Augrabies Falls National Park
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Augrabies Falls National Park PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN October 2006 AUTHORISATION This management plan is hereby internally accepted and authorised as the legal requirement for managing Augrabies Falls National Park as stated in the Protected Areas Act. ______________________________ Date: _____ _____ Paul Daphne Executive Director Parks, SANParks ______________________________ Date: _______ _ __ Sydney Soundy Chief Operating Officer, SANParks 2 ______________________________ Date: _____ _____ Dr David Mabunda Chief Executive, SANParks Recommended to SANParks Board _____________________________ Date: _____ _____ Ms Cheryl Carolus Chairperson, SANParks Board Recommended to Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism _____________________________ Date: _____ _____ Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk Minister: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) 3 Augrabies Falls National Park Management Plan, Executive summary The Augrabies Falls National Park (AFNP) management plan strives to uphold and deal with the conservation of the geological formations, Orange River aspects and biodiversity of the five Nama Karoo vegetation types in the Park. One thrust of expansion for the Park is aimed towards conserving poorly-represented vegetation types and includes: • The consolidation of an ecologically viable Park around the poorly-protected mid Orange River reaches characteristic of the Gariep centre of endemism • Creating an opportunity for trans-frontier conservation. Another thrust of the management plan is to build up the tourism infrastructure and associated functions in the Park in such a way that the stakeholders in the Augrabies area and its people share in the development of the Park, while at the same time supporting its growth. This will uphold conservation of the environment and will promote sustainable tourism for all in the future. With the cooperation of the surrounding communities, the AFNP will create work directly and indirectly and many will be able to improve their socio-economic circumstances. The Park’s growth will not only recover and conserve the biodiversity of its special flora, but it will uphold all the ideals of SANParks as well as make the Augrabies people proud South Africans in the eyes of its visitors. This Park will ensure the importance of community, economic growth and prosperity on the back of a green economic empowerment initiative. Purpose and formulation of the park management plan The purpose of a management plan is – • To provide an holistic view of where the park is and where it is going in the short and long term. • To inform management at all levels, from the section manager through to the CEO, Board and the Minister. • To streamline, where possible, management procedures. • To provide a sound motivation for justifying budgets and, where necessary, to increase them, as well as to provide indicators to ensure that the budget is spent correctly. • To build accountability (internally and externally) into the management of the park. • To provide for capacity building and future green and economic thinking. • To enable the management authority to run the park in line with all relevant legislation and policies. The park management plan is developed in line with the SANParks Biodiversity Custodianship Framework (Rogers 2003), which proposes how to plan, integrate, implement and review ecological, social and economic components of SANParks core business whilst allowing for continual learning and improvement. The essential feature of the system is the iterative way of continual improvement in the management of the park though annual and five-year review cycles (both internal and external). The park management plan is informed by corporate policies and public consultation, which in turn feeds back to the corporate. • The first step in compiling/revising a management plan is to develop the desired state of the park, which guides both the direction of the park and its daily operations, all within the SANParks general policy framework. • This is followed by implementing a park vision and mission, as well as the park objectives and specific management programmes to carry out the vision and mission. These will be dealt with in detail after the background contextual information sets the scene for the park. Ref. 16/1/5/1/5/3/2 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. LOCATION ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2. EXTENT .................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT .................................................................................................................... 1 1.4. HISTORY .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.5. CLIMATE .................................................................................................................................................. 2 1.6. TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS........................................................................................................ 2 1.7. HYDROLOGY ............................................................................................................................................ 3 1.8. VEGETATION............................................................................................................................................ 3 1.9. FAUNA...................................................................................................................................................... 3 2. PROTECTED AREA AND MANAGEMENT PLANNING FRAMEWORK........................................ 4 2.1. DESIRED STATE ........................................................................................................................................ 4 2.2. VISION OF THE PARK................................................................................................................................4 2.3. OPERATING PRINCIPLES AND VITAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE PARK ............................................................ 4 2.3.1. Operating Principles.......................................................................................................................... 4 2.3.2. Environmental attributes.................................................................................................................... 5 2.3.3. Economic attributes ........................................................................................................................... 5 2.3.4. Socio-political attributes.................................................................................................................... 5 2.3.5. Setting the Details of the Park Desired State .................................................................................... 6 2.4. OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................. 6 3. GUIDELINES AND PROGRAMMES TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED STATE ................................ 18 3.1. BIODIVERSITY AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION..................................................................................... 18 3.1.1. Park expansion programme............................................................................................................. 18 3.1.2. Sustainable natural resource use programme................................................................................. 19 3.1.3. Herbivore management programme................................................................................................ 19 3.1.4. Carnivore species management....................................................................................................... 20 3.1.5. Damage causing animal programme/Problem animal programme ............................................... 20 3.1.6. Rare species programme.................................................................................................................. 20 3.1.7. Water programme ............................................................................................................................ 21 3.1.8. Rehabilitation programme ............................................................................................................... 22 3.1.9. Cultural heritage resource programme........................................................................................... 23 3.2. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM ......................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.1. Conservation Development Framework (CDF) .............................................................................. 25 3.2.2. Tourism Programme ........................................................................................................................ 27 3.2.3. Marketing Programme..................................................................................................................... 28 3.2.4. Commercial Development Programme ........................................................................................... 29 3.3. BUILDING COOPERATION AND CONSTITUENCY.....................................................................................