Frances Baard District Municipality
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FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY REVIEWED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK DRAFT July 2019 TITLE AND APPROVAL PAGE Frances Baard District Municipality Project Name: Reviewed Environmental Management Framework Authority Reference: N/A Report Status Draft Client: Prepared By: Nemai Consulting +27 11 781 1730 147 Bram Fischer Drive, +27 11 781 1731 FERNDALE, 2194 [email protected] PO Box 1673, SUNNINGHILL, www.nemai.co.za 2157 Report Reference: 10692–20190717 R-PRO-REP|20150514 Authorisation Name Date Author: D. Henning 17 July 2019 Reviewed By: N. Naidoo 17 July 2019 This Document is Confidential Intellectual Property of Nemai Consulting C.C. © copyright and all other rights reserved by Nemai Consulting C.C. This document may only be used for its intended purpose Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) AMENDMENTS PAGE Amendment Date: Nature of Amendment Number: 17/07/2019 First Version for Public Review 0 Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. INTRODUCTION An Environmental Management Framework includes a framework of spatially represented information connected to significant environmental (i.e. ecological, social and economic) parameters. It is one of the key instruments used in strategic environmental planning. In its formal context, the Environmental Management Framework that is adopted by the Minister or Member of the Executive Council will be taken into consideration when reviewing an application for environmental authorisation following the completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment, where the proposed development is contemplated within the areas to which the EMF applies The Frances Baard District Municipality identified the need to review its Environmental Management Framework that was developed in 2010. This document represents the second generation Environmental Management Framework. B. EMF DEVELOPMENT APPROACH The Environmental Management Framework development approach, which is outlined in the figure to follow, is consistent with the requirements stipulated in the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998) and the Environmental Management Framework Regulations (Government Notice No. R547 of 18 June 2010). Outline of EMF Development Process July 2019 i Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) C. REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 1ST GENERATION EMF The implementation of the first Environmental Management Framework was reviewed by considering its formal standing as an environmental tool and its overall performance in terms of satisfying its original objectives. The updated Strategic Environmental Management Plan provides direction with regards to overcoming the current constraints and how to ensure that the Environmental Management Framework is appropriately applied to facilitate strategic planning and decision-making in the district. D. ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTORY FRAMEWORK An overview is provided on the environmental statutory framework, which includes a discussion on the following: Enabling legislation for the Environmental Management Framework; The primary environmental laws applicable to environmental management in South Africa; Policies, strategies, plans and programmes; The legislative framework governing specific environmental themes; and The institutions which play a significant role in environmental management and decision making at the three levels of the government (i.e. national, provincial and local), which will be facilitated by the Environmental Management Framework. E. ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS QUO The current state of the environment in the district is discussed, which was ascertained through inter alia desktop assessments, existing data assimilation and field verification. The environment in the District is explained in terms of the following features and attributes that serve as the building blocks for the environment. Where possible, these elements have been spatially represented in the Geographic Information System. Environmental Features Assessed during the Status Quo Assessment . Climate . Demographic Profile . Geology . Economic Profile . Geohydrology . Tourism . Terrain Morphology . Access to Services . Soil . Transportation . Surface Water . Solid Waste Management . Terrestrial Ecology . Health Facilities . Agricultural Potential . Disaster Management . Air . Historical & Cultural Resources . Land Cover July 2019 ii Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) F. DESIRED STATE The approach to defining a desired state in the Frances Baard District Municipality was based on interpreting and integrating the following: Planning and management instruments that are relevant to the district; Development pressures and opportunities; Environmental management priorities; A sensitivity analysis; and Sustainability framework, which includes a sustainability vision as well as strategic objectives and indicators. G. