in each Environmental Management Zone.

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Table 47 Development Types Suitable for Each Environmental Management Zone

Environmental

Management related

Zone Mining

Research

Agriculture

Conservation

Waste Waste

HeavyIndustry

Energy Generation Energy

Urban Development Urban

LinearDevelopments

ServiceInfrastructure NaturalResource Activities

A Yes No Possible No No No Yes No No No Possible

B Yes No Possible No Possible No Yes Possible No No Possible

C Yes Possible Possible No Yes Possible Yes Possible No Possible Possible

D Yes Yes Yes Possible Yes Yes Yes Yes Possible Possible Yes

E Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Possible Possible Yes

F Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

G Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Conservation

Conservation activities in this sense refer to any activity that will promote conservation. Conservation areas do not include tourism developments.

Agriculture

Agricultural activities refer to crop production and livestock production. This is applicable to any vacant land, irrespective of existing land-use zoning. Agricultural activities include commercial and subsistence farming larger than 1 hectare.

Service Infrastructure

Service infrastructure includes any basic services that have not been developed yet. This includes, water, electrical and sewer reticulation and treatment works. If any existing services are to be expanded due consideration should be taken of the receiving environment and the studies required in terms of Section 6.5 of this report.

Urban Development

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Urban development includes the provision of housing, commercial and industrial facilities, tourism facilities. Development of this nature is encouraged in areas that have already been developed.

Linear Developments

Linear developments include any activity that will result in the registration of servitudes. Linear developments cannot be prohibited in most areas due to the needs of people living in the area. It is however discouraged in EMZs A and B and alternatives to traversing these areas should be investigated.

Energy Generation

Large portions of land need to be cleared for energy generation projects. These types of projects usually pose a higher threat to the immediate surrounding environments due to the nature of the project. However, the need for sustainable energy provision is acknowledged and it is recommended that energy generation projects be limited to EMZ D – G areas.

Research

Due to the unique quality of the NDM it is expected that large scale research projects will be conducted in this area. Research is allowed in all areas of the district but it is expected that the precautionary principle be applied at all times and that the nature of research conducted in EMZ A – C areas is not destructive in any way.

Waste Related

Waste activities include any activity related to solid, hazardous, liquid or gaseous wastes. This includes waste water treatment facilities. These activities are discouraged, especially in EMZ A – B areas, but should be allowed if the environmental consequences of the project not going ahead outweigh the impacts if the project is allowed.

Heavy Industry

Heavy industry includes any activity that is capital and / or manufacturing input-intensive such as automobile, industrial machinery, steel or petroleum. Although these industries usually contribute significantly to job creation, cognisance of the social impacts should be considered when established near settlements. This type of development will not be allowed in EMZ A – B areas.

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Mining

Mining refers to any activity covered in the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Act. Mining should be discouraged in EMZs A and B, but projects with sufficient scale to make a large impact on the district economic and social status quo should be considered as mitigation factors when motiviating for a mine in EMZ B areas

6.5 Environmental Investigations

This Section provides a guideline in terms of the minimum environmental investigations that should be conducted prior to any development in the various environmental management zones. This section serves as guideline for initiating environmental investigation but should not be considered complete. Best practice and the precautionary principle should be applied at all times. This section does not exempt any activity from applicable legislation.

Table 48 Environmental Investigations Suitable for Each Environmental Management Zone

Environmental

Public Public

Management EIA

Zone ECO

Specialist

Feasibility

Screening

Consultation

Investigation Investigation

Consideration

Environmental

Detailed

RegionalImpact

Basic Basic Assessment Conservation Plan

Activity Activity Specific EMP Licensesand Permits

A Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

B Yes Yes Possible Possible Yes Yes Yes Possible Yes Yes Yes

C Yes No Possible Possible Yes Yes Possible Possible Yes No Possible

D Yes No Possible Possible Yes Possible Possible No Yes No Possible

E Yes No Possible Possible Yes Possible Possible No Yes No No

F Yes No Possible Possible Yes Possible Possible No Yes No No G Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible Possible

Screening – refers to the process of determining the type and magnitude of study that will be required. Screening should consider all legislation, processes, policies and frameworks applicable to the study area.

Environmental Feasibility Investigations – in this context means a environmental practicability evaluation of the proposal, with due consideration of legal

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EIA or Basic Assessment – Refers to the processes as described in NEMA Government Notice R385. It is recommended that for Environmental Management Zone A, a full EIA is conducted, even when a Basic Assessment Process is required due to the nature of the project. This is a precautionary approach to ensure protection of EMZ A areas. In every other EMZ, the need for a full EIA or a Basic Assessment will be determined by the nature of the project in accordance with R386 and R387 of NEMA.

EMP – Environmental Management Plans are useful tools to ensure environmental best practice and enforcement of conditions of approval. EMPs should be developed, especially for the construction phase of developments, and it is strongly recommended that due considerations of the operational phase be taken into account and management principles be recommended where applicable. Specialist Investigations – Refers to any investigation that falls outside the competency of the EAP conducting assessments for any envisaged activity. Specialist investigations are not limited to the assessments listed below, but merely serve as an indication of assessments that might be required:  Geotechnical Investigations;  Biodiversity assessments;  Geohydrological Assessments;  River Health Assessment;  Visual Impact Assessment;  Traffic Impact Assessment;  Agricultural Potential Assessment;  Social Impact Assessment;  Socio Economic Assessment;  Heritage Impact Assessment;  Air Quality Assessment; and  Noise Impact Assessment.

Public Consultation – refers to any interaction with stakeholders of Interested and Affected parties. Public consultation should play a vital role in the assessment of any envisaged development. It is recommended that as a minimum, the process for public consultation is in line with the process described in Chapter Six of NEMA. More detailed public participation is required in EMZs A and B which should include interacting with the dominant environmental NGOs and the Ratepayers Associations, or similar organisations, where these entities exist.

