SOUTH AFRICA YEARBOOK 2012/13

Environmen Environmental

South Africa is a land of variety and extremes; Affairs its climatic conditions, for example, vary considerably, notably from the coastal to the Environmen inland regions. Topographically it is also char- acterised by extremes, ranging from a narrow coastal plain to a steep escarpment and a large plateau. The country boasts a remarkable diversity of species. Although it has a land surface area of 1,2 million km2 – representing just 2% of the Earth’s total land surface – South Africa contains almost 10% of the world’s total known bird, fish and plant species, and more than 6% of the world’s mammal and reptile species. Government is committed to protect the country’s rich biodiversity heritage for the benefit of all, and to create a prosperous and equitable society that live in harmony with its natural resources. The Department of Environmental Affairs is mandated to formulate, coordinate and mon- itor the implementation of national environ- mental policies, programmes and legislation. Strategies are, therefore, in place to: • protect, conserve and enhance the environ- ment, and natural and heritage assets and resources • plan, manage and prevent pollution and environmental degradation to ensure a sus- tainable and healthy environment • provide leadership on climate-change adap- tation and mitigation • contribute to sustainable development, live- lihood, and green and inclusive economic growth by facilitating skills development and job creation • contribute to a better Africa and a better world by advancing national environmental interests through a global sustainable devel- opment agenda. Budget and funding The total budget at 2012/13 for the Depart- ment of Environmental Affairs stood at R4,512,161 billion. The Green Fund, which was established in 2012/13, was allocated R300 million. A further R380 million was allocated to the Depart- ment of Environmental Affairs for the Working

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The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna principles for environmental management Molewa, launched the National Biodiversity and provides for structures to facilitate these. Assessment 2011 Report on International Day for • The National Environmental Management: Biodiversity, celebrated annually on 22 May 2013. Biodiversity Act (Nemba), 2004 (Act 10 of The assessment focuses on spatial biodiversity 2004), reformed South Africa’s laws regulat- information, including species and ecosystems. ing biodiversity. It sets out the mechanisms for managing and conserving South Africa’s on Fire Programme and R750 million for the biodiversity and its components; protect- Working for Water Programme. ing species and ecosystems that warrant The Natural Resource Management Sub- national protection; the sustainable use of programme received an additional R1,1 billion indigenous biological resources; the fair over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and equitable sharing of benefits arising period for Expanded Public Works Programme from bioprospecting, including indigenous (EPWP) projects related to the Working for biological resources; and the establishment Water and Working on Fire subprogrammes. of Sanbi. In addition, the South African National Parks • National Environmental Management: Pro- (SANParks) received an additional allocation tected Areas Act, 2003 (Act 57 of 2003), pro- of R350 million over the medium term for infra- vides for the protection and conservation of structure development. ecologically viable areas, the establishment Budget allocations for entities reporting to of a national register of protected areas, as government were as follows: well as the proclamation and management • SANParks: R230,521 million of these areas. • South African Weather Service (SAWS): • The National Environmental Management: R250 million. Protected Areas Amendment Act, 2009 • South African National Biodiversity Institute (Act 15 of 2009), provides for the assignment (Sanbi): R421 million. of national parks, special parks and heritage • iSimangaliso Wetlands Park Authority: sites to SANParks. R128 million. • The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Amendment Act, 2004 Legislation and policies (Act 31 of 2004), provides for a national The framework within which the department system of protected areas in South Africa as fulfils it mandate is guided by a number of poli- part of a strategy to manage and conserve cies and legislation. the country’s biodiversity. • The National Environmental Manage- • The National Environmental Management: ment Act (Nema), 1998 (Act 107 of 1998), Air Quality Act (AQA), 2004 (Act 39 of 2004), establishes the concepts of participatory, reforms the law regulating air quality to pro- cooperative and developmental governance tect the environment by providing reason- in environmental management, as well as able measures for the prevention of pollution and ecological degradation and for securing The National Environmental Compliance and ecologically sustainable development. Enforcement Report 2011/12 was published in • The National Environmental Management: November 2012. It included the work of the Envir- Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008 onmental Management Inspectorate, commonly (Act 24 of 2008), establishes a system of known as the Green Scorpions – a network of integrated coastal and estuarine manage- environmental compliance and enforcement offi- ment in the country; ensuring socially and cials from national, provincial and municipal gov- environmentally responsible development ernment, tasked with implementing and ensuring compliance to environmental legislation. and use. • The National Environmental Management:

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Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59 of 2008), reforms In July 2012, the Council of the Global Environ- the law regulating waste management to ment Facility extended funding of R25 million to protect health and the environment. the Department of Environmental Affairs aimed • The National Environmental Management at strengthening wildlife forensic capabilities in Amendment Act, 2003 (Act 46 of 2003). southern Africa through the enhancement of • The National Environmental Management forensic-based technologies. This forms part of Amendment Act, 2004 (Act 8 of 2004). efforts to combat wildlife crimes, such as rhino • The National Environment Laws Amendment poaching and the illegal international trade in their horns. Act, 2008 (Act 44 of 2008). • The National Environmental Management Amendment Act, 2008 (Act 62 of 2008). the SAWS Act, 2001 (Act 8 of 2001) were • The National Environment Laws Amendment gazetted in March 2012. Act, 2009 (Act 14 of 2009). • The Western Cape Biosphere Reserves Bill • The World Heritage Convention Act, 1999 was introduced in the provincial Parliament in (Act 49 of 1999), provides for the cultural March 2011. When the Bill is passed, South and environmental protection and sustain- Africa will be the first country in the world to able development of, and related activities in have adopted specific legislation in terms of a world heritage site. which biosphere reserves are regulated. • SAWS Act, 2001 (Act 8 of 2001). • Government established a legal framework • Sea Shores Act, 1935, (Act 21 of 1935). to manage radioactive waste as set out in the • Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act, 1973 Nuclear Energy Act, 1999 (Act 46 of 1999) (Act 46 of 1973). which came into effect in February 2000. • Dumping at Sea Control Act, 1980 (Act 73 of 1980). National Framework for Sustainable • Sea Fishery Act, 1988 (Act 12 of 1988). Development (NFSD) • Antarctic Treaties Act, 1996 (Act 60 of 1996). In 2008, Cabinet approved the South Africa • Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act 18 NFSD. The approval signalled a new wave of of 1998). thinking aimed at promoting the effective stew- • Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948 (Act 48 of ardship of South Africa’s natural, social and 1948). economic resources. Following the approval Other policy frameworks include: of the NFSD, the National Strategy for Sus- • The White Paper on National Climate tainable Development and Action Plan – also Change Response, 2011 referred to as NSSD 1 (2011 – 2014) – was • The White Paper on Integrated Pollution and approved by Cabinet in November 2011, with Waste Management, 2000 an implementation time frame of 2011 to 2014. • The White Paper on Environmental Manage- The NSSD 1 builds on the 2008 NFSD, as ment, 1998 well as several initiatives that address issues • The White Paper on Conservation and Sus- of sustainability in South Africa, and marks tainable Use of Biodiversity, 1997. the continuation of a national partnership for • White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Devel- sustainable development. The 1992 Rio Earth opment in South Africa, 2000. Summit, followed by the 2002 Johannesburg During 2012, the following legislation was World Summit on Sustainable Development amended or pending promulgation: (WSSD), provided a platform to learn and • The amended regulations of Nemba, 2004 begin to implement sustainability practices. (Act 10 of 2004), were gazetted in August The 2012 Rio+20 identified two important 2012. themes to support the country’s efforts: the • The regulations regarding fees for the provi- green economy in the context of sustainable sion of aviation meteorological services of development and poverty eradication, and the

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In July 2012, the International Wildlife Manage- work together to achieve the goals of the New ment Congress took place at Durban’s Inter- Growth Path. national Convention Centre. It was hosted by American Maryland-based Wildlife Society in Climate Change Policy Framework partnership with South African National Parks, In July 2012, the Minister of Public Enterprises, the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Mr Malusi Gigaba, launched the Department Africa, and the provincial wildlife authority Ezem- velo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. The theme of this of Public Enterprises’ Climate Change Policy year’s congress was Cooperative Wildlife Man- Framework for all state-owned companies agement Across Borders: Learning in the Face of (SOCs) under his portfolio. Change. The framework is to optimise the impact of the SOCs on the reduction of carbon emissions and development of the green economy with- institutional framework for sustainable devel- out compromising the SOCs’ financial viability. opment. The following five strategic objectives An announcement on the move towards a were identified in the NSSD 1: biofuels strategy and the signing of the United • enhancing systems for integrated planning Nations’ (UN) Global Compact by SOCs also and implementation followed. • sustaining our ecosystems and using natural The framework is intended to guide longer resources efficiently term actions required to put South Africa on a • towards a green economy low-carbon development path and to ensure • building sustainable communities that the SOCs lead as agents of change in the • responding effectively to climate change. process of building a green economy. The Department of Environmental Affairs will establish and oversee the National Committee Role players on Sustainable Development that will oper- ate in multifolds among government spheres South African National Biodiversity to engage civil society, non-governmental Institute (Sanbi) organisations (NGOs), the private sector, Sanbi was formed in September 2004 through academia, independent reviewers and other Nemba, 2004. The Act expanded the respons- multi-stakeholders ibilities of Sanbi’s forerunner, the National Botanical Institute, which was flora-focused, The Green Economy Accord to include responsibilities relating to the full In 2012, the National Development Plan was spectrum of South Africa’s biodiversity. launched as a new economic framework for Sanbi is a respected authority in research South Africa. It aims to create an additional and has an unmatched research record in 11 million jobs by 2030. The Green Economy the indigenous, naturalised and alien flora of Accord is the fourth accord of the New Growth The devil worm (halicephalobus mephisto), a tiny Path Policy and sets out 12 commitments to worm found in South Africa, is officially one of the give effect to the green economy. 10 strangest species discovered in 2011. The The South African Government and its social International Institute for Specie Scouting at the partners signed the Green Economy Accord University of Arizona, United States of America, in November 2011 as an outcome of social in collaboration with experts around the world, dialogue on government’s New Growth Path. annually updates the list of bizarre newly discov- The accord facilitates a green partnership to ered fauna and flora. The worm, which is only half create jobs, provide a spur for industrialisation a millimetre long, was discovered in deep cracks and help to create a sustainable future for this in South African gold mines, between 0,9 km and 3,6 km below the surface – deeper underground and the next generation. It is one of a series of than any known species can survive. agreements in which social partners commit to