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN The SEMP bridges the divide between the current state of the environment and the desired state. It aims to achieve this as follows: Delineating Environmental Management Zones based on the findings of the status quo and desired state assessments. Each management zone represents a specific demarcated area that requires active control to ensure that its potential is realised. The zones depict the assimilated sensitivity maps that were integrated with the development pressures and trends, opportunities, constraints and stakeholders’ aspirations. Environmental Management Zones were developed for the following features – Formally Protected Areas; Biodiversity; Agriculture; Heritage; Urban areas; and Mining. Facilitating the attainment of the desired state and managing the sustainable utilisation of land within the Environmental Management Zones through management requirements and by controlling the activities that may impact on environmental attributes in these specific geographical areas. The guidelines also stipulate compatible activities that support the desired state for these zones and specific management requirements and objectives that need to be adhered to when development is proposed in a zone; and Providing an implementation strategy for the Environmental Management Framework, which consists of the following: A pragmatic approach to the implementation of the Environmental Management Framework based on the commonly adopted management system of a Plan-Do- Check-Act cycle; Linkages with other planning and policy instruments; Striving towards the desired state; July 2019 iii Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) Giving Effect to the Environmental Management Framework – . Enabling institutional arrangements; . Implementation duties; . Functionality; . Review; . Cooperative governance; Managing conflicts between development and environmental features; and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. July 2019 iv Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 EMF Objectives 1 1.3 EMF Study Area 2 2 FBDM EMF DRIVING FORCES 5 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 EMF Triggers 5 3 EMF DEVELOPMENT APPROACH 8 3.1 Introduction 8 3.2 EMF Development Principles 8 3.3 EMF Content 8 3.4 EMF Methodology 9 3.4.1 Project Inception 10 3.4.2 Information Gathering 10 3.4.3 Public Participation Process 11 3.4.4 Status Quo Assessment 12 3.4.5 Desired State of the Environment 13 3.4.6 Management Zones 14 3.4.7 Strategic Environmental Management Plan 14 3.4.8 Project Geographic Information System 15 3.5 Gaps, Assumptions and Limitations 15 4 REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 1ST GENERATION EMF 16 4.1 Introduction 16 4.2 Stakeholder Engagement 16 4.3 Status of the 1st Generation EMF 16 4.4 Performance of the 1st Generation EMF 16 4.4.1 Achievement of EMF Objectives 16 4.4.2 Adherence to the Implementation Strategy 17 4.5 Integration of the EMF into subsequent versions of the IDF and MSDF 17 4.6 Monitoring 18 July 2019 v Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) 4.7 Way Forward 18 5 ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTORY FRAMEWORK 19 5.1 EMF Enabling Legislation 19 5.2 Generic Environmental Management Legislation 23 5.3 Policies, Strategies, Plans & Programmes 30 5.3.1 National Development Plan 30 5.3.2 A National Framework for Sustainable Development in South Africa 31 5.3.3 National Strategy for Sustainable Development and Action Plan 32 5.3.4 National Water Resource Strategy 33 5.3.5 National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 33 5.3.6 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 33 5.3.7 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas 34 5.3.8 FBDM IDP & MSDF 35 5.4 Management of Environmental Features 35 5.5 Institutional Roles and Responsibilities 41 5.5.1 Environmental Authorities 41 5.5.2 Environmental Management at Local Level 43 6 ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS QUO 45 6.1 Introduction 45 6.2 Climate 46 6.2.1 GIS Mapping 46 6.2.2 Climatic Conditions 46 6.2.3 Climate Change 47 6.2.4 Constraints, Issues and Trends 49 6.2.5 Management Priorities 50 6.3 Geology 51 6.3.1 GIS Mapping 51 6.3.2 Status Quo Overview 51 6.3.3 Constraints, Issues and Trends 54 6.3.4 Management Priorities 54 6.4 Geohydrology 54 6.4.1 Status Quo Overview 54 6.4.2 Constraints, Issues and Trends 55 6.4.3 Management Priorities 56 6.5 Terrain Morphology 56 6.5.1 GIS Mapping 56 6.5.2 Status Quo Overview 57 6.5.3 Constraints, Issues and Trends 58 6.5.4 Management Priorities 59 6.6 Soil 59 July 2019 vi Frances Baard District Municipality Reviewed EMF (Draft) 6.6.1 GIS Mapping 59 6.6.2 Status Quo Overview 59 6.6.3 Constraints,