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Conservation Plan – refers to any planned action to salvage, protect and successfully relocate conservation-worthy items in development areas. This plan should be compiled with input from various specialists related to the field in question. This item is listed only as a requirement for EMZ A sites. It should however be applied to any area that hosts threatened or endangered items.

Licences and Permits – refers to any permit or licence required in terms of South African legislation. The list provided below is not exhaustive but serves as indication of licences and permits that might be required: Water Use Licence, Water Use Authorisation, permit for demolishing old buildings, registration of waste sites, prospecting rights or mining permits.

Regional Impact Considerations – describes a process to be included in the environmental assessment that takes the broader environment into consideration. This implies that the EIA should not only focus on the immediate area to be affected but should also reflect on the impacts that might be suffered by the regional environment.

ECO – Environmental Control Officers are appointed to ensure the application of environmental conditions of approval. ECO’s are required to submit reports to the Northern Cape Department of Environment, Agriculture and Nature Conservation at a frequency that has been determined prior to occupation of site. It is suggested that the frequency of ECO’s on sites with an ESI rating of A – B be higher that other Environmental Management Zones e.g. bi-monthly.

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CHAPTER 7. MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT

7.1 Monitoring

For both the relevant authorities and the general public to determine whether or not an SEMP/EMF has been successfully implemented, measures should be taken to regularly evaluate, assess and report on the actions that were taken to comply with the SEMP/EMF and the results that were achieved. Indicators can be used to evaluate the environmental impacts identified throughout the SEMP/EMF. These indicators, which are described in greater detail in the next section, should be measured annually and a report on the results should be presented to the council on an annual basis. To determine whether or not there has been an improvement in the environment the change in the indicator results after time could be plotted.

Examples of some of the forms these measures can take are:  Regular meetings with representatives of organizations or stakeholders affected by development planning.  Monthly reports on the nature and type of development applications that are received by the district municipality, for example Environmental Impact Assessments or Basic Assessment Reports.  Monthly reporting on the various environmental attributes in the area, for example the water quality of the local streams, the air quality, loss of agricultural land etc.

Suggestions of practical monitoring processes, to ensure that the recommendations of the SEMP/EMF are met, have been identified and explained in the SEMP section of the report.

The EMF must be implemented and mainstreamed parallel with the Namakwa Biodiversity Sector Plan. Although the Biodiversity Sector Plan informed the EMF on the Biodiversity Important Aspects, it must be consulted with any development projects that might impact on the environment.

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CHAPTER 8. REFERENCES

Bates, B.C.; Kundzewicz, Z.W.; Wu, S. & Palutikof, J.P. (2008): Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC Secretariat, Geneva. 210p.

Baydack, R.K., Campa III, H. and Haufler, J.B. (1999). Practical Approaches to the Conservation of Biological Diversity. Island Press, USA.

Bledzki, A.L. 2008. Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Wetlands and Water: Wetlands and Water: Ecosystems and Human Well-being.

CEPF. (2008). Assessing Five Years of CEPF Investment in the Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, Conservation International, USA.

Colvin, G. Tredoux, S. Clarke, D. Le Maitre, p. Engelbrecht, A. Maherry T. (2008) Integration Goes Underground: A Review of Groundwater Research in Support of Sustainable Development in South Africa. CSIR: Pretoria.

Community Survey, 2007. Basic Results: Municipalities. Statistical release P0301.1. Statistics South Africa.

Council of Geosciences; 2010. Simplified Geology of the Northern Cape. http://www.geoscience.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34 1&Itemid=311.

Cousins, B; Hoffman, M; Allsopp, Rohded, N. (2007). A synthesis of sociological and biological perspectives on sustainable land use in Namakwaland. In the Journal of Arid Environments 70 834–846.

CSIR Environmentek, 2004. Northern Cape State of the Environment Report Overview.

DALREC. (2003). Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, Environment and Conservation: Northern Cape Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP).

DEAT (2004) Environmental Management Plans, Integrated Environmental Management, Information Series 12, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Pretoria.

DEAT (2005): State of the Environment. www.deat.gov.za

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De Villiers CC, Brownlie S, Clark B, Day EG, Driver A, Euston-Brown DIW, Helme NA, Holmes PM, Job N, Rebelo AB (2005) Fynbos Forum Ecosystem Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape. Fynbos Forum and Botanical Society of South Africa, Kirstenbosch. (http://bgis.sanbi.org/wces/FF_Ecosystem_Guidelines.pdf)

DTI. (2008). Department of Trade and Industry: Project Khuli’s Umnotho: NDM Profile.

DWAF (2002): Olifants/Doring Water Management Area: Water Resources Situation Assessment. Ninham Shand in association with Jakoet and Associates, Volume 1 and 2, Report No. P17000/00/0101.

DWAF 2004. Internal Strategic Perspective: Lower Orange Water Management Area. Prepared by PDNA, WRP Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd, WMB and Kwezi-V3 on behalf of the Directorate: National Water Resource Planning. DWAF Report No P WMA 14/000/00/0304

DWAF 2005. Olifants/Doorn Water Management Area Internal Strategic Perspective. DWAF: Pretoria

DWAF, 2008. Groundwater Resources in the Northern Cape Province. DWAF: Pretoria

DTI: 2008. Project Kulis’ Umnotho, NDM Profile,

Enviro-Fish Africa (Pty) Ltd, Northern Cape Province Coastal Management Plan, 2005

EWT. (2010). Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Riverine Rabbit Working Group Overview. http://www.ewt.org.za/workgroups_overview.aspx?group=rabbit&page=overview. Accessed on 15 November 2009.