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Bioregions of South Africa

Northwest Fynbos Bioregion Southern Namib Desert Bioregion

Southwest Fynbos Bioregion Gariep Desert Bioregion

Southern Fynbos Bioregion Bushmanland Bioregion

South Coast Fynbos Bioregion Upper Karoo Bioregion

Western Fynbos-Renosterveld Bioregion Lower Karoo Bioregion

Eastern Fynbos-Renosterveld Bioregion Drakensberg Grassland Bioregion

West Coast Renosterveld Bioregion Dry Highveld Grassland Bioregion

East Coast Renosterveld Bioregion Mesic Highveld Grassveld Bioregion

Karoo Renosterveld Bioregion Sub-Escarpment Grassland Bioregion

Namaqualand Cape Shrublands Bioregion Central Bushveld Bioregion

Dry Highveld Grassland Bioregion Mopane Bioregion

West Strandveld Bioregion Lowveld Bioregion

Richtersveld Bioregion Sub-Escarpment Savanna Bioregion

Namaqualand Hardeveld Bioregion Eastern Kalahari Bushveld Bioregion

Namaqualand Sandveld Bioregion Kalahari Dunneveld Bioregion

Knersvlakte Bioregion Albany Thicket

Trans-Escarpment Succulent Karoo Bioregion Indian Ocean Coastal Belt

Rainshadow Valley Karoo Bioregion

Source: Vision Endangered Wildlife Trust Seventeenth Annual

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southern Africa and beyond. Its research man- iSimangaliso is 332 000 ha and comprises agement covers systematics and collections 9% of South Africa’s coastline. It includes expansion, conservation and applied biodi- five ecosystems (marine, coastal dunes, lake versity science, and climate change. Sanbi is systems, wetlands and woodlands). The spe- also responsible for ensuring that biodiversity cies lists for the park are the longest in the knowledge influences policy, management and region. Of the species listed in the park, 56 are decision-making. endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, 108 to South Africa Its biome programmes, which focus on and 467 are listed as threatened and endan- South Africa’s biodiversity hotspots, ensure gered in South Africa. The park also has four that the country’s most important biodiversity Ramsar sites. regions, such as the grasslands, wetlands and iSimangaliso is located in one of South Af- succulent Karoo, are protected in a sustainable rica’s poorest rural areas and has been largely and beneficial way. under claim. All but three of the land claims Sanbi is increasingly embracing biodivers- settlements have been concluded and a series ity in its broadest sense through inclusion of of co-management agreements have been the country’s fauna as part of its taxonomic signed with land claimants. The management research mandate. It is coordinating a cata- of such a diverse asset in an area of extreme logue of all South Africa’s species (at least poverty and high expectations requires an 100 000), including animals, through the South adaptive and inclusive approach. African Tree of Life Project. The institute operates environmental South African Weather Service (SAWS) education programmes within its national The SAWS strives to provide useful and innov- botanical gardens, while outreach greening Important dates on the world’s environmental programmes focus on promoting indigenous calendar: gardening at disadvantaged schools in sur- World Wetlands Day: 2 February rounding areas. National Water Week: 19 25 March Sanbi is South Africa’s official body to facil- Earth Day: 20 March itate access to the Adaptation Fund, set up to World Water Day: 22 March help developing countries cope with climate World Meteorological Day: 23 March change. It was established by the parties to the Earth Hour: 27 March Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Conven- Earth Day: 22 April tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to finance National Bird Week: 3 – 9 May concrete adaptation projects and programmes International Day for Marine Biological Diversity: 22 May in developing countries that are parties to the World Environment Day: 5 June protocol. World Oceans Day: 8 June World Day to Combat Desertification: 17 June iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority National Arbour Week: 1 to 7 September As an area of exceptional and outstanding uni- World Water Week: 5 – 11 September versal heritage significance, the iSimangaliso International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Wetland Park was inscribed as South Africa’s Layer: 16 September first world heritage site in December 1999. International Coastal Clean-up Day: 18 Septem- The park has received recognition under ber three of four natural criteria recognised by the World Car Free Day: 22 September World Tourism Day: 27 September World Heritage Convention: it has outstanding Weedbuster Week: 4 – 8 October examples of ecological processes, superlative World Habitat Day: 5 October natural phenomena and scenic beauty, and National Marine Week: 11 – 15 October exceptional biodiversity and threatened spe- International Mountain Day: 11 December cies.

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ative weather, climate and related products A pair of black eagles, nesting at the Walter Sisulu and services through the following: National Botanical Gardens in Roode­poort, Gaut- • enhancing observational data and commun- eng, has a webcam trained on their nest to broad- ications networks cast the hatching of their chicks on the internet. • effectively developing and managing talent The eagles are thought to have been nesting in within the sector the same spot for 35 years, raising chicks in a semi-urban environment. The webcam feed is • enhancing collaborative partnerships and available on www.africam.com. effectively disseminating weather services products to the users • utilising cutting edge technology to convert motion of South Africa’s nature-based tour- data into meaningful products and services ism or ecotourism business, targeted at both for risk mitigation international and domestic markets. The eco- • advancing the science of meteorology, tourism pillar provides for the organisation’s research and relevant applications much-needed self-generated revenues from • enhancing fiscal discipline and resource commercial operations. mobilisation to ensure sustainability. The work of SANParks focuses on building In its continued efforts to carry out its legal strategic partnerships at international, national mandate, the work of SAWS is guided by five and local levels, in support of the conservation key strategic goals: of the natural and cultural heritage of South • ensuring the continued relevance of the Africa. It has to ensure that South Africans organisation in delivering meteorological participate and get involved in biodiversity ini- related products and services in compliance tiatives, and that all its operations have a syn- with all applicable regulatory frameworks ergistic existence with neighbouring commu- • ensuring effective management of stake- nities for their educational and socio-economic holder, partner and key client relations benefit. • addressing the short-term viability and long- In 2012, SANParks was responsible for the term sustainability of the entity’s revenue management of 22 national parks. and ensuring continued fiscal discipline • ensuring continuous organisational effec- Environmental resources tiveness and efficiency • ensuring the availability of strategy-driven National botanical gardens human capital capacity for the performance Sanbi manages the nine national botanical of the SAWS. gardens, classified as conservation gardens, in five of South Africa’s nine provinces. Together, South African National Parks they conserve more than 7 500 ha of natural (SANParks) SANParks’ primary mandate is to oversee the In 2012, two new velvet worm species were dis- conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity, covered in the Western Cape. The Department landscapes and associated heritage assets of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch Univer- through a system of national parks. Its man- sity found significant differences in the make-up date is based on the following core values: of the worms, which qualifies them as a new • conservation management through the species. The worms live in rotten logs and are national parks system difficult to find. Researchers had previously iden- tified unique species in Australia, New Zealand • constituency building and people-focused and Brazil, but the species found in the Western eco-tourism management Cape is distinct. The velvet worm, which is a crit- • corporate governance and sound business ical indicator of ecosystems health, is nocturnal, and operational management. preying on small insects as part of the food chain. SANParks plays a significant role in the pro-

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vegetation. The gardens, which collectively By mid-2011, South Africa had 528 protected attract over a million visitors a year, are sign- areas, of which 20 were marine, totalling atories to the International Agenda for Botanic 7,5 million ha or 6,2% of the land area. Gardens in Conservation, which was launched South Africa aims to expand the conser- in 2000, and are founding members of the Af- vation areas under formal protection to the rican Botanic Gardens Network. international standard of 10% of the total area The national botanical gardens are natural of the country. The department works closely escapes close to some of the country’s urban with landowners to ensure their participation centres, offering visitors a taste of the country’s in the Stewardship Programme, which allows uniquely rich and colourful biodiversity. They land owners to use their land for biodiversity feature facilities such as restaurants, function and conservation purposes. This is aimed at rooms and conference venues and include expanding the country’s conservation estate. activities such as hikes, picnics and shopping. The botanical gardens are: Scientific reserves • Kirstenbosh, Cape Town Scientific reserves are sensitive and undis- • Pretoria turbed areas managed for research, mon- • Harold Porter, Betty’s Bay i­toring and the maintenance of genetic sources. • Walter Sisulu, Roodepoort Access is limited to researchers and staff. • Hantam, Nieuwoudtville Examples of such areas are Marion Island and • Free State, Bloemfontein the Prince Edward Islands near Antarctica. • Karoo Desert, Worcester • KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Wilderness areas • Lowveld, Nelspruit These areas are extensive, uninhabited and underdeveloped, and access is strictly con- National Herbarium trolled with no vehicles allowed. The highest The National Herbarium, situated within the management priority is the main­tenance of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden, houses intrinsic wilderness character. the largest collection of scientific plant speci- Wilderness areas include the Cederberg mens in southern Africa, with over one million Wilderness Area and Dassen Island in the specimens. The Crompton Herbarium in Cape Town Only about 6% of South Africa’s land is cov- focuses mainly on the flora of the winter-rainfall ered by protected areas. The Mountain Zebra- region of southern Africa, while the KwaZulu- Camdeboo Project aims to improve the con- Natal Herbarium in Durban primarily focuses servation status of the land to create a corridor on the flora of the subtropical eastern region between the two national parks. It will provide of South Africa, in particular the flora of the private landowners with the option to protect their land from environmental threats while maintain- province. ing current land use. The projects’s area covers about 530 000 ha Protected areas and includes sections of four biomes – grassland, The Convention on Biological Diversity, to Nama Karoo, thicket and savanna – as well as six which South Africa is a signatory, required that major vegetation types and a globally important 10% of terrestrial and 20% of marine biodivers- birding area. ity be conserved by 2010. It is envisaged that the corridor will consist of There are a number of management catego- a mosaic of SANParks-managed and privately ries of protected areas in South Africa, which owned and managed properties, which are ex- conform to the accepted categories of the pected to stimulate economic development and tourism while protecting the area from inappropri- International Union for Conservation of Nature ate development. (IUCN).