Hewitson, B. (2007): High Resolution Regional Climate Change Scenarios for Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in Developing Country Regions. (pp:56-59.) Eds. Leary, N. & Kulkarni, J. AIACC. Washington, DC.

Huld T., Šúri M., Dunlop E., Albuisson M, Wald L (2005). Integration of HelioClim-1 database into PVGIS to estimate solar electricity potential in Africa. Proceedings from 20th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 6-10 June 2005, Barcelona, Spain, http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/.

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Integrated Development Plan, Hantam Municipality, 2008/2009

Integrated Development Plan, Kamiesberg Municipality, 2006-2011

Integrated Development Plan, Karoo Hoogland Municipality, 2008/2009

Integrated Development Plan, Khai Ma Municipality, 2008/2009

Integrated Development Plan Review, Richtersveld Municipality, 2008

Jeffares and Green; and Ingerop Africa, 2006. Integrated Waste Management Plan for NDM

Karoo Consortium, Ecological Best-Practice Livestock Production 2009. Guidelines for the NDM

Linzer L.M., Bejaichund M., Cichowicz A., Durrheim, R.J., Goldbach O.D., Kataka M.O., Kijko A., Milev A.M., Saunders I., Spottiswoode S.M., Webb S.J. 2007. Recent research in seismology in South Africa, South African Journal of Science, Vol.103 No.9 – 10, Pretoria: Sept./Oct.

Lochner, P. 2005. Guideline for Environmental Management Plans. CSIR Report No ENV-S-C 2005-053 H. Republic of South Africa, Provincial Government of the Western Cape, Department of Environmental Affairs & Development Planning, Cape Town.

Marsh A., Dr. Desmet P. & Oosthuysen E. 2008. NDM Biodiversity Sector Plan Draft.

Mucina L. and Rutherford M.C. 2006: The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Pretoria.

Mukheibir, P. (2007): Qualitative Assessment of Municipal Water Resource Management Strategies under Climate Impacts: The Case of the Northern Cape, South Africa. Water SA, 33 (11 pages).

NDM Growth and Development Strategy, 2008

NDM, Integrated Waste Management Plan for Kamiesberg Municipality, April 2006

Northern Cape Tourism Board. 2007. The Weather. Available from http://www.northerncape.org.za/general_information. Downloaded 17 August 2010.

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Oosthuizen, L.K. Land and water resources management in South Africa. University of Free State. Bloemfontein.

Reason, C.J.C.; Enelbrecht, F.; Landman, W.A.; Lutjeharms, J.R.E.; Piketh, S.; Rautenbach, C.J. de W. & Hewitson, B.C. (2006): A Review of South African Research in Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography During 2000- 2005. S.A.Jnl. of Sci. 102:35-45.

Southern African Data Centre for Oceanography, 2005. Sadco Workplan 2006. Vol 17 No 2 - June 2006.

SKEP. (2003). SKEP 20 Year Strategy: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Land-Use in the Succulent Karoo.

South African Rain Atlas, http://134.76.173.220/rainfall/index.html, accessed 22 October 2009

Stabilis Development. (2009). NDM Economic Profile.

Statistics South Africa, Community Survey 2007

Statistics South Africa, Census 2001

Todd, S., Milton, S., Dean, R., Carrick, P. & Meyer, A. (2009). Ecological Best- Practice Livestock Production Guidelines for the NDM.

Turpie, J. & Joubert, A. 2004. The value of flower tourism on the Bokkeveld Plateau – a botanical hotspot. Development Southern Africa, 1470-3637, Volume 21, Issue 4, Pages 645 – 662

Wu Xiao-ping, Chen Xiu-fang, Ma Chao-qun, Yang Xiao-yu, Ran Mao-ping & Meng Xiang-ding. 2007. Comprehensive assessment method for environmental impact of railway based on geographic information system. Journal of Central South University of Technology. www.northerncape.org.za www.weathersa.co.za/FcastProducts/General/MaxMin

Young, R.N. (1999). Importance of Biodiversity to the Modern Pharmaceutical Industry. Pure Appl. Chem. Vol. 71, No.9, pp. 1655 – 1661.

Additional Sources:

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Correspondence with District Manager, Namakwa, November 2009

Correspondence with Annelise Le Roux – local vegetation specialist, November 2009

Correspondence with the Namakwaland Development Agency, October 2009

Correspondence with NDM, October 2009

Correspondence with Richtersveld Local Municipality, October 2009

Correspondence with Khai Ma Local Municipality, October 2009

Correspondence with Kamiesberg Local Municipality, October 2009

Correspondence with Hantam Local Municipality, October 2009

Correspondence with Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality, October 2009

Correspondence with the Department of Education, NDM, September 2009

Correspondence with the Department of Sports and Recreation, NDM, September 2009

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Appendix A. THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS

INTRODUCTION Background Public participation is an integral requirement of the National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998). The process followed for this project has taken into account all aspects of public participation as stipulated in the legislation.

THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS

Process and Purpose

Public Participation provides the opportunity for all Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) to participate on an informed basis. The primary purpose of public participation is to ensure that the relevant stakeholders and all I&APs within the EMF jurisdiction are informed about the EMF process, provide comments and input and identify relevant issues that need to be addressed in relation to the findings during the project phase. Purpose of the Project

The purpose of the Public Participation Report is to:  Provide a comprehensive list of stakeholders and I&APs;  Provide a list of people who attended the PSC meetings and workshops;  Provide a list of meetings with stakeholders; and  Provide a report on comments, concerns and issues raised during the process.

INCEPTION PHASE

An Inception Meeting was held on 23 June 2009.