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Western Cape, and the Baviaanskloof Wilder- In August 2012, the Zoological Society of London ness Area in the Eastern Cape. and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in a joint report, Spin Less, announced that a fifth National parks of the world’s invertebrates could be faced with South Africa’s national parks are among the extinction. The report indicated that earthworms, butterflies, bees, clams and corals could- disap key drawcards for tourism in South Africa. pear from the Earth for ever if people didn’t inter- They also play a major role in conservation. act more carefully with the environment. South Africa has the following national parks: The IUCN’s Survival Commission said in a • Addo Elephant National Park statement that invertebrates were indispensable • Agulhas National Park if life on Earth was to continue. A team of conser- • Augrabies Falls National Park vation scientists studied 12 000 invertebrates on • Bontebok National Park the IUCN Red List, and found that 20% were on • Camdeboo National Park the verge of extinction. Invertebrates that live in • Garden Route (Tsitsikamma, Knysna and fresh water are most at risk of extinction, followed Wilderness) National Park by those that live on land and in the sea. • Golden Gate Highlands National Park • Karoo National Park areas to hunting-concession areas. • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Although fences, highways, railway lines or • Kruger National Park other barriers separate the constituent areas, • Mapungubwe National Park they are managed jointly for long-term sus- • Marakele National Park tainable use of natural resources. Unlike in • Mokala National Park transfrontier parks, free movement of animals • Mountain Zebra National Park between the components of a TFCA is not • Namaqua National Park always possible. • Table Mountain National Park (which incorp- TFCAs aim to facilitate and promote regional orates the Cape of Good Hope, Table Moun- peace, cooperation and socio-economic tain and Silvermine nature reserves) development. The success of TFCAs depends • Tankwa Karoo National Park on community involvement. In turn, TFCAs • West Coast National Park. provide local communities with opportunities to SANParks is committed to contributing to generate revenue. economic growth and transformation by creat- The seven TFCAs are the: ing decent jobs and sustainable and quality • Ai-Ais/Richtersveld (Namibia, South Africa) livelihoods. National parks are integral to • Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (Bo- the country’s job creation agenda, with more tswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe) than 10 000 people already employed by the • Greater Mapungubwe (former Limpopo- national parks. Shashe)  Through the infrastructure development pro- • Kavango-Zambezi (Angola, Botswana, gramme and EPWP, the organisation ensures Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe) that national parks are important components • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Botswana, of economic stimulus through enterprise and South Africa) social development, such as job creation. • Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area (Mozambique, South Africa, Transfrontier conservation areas Swaziland) (TFCAs) • Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conserva- A TFCA is a cross-border region. The conser- tion and Development Area (Lesotho, South vation status of the areas within a TFCA ranges Africa). from national parks, private game reserves and communal natural-resource management

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In July 2012, South Africa hosted the 11th BASIC • The Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve Ministerial Coordination Meeting on Climate starts in Cape Town in the southern suburb Change in Johannesburg. The meeting was of Diep River and stretches up the west coast aimed at implementing an agreement reached as far as the Berg River, encompassing at the previous ministerial meeting held in New parts of the Cape Floral Region. The reserve Delhi in March 2012. The BASIC group of coun- includes the Ramsar-protected Langebaan tries consisting of Brazil, South Africa, India and Lagoon as well as Dassen Island, which is China is playing an increasingly important role in international environmental governance. home to a penguin colony. • The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve includes a part of the Cape Floral Region, as Biosphere reserves well as the wine-growing region. Biosphere reserves exist in partnership with • In the north there is the Waterberg Biosphere a range of interested landowners, and can Reserve, an area of some 400 000 ha in incorporate develop­ment, provided it is sus- Limpopo. It is an important catchment area tainable, while still protecting terrestrial or for the Limpopo Basin, with four large rivers coastal ecosystems. originating within its borders – the Lephalale, The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Mokolo, Matlabas and Magalakwena rivers. Organisation’s (Unesco) Man and the Bio- • The Kruger-to-Canyons Biosphere Reserve sphere Programme addresses the impact of stretches from the Kruger National Park to man on the environment by studying the social, the Blyde River Canyon. It is an important ecological and economic implications of biodi- conservation area as it covers three biomes. versity loss. It then takes steps to minimise this • In November 2012, the Gouritz Cluster through the sharing of knowledge, research Biosphere Reserve was recognised by and monitoring, education and training and Unesco in terms of the Man and Biosphere multilateral decision-making. Programme. Biosphere reserves are nominated by their governments for inclusion in the Man and the World heritage sites Biosphere Programme. A Unesco World Heritage Site is a place (such Whether they are terrestrial, freshwater, as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monu- coastal or marine in nature, all are experimen- ment, building, complex or city) that is listed tal areas where different approaches to inte- by Unesco as being of special cultural or phys- grated environmental management (IEM) are ical significance. The programme catalogues, tested. This is important as it helps to deepen names, and conserves sites of outstanding knowledge of what works in conservation and cultural or natural importance to the common sustainable development. heritage of humanity. While each World Herit- South Africa’s biosphere reserves include: age Site remains part of the legal territory of • Vhembe, situated in the north-east of Lim- the state wherein the site is located, Unesco popo, which includes the northern part of the considers it in the interest of the international Kruger National Park; the Makuleke Wet- community to preserve each site. land, which is protected under the Ramsar South Africa has seven world heritage sites Convention; the Soutpansberg and Blouberg proclaimed by Unesco: biodiversity hot spots; and the Makgabeng • Robben Island: Situated 11 km offshore from Plateau. Cape Town, the island is most famous as the • The 100 000-ha Kogelberg Reserve on the place where Nelson Mandela was impris- country’s southern coast is in the middle of oned. It is now home to the world-renowned the Cape Floral Region and home to 1 880 Robben Island Museum and has become a different plant species, 77 of which are found popular tourist attraction. only in this region. • The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed

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as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site ment (MoA) as part of the environmental in December 1999 in recognition of its authorisation issued in accordance with natural beauty and unique global values. Nema, 1998, to ensure the integrity of the The 332 000 ha park contains three major Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape World lake systems, eight interlinking ecosystems, Heritage Site. According to the MoA, the 700-year-old fishing traditions, most of South integrity of the World Heritage Site will be Africa’s remaining swamp forests, Africa’s maintained through comprehensive biodi- largest estuarine system, 526 bird species versity offset programmes, thereby optimis- and 25 000-year-old coastal dunes – among ing benefits to local communities. the highest in the world. The name iSiman- • Cape Floral Region, the smallest of the six galiso means miracle and wonder. recognised floral kingdoms of the world, is • Cradle of Humankind consisting of the the an area of extraordinarily high diversity and hominid fossil sites at Swartkrans, Sterk- is home to more than 9 000 vascular plant fontein and Kromdraai: The world heritage species, of which 69% are endemic. Much status of Sterkfontein’s fossil hominid sites of this diversity is associated with the fynbos was extended in July 2005 to include the biome. The economical worth of fynbos Taung skull fossil site in North West and the biodiversity, based on harvests of fynbos Mokopane Valley in Limpopo. The Cradle products (e.g. wildflowers) and eco-tourism, of Humankind has one of the world’s rich- is estimated to be in the region of R77 million est concentrations of hominid fossils, that a year. provide evidence of human evolution over • Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Land- the past 3,5 million years. Found in Gauteng scape: The site covers 160 000 ha of dra- and North West, the fossil sites cover an matic mountainous desert in the north-west area of 47 000 ha. The remains of ancient of South Africa. It is the only area where the forms of animals, plants and hominids are Nama still construct portable rush-covered encased in a bed of dolomite deposited domed houses, or Iharu oms. around 2,5 billion years ago. In April 2010, a new species of hominid, Australopithecus Habitat and wildlife management areas sediba, estimated to be two million years old, These areas are subject to human interven- was discovered in the Cradle of Humankind. tion, based on research into the requirements • Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (a mixed of specific species for survival. They include natural and cultural site) is a world heritage conservancies; provincial, regional or private site covering 242,813 ha (2 428 km²) of area. reserves created for the conservation of spe- The park spans parts of both South Africa, cies habitats or biotic communities; marshes; in KwaZulu-Natal, and Lesotho. The park lakes; and nesting and feeding areas. includes Royal Natal National Park, a pro- vincial park, and Drakensberg National Park, In May 2012, government and landowners of the which covers part of Drakensberg, the high- Vredefort Dome signed a Memorandum of Agree- est mountain in southern Africa. In Novem- ment, taking the site a step closer to becoming ber 2000, the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg a new World Heritage Site and protected under Park was added to the World Heritage List. South African law. The signing of the memor- The park is also in the List of Wetlands of andum paved the way for the proclamation of the International Importance (under the Ramsar area and appointment of a management authority that will serve as a precursor for the development Convention). of an integrated management plan. • Mapungubwe Heritage Site: In September The site has been recognised on the Unesco 2011, the Department of Environmental Heritage List, being described as having out- Affairs, SANParks and Coal of Africa Limited standing universal value to humankind. signed an historical Memorandum of Agree-

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Protected land and seascapes Wetlands support a range of specialised These areas are products of the harmonious plant, insect and mammal life and also supply interaction of people and nature, and include food, grazing, building and craft material to natural environments protected in terms of the people. They are able to improve water qual- Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act 73 of ity, reduce flood impacts, control erosion and 1989), scenic landscapes and historical urban sustain river flows. Of special importance is the landscapes. role wetlands play in ensuring a steady supply of clean water for communities and helping Sustainable-use areas government save hundreds of millions of rands These areas emphasise the sustainable use that would be required to set up purification of protected areas such as the Kosi Bay Lake plants/facilities. System in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa was one of the first six countries Nature areas in private ownership are pro- to become a signatory to the Convention on claimed and managed to curtail undesirable Wetlands of International Importance, called development in areas with high aesthetic or the Ramsar Convention, when it came into conservation potential. force in 1975. It is an intergovernmental treaty Conservancies are formed to involve the that provides the framework for national action ordinary landowner in conservation. Landown- and international cooperation for the con- ers can establish a conservancy where con- servation and wise use of wetlands and their servation principles are integrated with normal resources. farming activities. The Department of Environmental Affairs is responsible for the South African Wetlands Wetlands Conservation Programme, which ensures that The IUCN identifies wetlands as the third most South Africa’s obligations in terms of the Ram- important support system on Earth. sar Convention are met. By 2012, about 115 000 wetlands, covering South Africa’s Ramsar sites include: over four million hectares, comprising close • Barberspan to 4% of the country’s total surface area, had • Blesbokspruit Nature Reserve been mapped in South Africa. They are part of • De Hoop Vlei the natural infrastructure for gathering, manag- • De Mond (Heuningnes Estuary) ing and delivering water for human use. • Kosi Bay • Langebaan Rhino poaching statistics released in January • Makuleke Wetlands 2013 by the Department of Environmental Affairs • Ndumo Game Reserve reveal that 668 rhinos were poached in South • Ntsikeni Nature Reserve Africa in 2012. This represents an increase in • Nylsvley Nature Reserve the previous record of 448 animals killed for their • Orange River Mouth Wetland horns in 2011. In March 2013, rhino poaching • Prince Edward Islands in Antarctica statistics indicated that the Kruger National Park • Seekoeivlei remained the hardest hit, with 15 rhino poached • St Lucia for their horn since 20 February 2013. Twelve rhino had been poached in KwaZulu-Natal and • turtle beaches and coral reefs of Tongaland North West provinces each, while eight had been • Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park poached in Limpopo and seven in Mpumalanga. • Verlorenvlei Nature Reserve Of the 50 people arrested, 47 were alleged • Wilderness Lakes. poachers and three had been charged with the South Africa is seen as a leader in wetlands illegal trade in rhino horn following their arrest in rehabilitation. Working for Wetlands is a gov- possession of three rhino horn, during a raid in ernment initiative to preserve the country’s Johannesburg in February 2013. wetlands. It was launched in 2001, and since

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then a number of wetlands have been rehabil- In September 2012, the second Eco-Logic Awards itated. The damage to wetlands currently done function was held at Maropeng. Companies and can be reversed, as is seen at Rietvlei Dam in individuals were recognised in 12 categories for Gauteng. ecological practices that are making a difference The programme is implemented by Sanbi on in managing the planet. The winners were: behalf of the departments of en-vironmental Biodiversity: Endangered Wildlife Trust Climate change: Food and Trees for Africa affairs; of agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Eco-innovation: Bottleworx and of water affairs. It forms part of the Gov- Energy saving: RISO copiers ernment’s EPWP, which seeks to draw unem- Recycling: Rocking the daisies ployed people into the productive sector of the Water award: EcoWash economy. Youth award: Generation Earth Government has pledged more than R75 mil- Eco Angel award: Marcelle Meredith of the lion. Rehabilitation is ongoing, with attention to NSPCA poverty-stricken areas being of major concern. Community award: Oyster Bay Reserve Eco Warrior award: Braam Malherbe Marine protected areas (MPAs) Lifetime Achievement award: Clive Walker. MPAs conserve natural environments and assist in the management of fisheries by pro- • Stilbaai MPA, Westen Cape tecting and rebuilding economically important • Table Mountain MPA, Westen Cape stocks. They are also used to develop and • Trafalgar MPA, KwaZulu-Natal regulate coastal ecotourism opportunities. • Tsitsikamma MPA, Westen Cape. Government shares joint responsibility for South Africa’s MPAs with SANParks and Zoological gardens Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife. Established in 1899 and given national status South Africa’s MPAs include the: in 1916, the National Zoological Gardens • Aliwal Shoal MPA, KwaZulu-Natal (NZG) of South Africa in Pretoria is the larg- • Betty’s Bay MPA, Westen Cape est zoo in the country and the only one with • Bird Island MPA, Eastern Cape national status. Over 600 000 people visit it • De Hoop MPA, Westen Cape yearly. • Dwesa-Cwebe MPA, Eastern Cape It plays a major role in the conservation of • False Bay MPA, Westen Cape wildlife, maintaining one of the largest animal • Goukamma MPA, Westen Cape collections in Africa, and has over 8 000 indi- • Hluleka MPA, Eastern Cape vidual animal specimens representing over • iSimangaliso MPA, KwaZulu-Natal 500 species. • Langebaan Lagoon, Sixteen Mile Beach, The species are managed across two facil- Malgas Island, Marcus Island, Jutten Island ities stretching into the provinces of Gauteng MPA, Westen Cape (Pretoria) and Limpopo (Mokopane). About • Pondoland MPA, Eastern Cape. 70% of the species are of African origin and • Robberg MPA, Westen Cape 30% of global representation. • Sardinia Bay MPA, Eastern Cape As a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the African Associa- In June 2012, the Deputy Minister of Water and tion of Zoos and Aquaria, the NZG participates Environmental Affairs, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, in several endangered species management was recognised for her contribution to and lead- programmes and successfully breeds several ership role in women and environmental issues endangered species of both continental and at an award ceremony held during the Rio+20 global significance. United Nations Conference on Sustainable De- Among the endangered species the NZG velopment. contributes in conserving are the cheetah,

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In September 2012, South Africa and Vietnam The Lichtenburg Biodiversity Conservation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Centre houses, among other animals, Père to address the ongoing poaching of rhinos. David’s deer, which is extinct in the wild, pygmy The MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Bio- hippopotamus, white rhino, the endangered diversity Conservation and Protection will cover addax, and scimitar-horned and Arabian oryx. cooperation between South Africa and Vietnam Large herds of impala, springbok, zebra, bles- in the field of biodiversity management, law en- bok and red hartebeest also roam the area. forcement, compliance with the Convention on About 32 ha of the wetland area at the centre International Trade in Endangered Species and have been developed into a system of dams other relevant legislation. and pans, which serve as a natural haven for waterbirds such as spoonbills, kingfishers, rhino, ground hornbill, red-billed oxpecker and ibises and herons. several endangered antelope species. The Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation The 85-ha zoo in Pretoria houses 3 117 Centre is home to an abundance of exotic specimens of 209 mammal species, 1 358 and indigenous fauna such as lemur, the rare specimens of 202 bird species, 3 871 speci- tsessebe, roan antelope and black rhino. mens of 190 fish species, 388 specimens of The De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, four invertebrate species, 309 specimens of situated near Pretoria, is best known for its 93 reptile species, and 44 specimens of seven highly successful captive-breeding programme amphibian species. that contributed to the cheetah being removed The Johannesburg Zoological Gardens’ core from the endangered list in the South African business is the accommodation, enrich­ment, Red Data Book – Terrestrial Mammals in 1986. husbandry and medical care of wild animals. De Wildt also breeds a number of rare It also plays an important role in conservation and endangered African species. The most projects of both indigenous and internation- spectacular of these is the magnificent king ally endangered animals. The zoo joins other cheetah, which is a true cheetah, but with a conservation organisations in programmes variation of coat patterns and colouring. De involving: Wildt also plays a major role in breeding and • wattled crane recovery releasing wild dogs. It has donated breeding • amphibian conservation nuclei of the highly endangered riverine rabbit • ground hornbill breeding and off-site surveys and suni antelope to the Kruger National Park. • vulture conservation The De Wildt Vulture Unit is a rehabilitation • chimpanzee conservation with the Jane and holding facility for injured, poisoned and Goodall Institute disabled vultures. The Endangered Wildlife Trust is a major part- The Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre ner. in Mpumalanga was established as a breeding programme for the then endangered cheetah. Breeding centres There are a number of game-breeding centres The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Preven- in South Africa. The NZG of South Africa is tion of Cruelty Against Animals opened its first responsible for the management of the Lichten- short-term wildlife rehabilitation centre in May burg Biodiversity Conservation Centre, which 2012, offering 24-hour emergency service and covers an area of some 6 000 ha, and the short-term care to wild animals in need. Rehabil- Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation Centre, itation centres allow injured and sick wild animals covering 1 333 ha. to recover from trauma before being released The two centres supplement the zoo’s back into the wild, or offer them a safe place to live the rest of their lives should they not be able breeding programme for various endangered to be returned to their natural habitat. animals, and the zoo’s own animal collection.

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The centre caters for, among other animals, Snake and reptile parks five species of vulture: Cape griffins as well as The Port Elizabeth Snake Park at Bayworld white-backed, hooded, whiteheaded and lap- has a wide variety of South African and foreign pet-faced vultures. The centre is also known reptiles, including tortoises, boa constrictors, for its wild-dog breeding programme. pythons, crocodiles, lizards and deadly ven- The Hoedspruit Research and Breeding omous snakes such as cobras, mambas and Programme includes the rare black-footed cat, rattlers. Rare and threatened species, includ- vulnerable African wild cat, ground hornbills ing the Madagascar ground boa, are housed in (in cooperation with the NZG in Pretoria), bald realistically landscaped glass enclosures. ibis and the endangered blue crane. Elephant, The Aquarium and Reptile Park at the NZG white rhino, buffalo, caracal, sable antelope, in Pretoria houses 80 reptile species from all bushbuck and tsessebe have also been cared over the world. for and rehabilitated there. The Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and An- imal Park near Pretoria features one of the Aquariums and oceanariums finest reptile collections in southern Africa. It There are aquariums in Pretoria, Port Eliza- offers seal shows and snake-handling demon- beth, Cape Town, Durban and East London. strations. The Aquarium and Reptile Park of the NZG The Pure Venom Reptile Farm is one of the in Pretoria is the largest inland aquarium in largest of South Africa’s reptile parks. It is situ- Africa, with the largest collection of fresh­water ated inland from Shelly Beach, on KwaZulu- fish. It is also the only aquarium in South Natal’s South Coast. Africa that exhibits a large variety of marine The CrocRiver Enviro Park in Nelspruit is fish in artificial sea water and the only inland the largest facility of its type in Africa. The park aquarium housing ragged-tooth sharks. offers, among other things, turtle, crocodile The Port Elizabeth Oceanarium is one of and fish ponds; the water monitor lizard pond; the city’s major attractions. Exhibits include and the Desert House, in which a desert-like an underwater observation area, a dolphin atmosphere has been created, and which is research centre, various smaller tanks contain- home to the reptile gallery where indigenous ing 40 different species of bony fish and two and exotic reptiles from all over the world are larger tanks that display sharks and stingrays. displayed. East London aquarium will be 82 years old in 2013, making it South Africa’s oldest aquarium. At the Two Oceans Aquarium situated at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, more than 3 000 specimens represent some 300 species of fish, invertebrates, mammals, birds and plants supported by the waters along the Cape coast. The aqaurium at uShaka Marine World in Durban incorporates both fresh and sea water The giant Moreton Bay wild fig tree of Australian species, and is the fifth-largest aquarium in origin (ficus macrophylla) at the main entrance of the world by water volume. It comprises Sea the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria now World, Dolphin World, Beach World, and Wet occupies a place on the Champion Tree List. The and Wild World. tree has the second-largest canopy of any single Sea World incorporates a unique shipwreck-­ tree in South Africa. It is 27 m high and has a trunk circumference of 11,9 m. At its widest, the themed aquarium, a penguin rookery and a crown is 43,1 m. The tree is thought to have been 1 200-seater dolphin stadium, the largest dol- planted more than 100 years ago. phinarium in Africa.