A Project Steering Committee Meeting was held on 29 July 2009 with all PSC members.

Newspaper Adverts Newspapers that were used to advertise the EMF and the Public Open Days were:  Die Eland, Alexander Baai on 25 September 2009;  Diamond Field Advertiser, Springbok on 17 September 2009;  Die Noordwester, Calvinia on 17 September 2009;  Die Burger, national distribution on 17 September 2009; and  The Gemsbok, Upington on 23 September 2009.

Public Open Days The Status Quo analysis for the project was presented at the Public Open Days. The Public Open Days were held as follows:  6 October 2009 at the Alexander Bay City Hall;  7 October 2009 at the Namakwa High School, Springbok; and  8 October 2009 at the Calvinia Community Hall.

CREATING AWARENESS The aim of this phase was to inform the I&APs and PSC Members of the project and how it would benefit the environment. A Background Information Document and a Comment and Reply

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Form were prepared in order to inform participants of the EMF and were distributed to stakeholders, district and local municipal officials, interest groups and I&APs.

DISSEMINATING INFORMATION Meeting with PSC Members

PSC MEETING 29 JULY 2009 A meeting was held at Springbok on 29 July 2009. The following main points were discussed:

The EMF will be carried out in accordance with accepted practises as no official guideline on the developments of EMFs is currently available.

The proposed sections of the Status Quo section of the process will incorporate the following:  Status Quo;  GIS Mapping; and  Public Participation.

The final EMF will include the following:  Opportunities and Constraints Report;  Action Plans;  Development of Sustainability Parameters;  Strategic Environmental Management Plan;  Evaluation and Monitoring Plan; and  Public Participation.

THE MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY:

DENC: Kimberley Deputy Director: Impact Management Mr. Sibonelo Mbanjwa DENC: Kimberley Assistant Director: Impact Management Mrs. Basani Ndindani DENC: Kimberley EO: Impact Management Mrs. Lucille Flagg DENC: Kimberley AD: Integrated Environmental Management Mrs. Elise Lameyer DENC: Kimberley Principal EO: Waste Management Mr. Bronwen Cornelissen DENC: Springbok Assistant Director: Coastal Resources Uses Ms. W. Oppel NDM Acting Municipal Manager Mr. Jannie Laubser NDM The LED Manager Mr. I. Groenewald DENC: Springbok Conservation Planner Mr. E. Oosthuysen DWA: Upington The Regional Manager Mr. Henry Abbott DME: Springbok The Regional Manager Mr. Jasper Nieuwoudt DPLG The Regional Manager Mr. A. Holland DEAT: Springbok ASD: Local Government Support Mrs. N. Le Breton Department of Agriculture The Regional Manager Mr. S. Van Der Poll Nemai Consulting Project Manager Mr. Ciaran Chidley

The people listed below attended the meeting as representatives or alternates of the departments where they are employed.

DENC: Springbok Intern Ms. Z. Nero Namakwa District Municipality Head: Community Services Mr. William Auret DENC: Upington EO: IEM Mr Adriaan le Roux DENC: Upington PEO: EIM Ms Anga Yaphi

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DENC: Springbok AD: Coastal Resources Uses Mr. Solly Vukeya

PSC MEETING 27 JANUARY 2011 A meeting was held at Kimberley 27 January 2011. The following main points were discussed:

The purpose of the PSC was to review the EMF and give an opportunity for DEA to make further comments on the contents and way forward.

The purpose of the Project Meeting was to review the EMF and give an opportunity for DEA to make further comments on the contents and way forward.

The EMF was presented to the PSC. Key points included:  Methodology – including a discussion regarding guidance over PSC meeting postponements;  Status Quo Section;  SEMP – including the costal recommendations; and  EMF – including the GIS mapping and the rationale ehind the Environmental Management Zones.

The following actions should be taken with regards finalisation of the project:  Include an Executive Summary for the Report;  Adjust the land-uses for the Environmental Management Zones to no prohibit development in any zones. Ensure that sufficient controls exist in each zone to protect environmental resources;  Add the final details to the Public Participation section of the report;  Prepare a poster and gloosy summary of the report;  Hand over the GIS layers to DENC for their further use; and  The EMF should be gazetted for public comment by DENC.

THE MEETING WAS ATTENDED BY: DENC: Kimberley Deputy Director: Impact Management Mr. Sibonelo Mbanjwa DENC: Kimberley EO: Impact Management Mrs. Lucille Flagg DENC: Springbok Conservation Planner Mr. E. Oosthuysen DEA: Pretoria DD: Decision Support Tools Mr Khanyiso Mtolo Nemai Consulting Project Manager Mr. Ciaran Chidley

PROJECT PROGRESS MEETINGS

Project progress meetings were held to document progress with the project and to presen the SEMP and EMF to officials in an effort to stimulate interest and debate in the project.

The meetings always started with a presentation of the document, followed by a question and answer session where areas of uncertainty and aspects that should be addressed were docussed.

These meetings were held in Kimberley.