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Khamai Reptile Centre’s primary aims are • Endangered Wildlife Trust conservation, breeding of endangered reptiles • Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and education. Located outside Hoedspruit in • Green Trust Mpumalanga, it offers a close-up look at many • Keep South Africa Beautiful local as well as exotic snakes, crocodiles and • KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board lizards. • National Conservancy Association of South Africa Managing environmental • Peace Parks Foundation resources • Southern African Foundation for the Conser- vation of Coastal Birds Private sector involvement • Trees and Food for Africa In South Africa, numerous private bodies are • Wildlife and Conservation Society of South involved in conservation activities. More than Africa 400 organisations concen­trate on conserva- • World Wildlife Fund of South Africa. tion, wildlife and the general environment, while more than 30 botanical and horticultural Rhino poaching organisations concentrate on the conservation In an effort to fight the escalation in rhino poach- of the country’s fauna and flora. These include ing, the National Biodiversity Investigators among others: Forum was established specifically for multi- • BirdLife South Africa departmental cooperation and information- • Botanical Society of South Africa sharing with various law enforcement bodies. • Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife In addition, the interim National Wildlife Reac- • Conservation International tion Unit will be established as a permanent • Delta Environmental Centre unit and the South African National Defence • Dolphin Action Protection Group Force is monitoring the 350-km national border • EcoLink in the Kruger National Park, as well as other borders with neighbouring countries. During The 2012 Red List for Birds issued by the Interna- 2013, an additional 150 rangers will be also be tional Union for Conservation (IUCN), indicated deployed to the Kruger National Park to add to that three bird species in South Africa were under the current 500, to address this crime. threat. The department will furthermore implement • The white-backed vulture, the most widespread a decision to deploy conservation specialists at and common vulture in Africa, was uplisted key designated ports of entry and exit through by two categories: from near-threatened to which the international trade in endangered endangered. species can be exported and imported. • The grey crowned crane was uplisted from vulnerable to endangered. • The crowned eagle, a widespread species in Marine pollution and sustainability sub-Saharan Africa, was globally uplisted from South Africa has one of world’s busiest ship­ least concern to near-threatened. ping routes and has experienced many oil Birdlife South Africa also warned that mining spills over the years. It is estimated that 80% of activity near sensitive eco-systems was increas- the world’s tanker traffic passes South Africa’s ingly placing South Africa’s birds under severe coast. threat. The then Department of Environmental The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Affairs and Tourism developed the National (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Contin­gency Plan for the Prevention and Com- List), founded in 1963, is the world’s most com- batting of Pollution from Ships, in consultation prehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. with the South African Maritime Safety Author- ity and the Department of Transport. This

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includes disposing of, recovering or stabilising The Department of Environmental Affairs hosted the spilt oil and rehabilitating the environment. the fifth People and Parks Conference in Sep- With 80% of the marine pollution emanating tember 2012. The conference was inspired by from land-based activities, the Department of the World Parks Congress, which emphasised Environmental Affairs will be implementing the the need to consider communities as key stake- holders in parks management under the theme national Programme of Action for land-based Benefits Beyond Boundaries. The conference sources of pollution, while refining strategies deliberated on the issue of resolving land claims, for combating marine pollution from oil spills. and outlined the areas of cooperation between The department has embarked on a process government and communities in an attempt to to adopt a new protocol on land-based sources resolve claims that are within protected areas. of marine pollution under the amended Nairobi More than R497 000 was made available by Convention for the Protection, Management government for seven provinces to implement and Development of the Marine and Coastal projects, an initiative that had led to over 4 874 Environment of the Western Indian Ocean. employment opportunities. The department has also developed the Cape Zone Oil Spill Plan. them to share information about the movement of licensed boats along the southern African Protecting the coastline coast. To counter illegal activities along the coast- line, as well as the country’s 1 155 000-km2 Chemicals and waste management Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the former South Africa has taken a number of steps to Department of Environmental Affairs and promote environmentally sound management Tourism boosted its compliance unit with the of chemicals and waste throughout its life appointment of more than 80 fishery-control cycle, including being a party to a range of officers and 100 honorary fishery-control of- multilateral environment agreements and an ficers, after the implementation­ of the Honor- active member in instruments on chemicals ary Fishery-Control Officers Policy. and waste. These include: The department took delivery of four environ­ • the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior mental-protec­tion vessels as part of measures Informed Consent Procedure for Certain to protect marine and coastal resources, Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in namely the Lillian Ngoyi, Ruth First, Victoria International Trade Mxenge and Sarah Baartman. They patrol up • the Stockholm Convention on Persistent to the 200 nautical-mile limit from the shore Organic Pollutants and the most remote reaches of the EEZ as • the Montreal Protocol on Substances that well as around the Prince Edward Islands. The Deplete the Ozone Layer vessels also conduct multilateral patrols in the • Basel Convention on the Control of Trans- Southern African Development Community boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes (SADC) coastal states. • the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management which is governed Vessel monitoring by the International Conference on Chem- The department is making it obligatory for icals Management. fishing vessels to have satellite technology on South Africa has been playing a significant role board so its movements can be monitored. in the ongoing negotiations on the Intergov- Five coastal nations in the SADC have taken ernmental Negotiating Committee to Prepare the innovative step of linking their vessel-moni- a Globally Legally Binding Instrument on Mer- toring systems. South Africa, Namibia, Angola, cury, including research on the coal dependent Mozambique and Tanzania have signed a power/electric stations and on the situational Memorandum of Understanding that will allow analysis of mercury in the country.

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In July 2012, the SA Agulhas II embarked on a undertaken a range of training programmes in 26-day shakedown cruise to the edge of the ice 2011/12, including 325 landfill operators, 250 shelf in Antarctica and sailed back to Cape Town councillors and about 147 waste official and in August 2012. CFOs on the solid waste tariff model. A group of marine scientists from the Depart- ment of Environmental Affairs, the South African Recycling Weather Service, the Council for Scientific The National Recycling Forum (NRF) is a and Industrial Research, and the universities non-profit organisation created to promote the of Stellenbosch, Rhodes and Cape Town took part in the trip. Its purpose was to test all ship recovery and recycling of recyclable materials systems under full operational conditions and to in South Africa. Members of the NRF include train researchers. A wide variety of vertical and representatives of: towed probes, nets and underwater photographic • the formal recycling industry in South Africa equipment was deployed and their associated • government departments on-board processing systems were fully tested. • regional recycling forums • local government-based organisations In an effort to align fragmented legislation, • local government utilities and co-opted advis- the department established a National Multi- ory members Stakeholder Committee for Chemicals Man- To promote the interests of its members and agement to facilitate coordination. the formal recycling industry in South Africa, Cabinet approved the National Waste Man- the NRF: agement Strategy (NWMS) in November 2011. • provides a national communication forum for The NWMS has eight key goals namely: key players in the field of recycling • promoting waste minimisation, re-use, re- • interacts with central and provincial govern- cycling and recovery of waste ment to encourage the recycling of glass, • ensuring effective and efficient delivery of paper, plastics, tin-plate steel, used oil and waste services electrical and electronic waste • growing the contribution of the waste sector • facilitates the formation of regional forums to the green economy that draw their memberships from enthusi- • ensuring that people are aware of the impact astic and interested volunteers as well as of waste on their health, well-being and the small recyclers, in the major centres of South environment Africa. • achieving integrated waste management • encourages the establishment of buy-back planning centres and drop-off points through the activ- • ensuring sound budgeting and financial ities of its members in the various centres. management for waste services Collect-a-can, one of the oldest recycling initi- • providing measures to rehabilitate contamin- atives in South Africa, has been instrumental in ated land creating a culture of recycling in South Africa. It • establishing effective compliance with and has obtained local and international acclaim for enforcement of the Waste Act. its contribution towards protecting the environ- In February 2011, the National Domestic ment, as well as its significant contribution to Waste Collection Standards came into effect job creation and poverty alleviation. to provide a uniform framework within which Since its inception in 1993, the recovery rate domestic waste should be collected in South for used beverage cans for southern Africa has Africa. The standards guide municipalities on grown significantly from 18% in 1993, to 72% how to provide acceptable, affordable and sus- for 2011. Collect-a-Can has introduced millions tainable waste-collection services. of school children to the idea of caring for the In assisting municipalities to accelerate environment through its schools competition. waste collection services, the department has In addition, it annually pays out more than

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R20 million to an estimated 100 000 collectors, The South African Air-Quality Information most of whom have no other source of income. System (Saaqis) contains the latest updated In August 2012, the Integrated Industry data of locations and can give the status of air Waste Tyre Management Plan of the Recycling quality or pollution for a specific day and time and Economic Development Initiative of South on their website: www.saaqis.org.za. Africa was gazetted for immediate implementa- A number of air-quality monitoring stations, tion. The benefits of the plan include ensuring mostly in Mpumalanga, eThekwini Municipal- that the negative environmental impact of tyres ity, the City of Johannesburg and the City of are minimised, as well as ensuring coordinated Tshwane report to Saaqis. industry action. This approach will extend the lifespans of Environmental impact landfill sites at a time when land contestation management is high and land availability for development of South Africa’s environmental impact assess- landfill sites is scarce. ment (EIA) regulations came into effect in August 2010, signalling the start of the official Climate change and air-quality implementation of a new regime aimed at management improving the efficiency and effectiveness of As part of efforts to address climate change, EIA. the National Climate Change Response Policy The EIA regulations: was approved in October 2011, and was for- • streamline the EIA process mally published as a White Paper in the Gov- • introduce an approach where impact on the ernment Gazette. environment gets more attention The policy presents government’s vision for • introduce a listing notice dedicated to activ- an effective climate change response, and the ities planned for predefined sensitive areas. long-term, just transition to a climate-resilient The Environmental Assessment Practitioners’ and lower carbon economy and society. (EAP) Association of South Africa aims to: Government continues to engage actively • achieve effective quality assurance in en- and meaningfully in international climate vironmental assessment practice in South change negotiations, specifically with the Africa UNFCCC. • promote the empowerment of black and Air quality also remains an important and female professionals within the environmen- challenging environmental issue in South tal assessment field Africa. The legislation governing air-quality • encourage continued professional develop- management in South Africa is the AQA, 2004. ment for EAPs in South Africa Various technical and legislative tools have • promote awareness of the purpose and been developed to roll-out and monitor the practice of environmental assessment in implementation of national environmental South Africa. management. These include, among others: • National Framework for Air Quality Manage- Under the theme Green Economy: Does it Include ment You?, Environment Month 2012 recognised the • air quality model by-laws significance of the green economy as one of the • Air-Quality Management Planning Manual key elements in government’s New Growth Path, • National Ambient Air-Quality Standards and as well as in the Industry Policy Action Plan. Listed Activities and the Minimum Emission Celebrated every June, National Environment Standards. Month encourages citizens and businesses to make environmentally friendly choices. These Several of these tools are currently under include taking action such as reduce, reuse and review to build momentum around the ongoing recycle. implementation of the AQA.

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The Department of Environmental Affairs has • authorities have enough capacity with skilled put in place a new and improved EIA and man- and experienced officials agement regime. In addition, the department • other stakeholders have the capacity and is moving towards alternative approaches to skills to ensure maximum impact on the environmental impact management. effectiveness and efficiency of the strategy There is a concerted effort by the department • government regulatory processes have been to move towards an integrated permitting sys- integrated and aligned tem. The department is already fully integrating • government, EAPs, developers, and the waste and EIA permitting processes and some community are equally committed to making provinces have followed suit. it work.

National Environmental Impact 4x4 regulations Assessment and Management The Strategy Towards Co-Regulation of the Strategy (EIAMS) Off-Road Sector in South Africa is aimed at The National EIAMS was launched in February minimising the impact of off-road driving on 2010. At the 10 Years of EIA in South Africa the environment by giving direction to off-road Conference in 2008, it was agreed that the users and owners to develop and use inland system giving effect to the objectives of IEM, routes in sensitive areas responsibly. The as indicated in Section 23 of Nema, 1998, strategy applies to the inland recreational use was inadequate. It was further agreed that an of off-road vehicles, including two-wheel, three- EIAMS should be formulated for South Africa. wheel and four-wheel vehicles, which include A desired future was sketched and agreement 2x4 and 4x4 motor vehicles, quad bikes and reached that the strategy should be developed motorbikes. and implemented to map the road to achieving This strategy was approved by the Minister such a system. in May 2009, who then mandated the National The EIAMS consists of voluntary and regu- Off‐Road Workgroup to develop an imple- lated instruments in the next five years, where: mentation framework for the strategy. A key • regulated EIA is used only when it is the outcome of the strategy was the development, most appropriate tool drafting and implementation of national norms • EIAM occurs within a strategic context of and/or standards, with a supportive enabling environmentally informed spatial instru- legislative framework, to facilitate environ- ments, sector strategies and policies mental compliance, responsible tourism and long‐term sustainability of the off‐road industry. Estimates from the World Wide Fund for Nature The banning of off-road vehicles in coastal predict that total paper consumption is set to rise zones has enabled several shore-breeding from the current 400 million tons to about 500 mil- lion tons by 2020. South African businesses are birds, especially the Damara tern and the Af- urged to recycle unwanted paper to help reduce rican black oystercatcher, to breed successfully their environmental impact. on beaches again. The number of loggerhead According to the Paper Recycling Association and leatherback turtles hatching successfully of South Africa, for every ton of paper recycled: on KwaZulu-Natal’s northern beaches also • three cubic metres of landfill space is saved, increased since the ban was enforced. reducing municipalities’ transport costs and freeing up landfill space Coastal management • 17 trees are saved, which means they could be Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth, used in other ways hence the importance of protecting it. • energy saved from paper recycling in South Africa per year is sufficient to provide electricity There is recognition of the challenges to 512 homes for a year. regarding the management of ocean spaces in South Africa’s adjacent ocean areas.

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Of the 200 estuaries found along the South Rhinos were named the 2012 Newsmaker of the African coast, 25% are in a degraded state. Year by the National Press Club in Pretoria. The This is due to inappropriate developments onslaught on South Africa’s rhino population has along the banks of estuaries and in their catch- resulted in much debate throughout the world ment areas. The department will focus its and has united people to rally behind campaigns against their poaching. attention proactively on these degraded sys- A record number of 668 rhinos were poached tems and prioritise developing management in 2012 – one every 13 hours. It is critical for gov- plans to improve the functioning of estuaries in ernments, companies, individuals and the media associated hinterlands. to take action to stop the killing of rhinos. The Buoy Oceans Monitoring System, which will provide information on the state of the oceans at Storms River in the Tsitsikamma (UNCCD), which was ratified in September National Park, is the first in a series of observa- 1997. The main objectives of the convention tion and monitoring platforms, which will form include cooperation between governments, the basis of the South African National Oceans organisa­tions and communities to accomplish and Coastal Monitoring System. sustainable development, especially where The Department of Environmental Affairs water resources are scarce. also reviewed the Recreational Water Quality The purpose of the convention is to sup- Guidelines for Coastal Waters. The ultimate port member countries in Africa to prevent intention is to develop effective early warning desertification and its consequences. These systems to pre-empt the catastrophic impacts countries support one another at technical of possible hazards. and scientific level, as they share similar cli- Between 2011 and 2012, the department matic conditions. deployed a range of new equipment on and South Africa also acts as coordinator for the around the coast of South Africa covering the Valdivia Group for Desertification. coastline, shelf waters, the deeper continental The group consists of Australia, New Zea- slope environment, very deep offshore regions land, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, South Africa and coastal weather systems. and Brazil. The aim is to, among other things, foster scientific and technological cooperation. Erosion and desertification South Africa has introduced legislation such According to the UN Environment Programme, as the Nemba, 2004 to promote the conserva- desertification affects 900 million people in 99 tion of biodiversity, and fight desertification and countries as 24 Mt of topsoil are lost to erosion land degradation. annually. The resultant land degradation costs Africa about US$9 billion every year. In September 2012, the Department of Environ- Most South African soil is unstable. The mental Affairs: Integrated Coastal Management country loses an estimated 500 million tons Act, 2008 (Act 24 of 2008) was shortlisted for the of topsoil annually through erosion caused by prestigious 2012 World Future Policy Award. water and wind. The award is granted by the World Future About 81% of South Africa’s total land area Council, which chooses one topic on which policy progress is particularly urgent. The 2012 award is farmed. However, only 70% of this area is was dedicated to exemplary coastal and ocean suitable for grazing. Overgrazing and erosion policies and for the theme, the council partnered diminish the carrying capacity of the veld and with the United Nations Secretariat of the Con- lead to land degradation. This process has vention on Biological Diversity, the Global Envir- already claimed more than 250 000 ha of land onment Facility and the Food and Agriculture in South Africa. Organisation of the United Nations, with support South Africa is a signatory to the United from the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea. Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

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As part of the UN international campaign South Africa is the third most biodiverse to tackle global environmental deterioration country in the world, after Indonesia and Brazil. and in particular combat dry land degradation, These countries harbour most of the Earth’s which cover up to one-quarter of the world’s species and collectively contain more than two land surface, the UN has designated 17 June thirds of global biodiversity. as the World Day to Combat Desertification. South Africa is home to approximately 24 000 This date marks the anniversary of the adop- species, around 7% of the world’s vertebrate tion of the UNCCD. The theme for 2012 was species, and 5,5% of the world’s known insect Healthy Soil Sustains Your Life: Let’s go Land species (only about half of the latter have been Degradation Neutral. described). The observance of the World Day to Com- In terms of the number of endemic species bat Desertification was celebrated one week of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, before the Rio+20 Conference, in Rio de South Africa ranks as the fifth richest country Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. in Africa and the 24th richest in the world. Marine biodiversity is also high, with more Biodiversity than 11 000 species found in South African Biodiversity plays a crucial role in sustainable waters, which is about 15% of global species. development and poverty eradication. More than 25% of these species (or 3 496 In February 2013, South Africa ratified the species) are endemic to South Africa, many Nagoya Protocol, which provides for measures of which are threatened, especially in river to regulate the use of the indigenous fauna and ecosystems (82%) and estuaries (77%). flora of a country as well as their associated As a biodiversity-rich country, South Africa is traditional knowledge. committed to the conservation and sustainable South Africa was the first country in 2013 and management of biological resources and is a the 12th country overall to ratify the Nagoya signatory to the following biodiversity-related Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and multila­teral agreements: the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Aris- • Convention on Biological Diversity Cartagena ing from their Utilisation to the Convention on Protocol on Biosafety Biological Diversity. South Africa became party • Ramsar Convention to the Convention on Biological Diversity in • Convention on International Trade in Endan- 1995. gered Species (Cites) The Nagoya Protocol is a legally binding • UNCCD agreement outlining a set of terms prescribing • Convention on Migratory Species. how one country will gain access to another The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action country’s genetic resources and how the bene- Plan (NBSAP) is aimed at establishing a fits derived will be shared. framework and plan of action for the conserva- tion and sustainable use of South Africa’s bio- diversity and the equitable sharing of benefits In October 2012, the Green Building Council of South Africa officially launched the Green Star derived from this use. SA Public and Education Building rating tool at its A scientific, systematic biodiversity assess- annual convention in Cape Town. The tool will be ment for the country was carried out in 2004 used to assess and assign a rating based on the to spatially support the NBSAP, titled the environmental merits of new or significantly refur- National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment bished public and education building develop- (NSBA). ments. It consists of eight environmental-impact The NSBA was updated in 2012, form- categories for assessment and one innovation ing the National Biodiversity Assessment category with ratings possible at the design and (NBA 2011), with many significant findings post-construction phases. requiring conservation action.