Project Progress Meeetings were held on  4 December 2009;  3 March 2010;  3 August 2010

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IAP DATABASE OF IAPs FOR THE NAMAKWA EMF:

IAP Category Name Organisation Position Telephone Fax E-Mail Local Mr. H. Visser Namakwa District Municipality Executive Mayor 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected] Government Local Mr. J. Loubser Namakwa District Municipality Acting Municipal Manager 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected] Government Local Mr. I. Groenewald Namakwa District Municipality LED Manager 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected] Government Local Mr. H. Thron Namakwa District Municipality Environmental Official 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected] Government Local Mr. M. Claasen Namakwa District Municipality Ward Councillor Government Local Mr. F. Van der Heever Nama Khoi Local Municipality Mayor (ward councillor contact point) 027 718 8100 027 7121635 [email protected] Government Local Mr. J.W. Nortje Nama Khoi Local Municipality Acting Municipal Manager 027 718 8100 027 7121635 [email protected] Government Local Mr. R. Hartley Nama Khoi Local Municipality LED Manager 027 718 8100 027 7121635 [email protected] Government Local Ms. Ntombi Feni Nama Khoi Local Municipality Environmental Official 027 718 8100 027 7121635 [email protected] Government Local Mr. L. Ambrosini Richtersveld Local Municipality Mayor 027 851 1111 027 851 1101 [email protected] Government Local M. J.G. Cloete Richtersveld Local Municipality Municipal Manager 027 851 1111 027 851 1101 [email protected] Government Local Mr. A. de Wet Richtersveld Local Municipality LED Manager 027 851 1111 027 851 1101 [email protected] Government Local Mr. Siabonga Richtersveld Local Municipality Environmental Official 027 851 1111 027 851 1101 Government Local Mr. Singh Richtersveld Local Municipality Ward Councillor 027 851 1101 Government Local Mr. M. Klaase Kamiesberg Local Municipality Acting Mayor 027 652 8000 0866 968996 [email protected] Government Local Mr. G. Maarman Kamiesberg Local Municipality Municipal Manager 027 652 8000 027 652 8001 [email protected] Government Local Position is still vacant Kamiesberg Local Municipality LED Manager 027 652 8000 Government Local Ms. Sarah Cloete Kamiesberg Local Municipality Environmental Official 027 652 8000 027 652 8001 Government Local Mr. M. Klaase Kamiesberg Local Municipality Ward Councillor 027 652 8000 0866 968996 [email protected] Government

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IAP Category Name Organisation Position Telephone Fax E-Mail Local Mrs. L. Bruinthies- Khai-Ma Local Municipality Mayor (ward councillor contact point) 054 933 0066 054 933 0252 [email protected] Government Groenewald Local Mr. P.J. Baker Khai-Ma Local Municipality Acting Municipal Manager 054 933 0066 [email protected] Government Local Position is still vacant Khai-Ma Local Municipality LED Manager 054 933 0066 054 933 0252 Government Local

Mr. Roderikus Loster Khai-Ma Local Municipality Environmental Official [email protected] Government Local Ms. M. Dyers Hantam Local Municipality Mayor 027 341 8500 027 341 8501 [email protected] Government Local Mr. I. Valentein Hantam Local Municipality Acting Municipal Manager 027 341 8500 027 341 8501 [email protected] Government Local R. N. Viljoen Hantam Local Municipality LED Manager 027 341 8500 027 341 8501 [email protected] Government Local Mr. R. van Wyk Hantam Local Municipality Environmental Official 027 341 8500 027 341 85 [email protected] Government Local Mr. Koose Hantam Local Municipality Ward Councillor Government Local Ms. J. K. Malho Karoo-Hoogland Local Municipality Mayor 053 391 3003 053 391 3294 Government Local Mr. V. Opperman Karoo-Hoogland Local Municipality LED Manager 053 391 3003 053 391 3294 [email protected] Government Local Mr. Alister Givons Karoo-Hoogland Local Municipality Environmental Official 023 5711 265 [email protected] Government Local Ms. J. K. Malho Karoo-Hoogland Local Municipality Mayor 053 391 3003 053 391 3294 Government Environmental Suzaan Erasmus WESSA Northern Cape 053 839 2717 053 842 1433 NGO Environmental Sharon Bosma WESSA Western Cape 021 7011397 021 701 1390 NGO Environmental Jurg Wagener Observatory 023 5711 405 NGO Environmental Brian Northern Cape Rural Development Association 053 873 3183 053 833 4347 NGO Environmental Coetzee Owen Northern Cape Tourism Authority 053 832 2657 053 831 2937 NGO Environmental Anton Earle African Centre for Water Research 021 424 4738 021 422 3810 NGO Environmental Dave Mcdonald Botanical Society of South Africa 021 650 2866 021 650 3791

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IAP Category Name Organisation Position Telephone Fax E-Mail NGO Environmental Ronnie Newmen Namakwa Conservation NGO Environmental Richard Fuggle Environmental Evaluation Group 021 650 3791 021 650 2866 NGO Environmental Noel Oettle Environmental Monotoring Group 021 448 2881 NGO Environmental Keith Harrison Birdlile SA 022 713 3026 NGO Environmental Elanza van Lengte Namakwa Parks Park Manager 027 672 1948 027 672 1010 NGO Environmental

Harr May Surplus People Project 021 448 4605 [email protected] NGO Client

Sibonelo Mbanjwa DTEC: Kimberley Deputy Director: Impact Management 053 807 7470 053 832 1035 [email protected] Officials/PSC Client

Basani Ndindani DTEC: Kimberley Assistant Director: Impact Management 053 807 7300 053 831 3530 [email protected] Officials/PSC Client Lucille Flagg DTEC: Springbok EO: Impact Management 027 718 8800 [email protected] Officials/PSC Client Officials Dineo Moleko DTEC:Kimberley 053 807 7430 [email protected]

Client Officials Thato Molefe DTEC: De Aar 053 361 0616 [email protected] Client Officials Nditsheni DTEC: Kimberley 053 807 7430 [email protected]