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The NBA 2011 provides a new national map In June 2012, SANParks launched the second of areas that are important for climate change phase of the SANParks Kudu Green School resilience, supporting functional, stable land- Initiative at the Pilanesberg National Park. This scapes in the long term. environmental programme was started in 2010, In addition, marine and coastal habitat targeting urban schools to enable learners to understand climate’s influence on society, as well types and wetland ecosystem types have as appreciation of their environment. been identified and mapped for the first time, and the estuarine functional zone has been mapped for the first time for all estuaries. The In the Northern Cape and Kalahari sections NBA 2011 will lay the foundation for the revi- of this biome, the most distinctive trees are the sion of the NBSAP. camel thorn (acacia erioloba) and the camphor The National Biodiversity Framework bush (tarchonanthus camphoratus). (NBF), published in 2009, provides a frame- In Limpopo, the portly baobab (adansonia work to coordinate and align the efforts of the digitata) and the candelabra tree (euphor- many organisations and individuals involved bia ingens) dominate. The central bushveld in conserving and managing South Africa’s is home to species such as the knob thorn biodiversity, in support of sustainable devel- (Acacia nigrescens), bushwillow (combretum opment. The NBF is a requirement of the spp.), monkey thorn (acacia galpinii), mopani Nemba, 2004. (colophospermum mopane) and wild fig (ficus Three internationally recognised biodiversity spp.). In the valley bushveld of the south, hotspots (areas with especially high concentra- euphorbias and spekboom trees (portulacaria tions of biodiversity, which are under serious afra) dominate. threat) are found in South Africa. They are the: Abundant wild fruit trees provide food for • Cape Floral Kingdom (equivalent to the fyn- many birds and animals in the Savanna Biome. bos biome) Grey loeries, hornbills, shrikes, flycatchers and • Succulent Karoo (shared with Namibia) rollers are birds typical of the northern regions. • Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Centre of The subtropical and coastal areas are home Plant Endemism, which stretches from the to Knysna loeries, purple-crested loeries and Albany Centre in the Eastern Cape, through green pigeons. Raptors occur throughout the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism the biome. The larger mammals include lion, and KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern side of leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, zebra, Swaziland and into southern Mozambique rhinoceros, giraffe, kudu, oryx, waterbuck, hip- and Mpumalanga. popotamus and many others. The Succulent Karoo Biome is one of only two About 8,5% of the biome is protected. The arid biodiversity hotspots in the world, the other Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier being the Horn of Africa. Park, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, iSimangaliso There are eight major terrestrial biomes, or Wetlands Park and other reserves lie in the habitat types, in South Africa, which are divided Savanna Biome. into 70 veld types. Nama-Karoo Biome National biodiversity biomes The Nama-Karoo is the third-largest biome in South Africa, covering about 20,5% of the Savanna Biome country or more than 260 000 km2. It stretches The Savanna Biome is the largest biome in across the vast central plateau of the western southern Africa, occupying 46% of its area, half of the country. This semi-desert receives and over a third of South Africa. It is an area little rain in summer. of mixed grassland and trees, and is generally Rainfall varies from about 200 mm a year in known as bushveld. the west to 400 mm a year in the north-east.

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Summer is very hot and winter is very cold with Eight mammal species endemic to South frequent frost. Africa occur in the wild in this biome. Most of the plants are low shrubs and grass. The area is internationally recognised as an Many plants are deciduous. Trees such as the area of high species endemicity for birds. Birds sweet thorn (acacia karoo) are usually only commonly found in the area include the black found along rivers or on rocky hillsides. korhaan, blue crane and guinea-fowl. Common animals include the bat-eared fox, ostrich, spring hare, tortoises and brown Succulent Karoo Biome locust. The riverine rabbit is a threatened spe- The Succulent Karoo Biome covers a flat to cies found in the Nama-Karoo Biome. gently undulating plain, with some hilly and This biome includes the Namaland area of “broken” veld, mostly situated to the west and Namibia, and the central Karoo area of South south of the escarpment, and north of the Cape Africa. Fold Belt. Because of low rainfall, rivers are non-peren- One of the natural wonders of South Africa nial. Cold and frost in winter and high tempera- is the annual blossoming of the Namaqualand tures in summer demand special adaptation by wild flowers (mainly of the family asteraceae), plants. which transforms the semi-desert of the North- Only 1% of the Nama-Karoo Biome falls ern Cape into a fairy land. After rain, the drab within officially protected areas, of which the landscape is suddenly covered from horizon to Karoo and Augrabies national parks are the horizon with a multicoloured carpet of flowers largest. (from August to October, depending on the Overgrazing and easily eroded soil surfaces­ rainfall). are causing this semi-desert to advance slowly This is a winter-rainfall area with extremely on the neighbouring savanna and grassland dry and hot summers. Succulents with thick, biomes. fleshy leaves are plentiful. Most trees have white trunks to reflect the heat. Grassland Biome The quiver tree (aloe dichotoma) and the The Grassland Biome is the second-largest human-like elephant’s trunk (pachypodium biome in South Africa, covering an area of namaquanum) are prominent in the Richters- 339 237 km2 and occurring in eight of South veld. Grass is scarce. Africa’s nine provinces. It is one of the most The animal life is similar to that of neigh­ threatened biomes in South Africa, with 30% bouring biomes (Fynbos and Nama-Karoo). irreversibly transformed and only 1,9% of the The biome includes 2 800 plant species at biodiversity target for the biome formally con- increased risk of extinction. served. The Grassland Biome provides essential Fynbos Biome ecosystem services, such as water produc- The Fynbos Biome is one of the six accepted tion and soil retention necessary for economic floral kingdoms of the world. This region covers development. It holds important biodiversity of only 0,04% of the Earth’s land surface. global and domestic significance and value. Fynbos, which is found mainly in the West- Trees are scarce and found mainly on hills ern Cape, is the name given to a group of ever- and along riverbeds. Karee (rhus lancea), wild green plants with small, hard leaves (such as currant (rhus pyroides), white stinkwood (celtis those in the Erica family). It is made up mainly africana) and several acacia species are the of the protea, heathers and restio, and incorp- commonest. orates diverse plant species (more than 8 500 The Grassland Biome has the third-largest kinds, of which more than 6 000 are endemic). number of indigenous plant species in the The Fynbos Biome is famous for the protea, country. which is South Africa’s national flower. The

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biome also contains flowering plants now Desert Biome regarded as garden plants, such as freesia, True desert is found under very harsh envir- tritonia, sparaxis and many others. onmental conditions, which are even more Protected areas cover 13,6% of the Fynbos extreme than those found in the Succulent Biome and include the Table Mountain and Karoo and the Nama-Karoo biomes. The cli- Agulhas national parks. mate is characterised by summer rainfall, but This biome is not very rich in bird and mam- also by high levels of summer aridity. Rainfall mal life, but does include the endemic Cape is highly variable from year to year. Desert grysbok, the geometric tortoise, the Cape is found mostly in Namibia, although it does sugarbird and the protea seed-eater. baboon, occur in South Africa in the lower Orange River honey-badger, caracal, rhebuck and several Valley. types of eagle and dassies are found in the The vegetation of the Desert Biome is char- mountains. acterised by the dominance of annual plants (often annual grasses). This means that after a Forest Biome rare season of abundant rain, the desert plains South Africa’s only significant natural forests can be covered with a sea of short annual are those of Knysna and Tsitsikamma in the grass, whereas in drier years, the plains Western and Eastern Cape respectively. appear bare with annual plants persisting in Other reasonably large forest patches that the form of seeds. are officially protected are in the high-rainfall Perennial plants are usually encountered areas of the eastern escarpment (Drakensberg in specialised habitats associated with local mountains), and on the eastern seaboard. For- concentrations of water. Common examples est giants such as yellowwood (podocarpus of such habitats are broad drainage lines or spp.), ironwood (olea capensis) and lemon- washes. Nearer the coast, coastal fog also wood (xymalos monospora) dominate. governs the distribution of certain species The indigenous forests are a magical world of commonly associated with the desert. ferns, lichens and colourful forest birds such as The Desert Biome incorporates abun­dant the Knysna loerie, the endangered Cape parrot insect fauna, which includes many tenebrionid and the rameron pigeon. Mammals include the beetles, some of which can use fog water. endangered samango monkey, bushpig, bush- There are also various vertebrates, including buck and the delicate blue duiker. reptiles, springbok, ostrich, gems­bok, snakes and geckos. Thicket Biome Some areas in this Biome are formally pro- The Thicket Biome is the second-smallest tected in the Richtersveld National Park. biome in South Africa, and is known for its high biodiversity. International cooperation Subtropical thicket ranges from closed South Africa has signed several international shrub­land to low forest, dominated by ever- conventions, treaties, protocols and other green succulent trees, shrubs and vines. agreements, which has strongly regarding the It is often impenetrable and has little herb- principles of sustainable development. aceous cover. Roughly 20% of the species in These multilateral environmental agree- the Thicket Biome are endemic to the biome. ments include among others, the: The Thicket Biome, which is predominantly • Convention on Biological Diversity (ratified in the Eastern Cape, supports four species of in 1995) tortoise: the leopard tortoise (geochelone par- • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (South dalis), angulate tortoise (chersina angulata), Africa became a party in 2003) tent tortoise (psammobates tentorius) and • Kyoto Protocol (signed in 2003) parrot-beaked tortoise (homopus areolatus). • UN Convention to Combat Desertification

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(signed in 1995, ratified in 1997) In 2012, South African Airways joined an inter- • World Heritage Convention (ratified in 1997) nationally benchmarked and transparent carbon • Convention on Wetlands of International offset programme that will enable passengers to Importance (Ramsar Convention) (ratified in make voluntary contributions to offset the effects 1975) of climate change. Customers can buy carbon • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory offset credits with their air tickets in a single transaction on www.flysaa.com. Species (acceded in 1991).