Client Officials Lerato Sebuseng DTEC :Kimberley 053 807 7430 [email protected] Client Officials J.J. Mutyorauta DTEC: Kimberley 053 807 7430 [email protected] Client Officials L. Pienaar DTEC:Kimberley 053 807 7462 [email protected] Client Officials T. Nakayoni DTEC: Kimberley 053 807 7430 [email protected] Client Ciaran Chidley Nemai Consulting 011 781 1730 [email protected] Officials/PSC Assistant Director: Integrated Environmental PSC Members Mrs. Elise Lameyer DTEC: Kimberley 053 80 77374 053 832 1035 [email protected] Management PSC Members Mr. B. Cornelisson DTEC: Springbok Principal EO: Waste Management 027 718 8800 086 547 9698 [email protected]

PSC Members Ms. W. Oppel Department of Environmental Affairs & Conservation Asistant Director: Coastal Resources Uses 027 718 8000 027 718 8814 [email protected]

PSC Members Mr. Jannie Laubsher Namakwa District Municipality Municipal Manager 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected]

PSC Members Mr. I. Groenewald Namakwa District Municipality LED Manager 027 712 8000 027 712 8040 [email protected] PSC Members Mr. E. Oosthuysen Department of Environmental Affairs & Conservation Conservation Planner 027 718 8800 086 646 4623 [email protected]

PSC Members Mr. Henry Abbott Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Regional Manager 054 338 5800 054 334 0205 [email protected] PSC Members Mr. J. Niewoudt Department of Minerals and Energy Regional Manager 027 712 8163 027 712 1959 [email protected]

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IAP Category Name Organisation Position Telephone Fax E-Mail PSC Members Mr. A. Holland Department of Local Government and Housing Regional Manager 027 712 2090 027 712 2033 [email protected]

PSC Members Mrs. N. Le Brenton Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism Regional Manager 027 718 2957 027 718 1871 [email protected] PSC Members Sarah Frazee Consevation International Manager 021 799 8655 021 762 6838 [email protected]

PSC Members Mr. S. van der Poll Department of Agriculture Regional Manager 027 712 1315 027 712 2270 [email protected] Information Johan Van Schalkwyk DTEC: Kimberley Sources Information Willem Auret Namakwa DM 027 712 8000 Sources Information Bryan Fischer DTEC: Kimberley Sources Information

Mathieu Rouget SANBI GIS Specialist 012 843 5232 012 843 5205 [email protected] Sources Information MC Gregor Museum MC Gregor Museum Kimberley 053 839 2700 Sources Information Leana Smith Richtersveld National Park Manager Sources

Information

Surprise Zwane Department of Environmental Affairs & Conservation Principal Environmental Officer 012 310 3145 012 310 3688 [email protected] Sources Simone Bugan O27 718 8800 O27 7188 814 [email protected] Piet Alexander O27 341 8500 Katrina Galant O27 341 8500 Jacobus O27 341 8500 Zurleka Nero O27 718 8800 O27 718 8814 Deidre William O27 712 8163 O27 712 8163 deidre.william.dme.gov.za Abraham Joseph O27 341 8500 Jasmine Appols O27 341 8500 Amanda Coetzee O27 341 8500 Solly Vuyeka O27 718 8800 O27 718 8814 [email protected] Elanza Van-lengte O27 672 1948 O27 672 1015 [email protected]

Bernard Van-lengte O27 672 1948 O27 672 1015 [email protected] Eddie Julius O27 712 8000 O86 602 6100 [email protected] Arther Jansen O27 851 1101 [email protected] Nick De-geode O27 831 1506 O27 831 1175 [email protected] Pieter Scholtz

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IAP Category Name Organisation Position Telephone Fax E-Mail G.P.Huysamen O27 831 1765 S. Ntuli O27 831 1101 E. Hausiku O71 926 7734 Z. Nero O27 718 8800 O27 718 8814 Ziekas Blom O27 831 1457 [email protected] W.J. Mureen O27 831 1279

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SUMMARY OF PROJECT MEETINGS

04 DECEMBER 2009 Attendance

Company/ No Position Name and Surname Email Address Telephone Fax Organisation

DTEC: Director: Impact [email protected] 1 JJ Mutyorauta 053 807 7430 Kimberley Management a

DACE: Deputy Director: 2 Mr Sibonelo Mbanjwa [email protected] 053 807 7470 053 832 1035 Kimberley Impact Management

DACE: Assistant Director: 053 807 7430 3 Mrs Basani Ndindani [email protected] 053-831 3530 Kimberley Impact Management 082 335 7385

Assistant Director: DACE: Integrated 4 Mrs Elise Lameyer [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 832 1035 Kimberley Environmental Management

Nemai 5 Director Mrs Nicky Naidoo [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

Nemai 6 Project Manager Mr Ciaran Chidley [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

Conservation 7 DENC Enrico Oosthuysen [email protected] 027 718 8800 Planner

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Company/ No Position Name and Surname Email Address Telephone Fax Organisation

8 DENC PEO Dineo Maseko [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530

9 DENC AD Elise Lameyer [email protected] 053 807 7374 053 831 3530

10 DENC PEO Lerato Mokhoantle [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530

11 DENC AD Bryan Fisher [email protected] 053 807 7300

DENC Vhalinavho [email protected] 12 CS 053 807 7430 Khavhagali a

13 DENC AS Peter Ramollo [email protected] 053 807 7442

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03 MARCH 2010

Attendances

Company/ No Position Name and Surname Email Address Telephone Fax Organisation

DTEC: Director: Impact [email protected] 1 JJ Mutyorauta 053 807 7430 Kimberley Management a

DACE: Deputy Director: 2 Mr Sibonelo Mbanjwa [email protected] 053 807 7470 053 832 1035 Kimberley Impact Management

DACE: Assistant Director: 053 807 7430 3 Mrs Basani Ndindani [email protected] 053-831 3530 Kimberley Impact Management 082 335 7385

Assistant Director: DACE: Integrated 4 Mrs Elise Lameyer [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 832 1035 Kimberley Environmental Management