United Nations Framework Convention which prepared decisions for adoption at the on Climate Change (UNFCCC) UNFCCC in Qatar later in 2012. South Africa ratified the UNFCCC in 1997, One of the central outcomes of the meeting which is aimed at: in South Africa was to pave the way for a legal • implementing urgent action, from 2013 to agreement under the UN Climate Convention 2020, including the adoption of a second applicable to all parties, to be completed by commitment period under the Kyoto Pro- 2015 and to come into effect from 2020. tocol; and a number of institutional mecha- nisms such as the Green Climate Fund United Nations Commission on • acknowledging the inadequate commitments Sustainable Development (CSD) to reduce emissions made thus far; a work The UN CSD was established by the UN Gen- programme was agreed upon to increase eral Assembly in December 1992 to ensure pre-2020 levels of ambition effective follow-up of the UN Conference on • action for the future with the negotiation of a Environment and Development, also known as legal agreement for the period beyond 2020. the Earth Summit. The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994. From its inception, the CSD was highly par- The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the ticipatory in structure and outlook, by engaging UNFCCC has been meeting annually to assess in its formal proceedings a wide range of official progress in dealing with climate change. The stakeholders and partners through innovative COP is the supreme body of the convention formulae. ans is its highest decision-making authority. At the UN Conference on Sustainable With 195 parties, the UNFCCC has near Development (Rio+20), member states agreed universal membership and is the parent treaty to establish a high-level political forum that of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol will subsequently replace the Commission on has been ratified by 193 of the UNFCCC par- Sustainable Development. ties. Under the protocol, 37 states, consisting of Convention on International Trade in highly industrialised countries and countries Endangered Species of Wild Fauna undergoing the process of transition to a mar- and Flora (Cites) ket economy, have legally binding emission South Africa was a founding member of the limitation and reduction commitments. Cites Treaty, which was adopted on 3 March The ultimate objective of both treaties is 1973, but only came into force on 1 July 1975. to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations Signed by 149 countries, Cites is an interna- in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent tional agreement between governments to pro- dangerous human interference with the climate tect endangered species against over-exploita- system. tion through regulations regarding imports and The launch of the negotiation to shape the exports and in some cases prohibiting trade. new global climate change agreement and Cites was drafted as a result of a resolution first discussions on how to raise ambition took adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of place at the UNFCCC in Bonn in May 2012, the IUCN. Today, it accords varying degrees

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of protection to more than 30 000 species of and will incorporate decisions taken by world animals and plants, whether they are traded as bodies since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. The most notable success was getting the world to turn the UN Millennium Declaration Montreal Protocol on Substances into a concrete set of programmes and to that Deplete the Ozone Layer mobilise funds for these programmes. 16 September 2012 marked the 25th anni- Targets set at the summit will have an enorm- versary of the Montreal Protocol. This date ous impact, including the following: coincides with the International Day for the • the number of people without basic sanita- Preservation of the Ozone Layer, the UN com- tion and access to safe drinking water to be memorative day that marks the date when the halved by 2015 treaty was established in 1987. • collapsed fish stocks to be restored by 2015 The theme for the 2012 celebration, Protect- • chemicals with a detrimental health impact to ing our Atmosphere for Generations to Come, be phased out by 2020 emphasised the extraordinary collaboration • energy services to be extended to 35% of and environmental benefits achieved by the African households over the next 10 years. international community through the operation of the Montreal Protocol. United Nations Conference on The Montreal Protocol is an international Sustainable Development (Rio+20) treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by Rio+20 refers to the UN Conference on Sus- phasing out the production and consumption tainable Development which took place in Rio of numerous substances responsible for ozone de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. The meeting depletion. The protocol has been recognised took place 20 years after the landmark 1992 as a global success, demonstrated by the mas- Earth Summit in Rio, when more than 108 sive elimination of production and consumption heads of state agreed to work together to of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon develop national strategies to reduce carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, and chloro- emissions, stabilise greenhouse gas, protect bromomethane worldwide since it came into forests from destruction, and pay for their force in 1987. share of the damage caused to the Earth South Africa, which became a signatory to through pollution. the Montreal Protocol in 1990, has phased out At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, CFCs, halons, methyl chloroform and carbon along with thousands of participants from the tetrachloride. private sector, NGOs and other groups, came This makes it the only developing country together to shape how countries could work in the world that has achieved so much in line together to reduce poverty, advance social with the phase-out schedule for developed equity and ensure environmental protection on countries. Although South Africa is classified an increasingly crowded planet. as a developing country, its consumption of The official discussions focussed on two these substances is equal to that of some main themes: how to build a green economy developed countries. to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty; and how to improve World Summit on Sustainable international coordination for sustainable Development (WSSD) development. South Africa hosted the WSSD in Septem- The most important thing to come out of the ber 2002 in Johannesburg. The agreements Rio+20 talks was that 50 of the 193 member reached then are a guide to action that will take states of the UN have launched new energy forward the UN Millennium Summit Declara- strategies, while private investors have tion’s goal of halving world poverty by 2015, pledged more than US$50 billion to help carry

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out his goal to double the share of global ger National Park, six in North West and five renewable energy and the rate of energy effi- in KwaZulu-Natal. In 2012, a record number ciency improvement by 2030. of 668 rhinos were killed. The department is increasing its capacity to Urban environmental management address current and future potential wildlife The Urban Environmental Management Pro- crimes and will continue to use all the legal gramme is a partnership between 11 govern- instruments and other resources at its dis- ment institutions, from all three spheres of posal nationally to stop this scourge. government, namely national, provincial and Internationally, it will continue to play an municpal. The programme alleviates poverty active role in supporting and contributing through improved service delivery within the towards global forums, including Interpol’s environmental management of urban areas. Wildlife Crime meetings, the Cites Rhinoceros Started in April 2006, the programme is a Task Force, the regional Rhino and Elephant continuation of more than 10 years of envi- Security Group and other rhino management ronmental collaboration between South Africa groups and initiatives. and Denmark. Another top priority for the department over the medium term is to provide support to local Conclusion governments in the areas of air-quality man- Following the approval of the National Climate agement, waste management, biodiversity Change Policy by Cabinet in 2011, the depart- management, coastal planning and open- ment’s work going forward is geared towards space planning. ensuring the implementation of the policy, and The department will also focus on strength- meeting the ambient air-quality standards. ening compliance and enforcement activities; An area of great concern to the environment drawing linkages between climate change, sector is the plundering of natural resources, the green economy and sustainable develop- especially the ongoing slaughtering of the ment; aligning governance systems with the rhino population – a grave reality that calls for new outcomes approach; and paying particu- drastic measures. lar attention to ensuring that environmental The latest statistics show that 32 rhinos assets and natural resources are valued, were killed in South Africa in January 2013 protected and continually enhanced. alone, of which 18 were poached in the Kru-

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Acknowledgements Beeld Business Report Department of Environmental Affairs Estimates of National Expenditure, 2012, published by National Treasury The Mail & Guardian National Zoological Gardens of South Africa Rapport South African National Biodiversity Institute The Times www.bcb.uuc.ac.za www.plantzafrica.com www.bwi.co.za www.sacanegrowers.co.za www.capeaction.org.za www.sagoodnews.co.za www.cbd.int www.sahistory.org.sa www.cites.org www.sapa.org.za www.collectacan.co.za www.sanbi.org www.csir.co.za www.skep.org.za www.deloitteblog.co.za www.southafrica.info www.ekapa.ioisa.org.za www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org www.explore.co.za www.ucmp.berkeley.edu www.gov.za www.visitmosselbay.co.za www.jhbzoo.org.za www.wwf.org.za www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com www.polity.org.za www.news24.com http://eprints.ru.ac.za www.peaceparks.org http://en.wikipedia.org Suggested reading Astronomical Society of Southern Africa. 2011. 2012 Sky Guide Africa South: Astronomical Handbook. Cowgill, R & Davis, S. 2013. Shorebirds: A Guide to the More Common South African Species. Auckland Park: Jacana Media. Dorrat-Haaksma, E & Linder, HP. 2012. Restios of the Fynbos. Cape Town: Struik Nature. Duminy, A. 2011. Mapping South Africa: A Historical Survey of South African Maps and Charts. Auckland Park: Jacana Media. Holmes, PJ & Meadows, ME. 2012. Southern African Geomorphology: Recent Trends and New Directions. Bloemfontein: Sun Media. Joubert, S. 2012. The Kruger National Park: A History. Three volumes. Johannesburg: High Branching (Pty) Ltd. Kruger, AC. 2012. Climate of South Africa: Surface Temperature. Pretoria: South African Weather Service. Pienaar, U de V. 2012. A Cameo from the Past: The Prehistory and Early History of the Kruger National Park. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis. South Africa. 2012. National Environmental Management Act and Regulations 107 of 1998; Environment Conservation Act 73. Cape Town: Juta. Spence, LAG. 2012. The Last Rhinos: The Powerful Story of One Man’s Battle to Save a Spe- cies. London: Sidgwick and Jackson. Stoffberg, H, Hindes, C & Mulder, L (eds). 2012. South African Landscape Architecture: A Compendium, and South African Landscape Architecture: A Reader. Pretoria: Unisa Press. Stuart, C & Stuart, M. 2012. National Parks and Nature Reserves: A South African Field Guide. Cape Town: Struik. Walker, C & Walker, A. 2012. The Rhino Keepers: Struggle for Survival. Sunnyside: Jacana Media.

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