Nemai 5 Director Mrs Nicky Naidoo [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

Nemai 6 Project Manager Mr Ciaran Chidley [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

Nemai 7 GIS Specialist Ms Elani Brits [email protected] 014 592 3448 014 592 3426 Consulting

8 DENC Conservation Vhalinavho [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530

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Company/ No Position Name and Surname Email Address Telephone Fax Organisation

Scientist Khavhagali a

DENC Environmental 9 Ramuhulu Nnditsheni [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530 Officer

DENC Environmental 10 Tshegofatso Lekutle [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530 Officer

11 DENC Ecologist Christine Pienaar [email protected] 053 807 7441 053 831 3530

12 DENC AD.RDS Elsabe Swart [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 831 3530

Environmental 053 831 3530 13 Dineo Kgosi [email protected] 053 807 7456 DENC Officer

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03 AUGUST 2010

Attendance

Company/ No Position Name & Surname Email Address Telephone Fax Organisation

Director: Impact 1 DENC JJ Mutyorauta [email protected] 053 807 7430 Management

Deputy Director: Impact 2 DENC Mr Sibonelo Mbanjwa [email protected] 053 807 7470 053 832 1035 Management

Assistant Director: Impact 053 807 7430 3 DENC Mrs Basani Ndindani [email protected] 053-831 3530 Management 082 335 7385

Assistant Director: 4 DENC Integrated Environmental Mrs Elise Lameyer [email protected] 053 807 7430 053 832 1035 Management

Nemai 5 Regional Manager Mr D Henning [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

Nemai 6 Senior Consultant Mr R Phamphe [email protected] 011 781 1730 011 781 1731 Consulting

7 DENC Admin Clerk Ms L. Pienaar [email protected] 053 807 7462 053 831 3530

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Annexure A. Comments and Response Report

The comments below represent the correspondence received from I&APs and key Stakeholders.

No. Name Organisation Comments Response

 Definition of terms and abbreviations  Abbreviations are included in the final must be included before the actual document. content of the report.  Second last sentence. It is Section 24  Amended (3) of NEMA, as amended which provides the legal standing for EMF initiation, development and adoption.  Paragraph 2. How much time was  The timeframe for comments was 30 Department of allocated for public comments and days as per the BID and newspapers 1. Mr. S. Zwane Environmental what method was used to provide adverts. The Comment and Reply Form Affairs (Pretoria) feedback? attached to the BID as well as the newspaper adverts that provided the consultant’s contact details were the methods used for feedback. The method used was one-on-one with targeted groups.

 Figure 1: The rainfall regions of South  Map is referenced in the final document.

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

Africa. Referencing required. How recent is the data and is it verified with WeatherSA?  To be consistent and to be in line with  Final document is referenced. the EMF process as regulated, it is best that reference be made to the status quo rather than redefining it to state of the environment, as this may create confusion. Referencing is also required in this section. Please affect this in the report.  Section 5.4.1.3: The management  The management objectives include objectives must also refer to existing targets, roles and responsibilities guidelines and strategies available. The management objectives are generic as they do not respond to ‘how to’, which must clearly provide and assign the management objectives, as well as roles and responsibilities by all organs of state.  Table 46. The colour coding on ‘Very  Colour coding has been changed High’ and ‘Medium’ is almost similar and can create confusion when interpreted on a map. Kindly replace

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

the yellow with another different colour.  Section 6.2.1. What criteria was used  The criteria used to determine the to determine the sensitivity zones and sensitivity zones is described in detail in how was this used to determine (in this Section 6.2.1 and the Map is indicated in case classify) and define the different Appendix B. management zones. Clearly indicate the criteria used. Please attach map that indicates the different management zones. Table 47 makes no sense without the spatial representation on a map.  Section 7.1: Monitoring and  The Targets and Roles and enforcement measures must be clearly Responsibilities are included Section 5.4. defined. The indicators must be measurable on a set of parameters and targets that are achievable. The indicators provided in the SEMP section that must be monitored are not clear as to how it can be measured, which makes them less practical to implement this part. What mechanism or actions may be suggested for which implementation can be monitored on clear targets that are achievable.

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

 The maps provided do not clearly show  At present, there are no SDFs available the alignment and conflicts between from the NDM or the local municipalities. SDF and the EMF. This must be well Gerda Bezuidenhoudt from the reflected in the report and mapped Namakwa District Municipality indicated accordingly. Furthermore, what efforts that consultancies have been appointed were made to align the spatial to undertake SDFs. information in the draft EMF report with the local municipalities SDFs?  Maps are virtually illegible. Is it  Maps were enlarged and referenced in possible to provide A3 size maps for the final document. easy interpretation? Map and diagram referencing must be included for each of the maps used in the report, particularly the ones not been generated by the project team. Sources of information must be clearly indicated. Proper numbering of the sub-topics is very crucial. (This applies to the entire report)  The desired state section in the report  All the public inputs and comments are does not give a sense of the outcomes incorporated into the final report. taken from the status quo report and public input does not seem to have been incorporated in the desired state

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

reports. The desired state report needs to reflect the situation on the ground as well as the perspective of the local people must be taken into consideration. Management of the natural resource base must be reflected as a priority in this area and ensure that other land uses and/ or current use of land happens in a responsible manner.  The desired state should reflect the  The Targets and Roles and desired state as perceived by various Responsibilities are included Section 5.4. stakeholders and should highlight opportunities and constraints between various expectations, especially in respect to the use of limited resources and planning around those. The management of those opportunities and constraints should be the focus of the SEMP which could for example:

-Set rules of the game based on the identified principles and legal obligations by organs of state in the

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

district; -Set guidelines for the allocation of resources; -Set guidelines to ensure that strategic potential to make decisions is not lost; -Allocate responsibility to specific authorities and organisations.  The human environment is not reflected  The human environment is discussed in in the SEMP. How will the principles for details under Social Environment section allowing growth in the area be and incorporated an analysis of the determined if the human environment population trends between the 2001, has not been assessed and integrated in 2006 Censuses and the 2007 the overall strategic objectives of the Community Survey. district. An EMF is a decision support tool, to facilitate the conservation of important natural resources, whilst at the same time creating an enabling environment the conservation of important natural resources, whilst at the same time creating an enabling environment for the rapid delivery of the municipal services in the areas of little or no natural resource value and aimed at describing the environmental attributes of

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

an area, assessing the attributes in terms of relative sensitivity to development and guiding environmental decision-making and sustainable development planning. The framework must assess issues of importance including the biophysical (climate, landscape character, ecology, hydrology, agricultural potential and the build environment) as well as the human environment.  Delineation of environmental  Section 5.4 deals with the Constrains management zones must also include and Opportunities, together with the features and/ or attributes of similarity, Targets and Roles and Responsibilities. opportunities and constraints thereof and The delineation of environmental the inputs of all stakeholders. The reason management is based on environmental for this is that the areas have distinct features. environmental features and it was also clear that each area has very specific opportunities and constraints as well as expectations of stakeholders. Each of these areas also requires a different set of management interventions from authorities.  The method used in ground truthing (if  Appendix A detailed the Public

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

any was done), where ground truthing Participation. The ground truthing was done and/ or where none was done, includes detailed site visits, local it must be indicated in the report. knowledge, interaction with local people and aerial photographs.

 Pg 6 – replace NC DENC with DENC  Amended (Department of Environment and Nature Conservation) Department of  Pg6 – Write out Namakwa District  Amended Environment and Municipality and there after refer to NDM 2. Mr. Enrico Oosthuysen Nature  Pg9 – replace Goods and Services with  Amended Conservation Ecosystem Services (Northern Cape)  Pg17 – replace conservation agencies  Amended with DENC  Pg31 – spelling error under 4.1.4 (coast  Amended

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not cost)  Pg38 – include in list of protected areas  Amended Goegap Nature Reserve, Nababiep Nature Reserve and Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve.  Pg41 – Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos is  Amended Vulnerable, and not Least Threatened  Pg43 – Namakwa Granite Renosterveld  Amended is Vulnerable, and not Least Threatened  Pg46 - Namakwa Granite Renosterveld  Amended is Vulnerable, and not Least Threatened  Pg48 – Richtersveld Coastal Duneveld is  Amended Vulnerable, and not Least Threatened  Pg53 – replace biodiversity corridors with  Amended Ecological Supporting Areas  Pg59 – as far as I know, the Namakwa  Amended Marine Protected Area has not been gazetted yet?  Pg93 – replace conservancies with  Amended nature reserves  Pg94 – include Oorlogskloof Nature  Amended Reserve under Eco-tourism list  Pg94 – write out Oorlogskloof Nature  Amended Reserve, under Adventure Tourism list

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

 Pg95 – remove Namakwa Festival,  Amended under Culture and Historical Features. Otherwise include all festivals in the district e.g. Calvinia Meat Festival.  Pg98 – replace Conservation Areas with  Amended Protected Areas  Pg99 – write out Orange River Mouth  Amended RAMSAR site  Pg99 – replace Richtersveld Community  Amended Conservancy with Richtersveld World Heritage Site  Pg99 – spelling error – replace with  Amended Nababiep Nature Reserve, at Vioolsdrift  Pg99 – replace Kleinzee Nature  Amended Reserve, near Kleinzee with Molineux Private Nature Reserve  Pg99 – replace Black Mountain Nature  Amended Reserve, near Aggeneys with Black Mountain Private Nature Reserve  Pg99 – replace conservation areas with  Amended Protected Areas  Pg101 – include information on Goegap,  Amended Nababiep and Oorlogskloof Nature Reserves, as you have done with the

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

national parks.  Pg162 – replace conservancies with  Amended nature reserves  Pg162 – include Goegap, Nababiep and  Amended Oorlogskloof Nature Reserves in list.  Pg202 – include Nature Reserves and  Amended Kloofs in list  Pg207 – replace Conservation Areas  Amended with Protected Areas  Pg207 – remove Black Mountain Nature  Amended Reserve (not access able to the public)  Pg207 – include Oorlogskloof Nature  Amended Reserve, Nababiep Nature Reserve and Richtersveld World Heritage Site  Pg208 – replace biodiversity corridors  Amended with Ecological Supporting Areas  Pg217 – include the following: The EMF  Amended must be implemented and mainstreamed parallel with the Namakwa Biodiversity Sector Plan. Although the Biodiversity Sector Plan informed the EMF on the Biodiversity Important Aspects it must always be consulted with any development projects that might impact

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No. Name Organisation Comments Response

on the environment.  The ranking of sensitivity zones works  The EMF/SEMP is not a stand-alone well and I like the idea, but unfortunately report and must be used in conjuction it is at a very broad scale. Many of the with the Namakwa Biodiversity Sector critical biodiversity areas are lost in the Plan 4.7x5.5km grids. Therefore it must be stressed that the EMF does NOT replace the Namakwa Biodiversity Sector Plan. It must be used parallel with the Sector Plan on any development projects that might impact on the environment. Very specific mentioning must be made towards the Namakwa Biodiversity Sector Plan in the EMF, as well as where it could be obtained – LED Officials in municipalities or at Department of Environment and Nature Conservation, Springbok Office. It is also available at http://bgis.sanbi.org/

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Appendix B. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ZONES

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