Coastal & Environmental Services TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................5 2. THE GREATER ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK PROPOSAL ................7 2.1 What is the greater addo elephant national park? .............................................7 2.2 Rationale behind the creation of the gAENP ................................................... 10 2.2.1 Terrestrial environment................................................................................ 10 2.2.2 Freshwater environment.............................................................................. 12 2.2.3 Marine environment...................................................................................... 12 2.2.4 Socio-economic and eco-tourism............................................................... 13 2.3 The mission and objectives of the park ............................................................ 14 2.4 Support base for the gaenp ................................................................................ 14 2.4.1 Government................................................................................................... 14 2.4.2 Financial support .......................................................................................... 15 2.4.3 Public.............................................................................................................. 15 2.5 What guarantees are there that the interests of third parties will be considered? .......................................................................................................... 16 3. THE GREATER ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT...................................................................... 19 3.1 What is an SEA? .................................................................................................. 19 3.2 How was this sea undertaken? .......................................................................... 20 3.3 Who was involved in the sea?............................................................................ 22 3.4 What were the Goals and objectives of specific tasks?................................. 23 3.5 How was the Public involved?............................................................................ 25 3.5.1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 25 3.5.2 Approach to public participation................................................................. 25 3.6 What are the Constraints and limitations of an SEA? .................................... 27 3.7 What are the major information gaps?.............................................................. 28 3.7.1 Information gaps limiting the SEA.............................................................. 29 3.7.2 Information gaps to be instigated at the implementation phase ........... 30 4. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................... 31 4.1 What is conservation planning?......................................................................... 31 4.2 How biodiverse is the planning domain? .......................................................... 31 4.2.1 terrestrial environment ................................................................................. 31 4.2.2 Freshwater Environment ............................................................................. 34 4.2.3 Marine Environment ..................................................................................... 36 4.3 What Ecological processes will be conserved?............................................... 39 4.3.1 Terrestrial processes.................................................................................... 39 4.3.2 Freshwater processes.................................................................................. 41 4.3.3 Marine processes ......................................................................................... 42 4.4 What are the limitations to biodiversity conservation in the planning domain?................................................................................................................. 44 4.4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................... 44 4.4.2 Terrestrial environment................................................................................ 44 4.4.3 Freshwater environment.............................................................................. 44 4.4.4 Marine environment...................................................................................... 45 4.5 What are the conservation targets for the gAENP?........................................ 46 4.6 What are the opportunities and constraints presented by the natural environment for gAENP?.................................................................................... 48 The gAENP Strategic Environmental Assessment: FINAL 1 Coastal & Environmental Services 4.6.1 Opportunities................................................................................................. 48 4.6.2 Constraints..................................................................................................... 51 4.7 Conservation planning outputs........................................................................... 52 5. THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT......................................................... 59 5.1 Introduction............................................................................................................ 59 5.2 The social environment of the planning domain.............................................. 59 5.2.1 Demographics............................................................................................... 59 5.2.2 Local communities........................................................................................ 60 5.3 What are the major Economic activities in the Eastern Cape and planning domain?................................................................................................................. 62 5.3.1 Economic activities in the Eastern Cape .................................................. 62 5.3.2 Economic activities in the planning domain............................................. 64 5.4 Summary................................................................................................................ 67 5.5 What opportunities and constraints does the socio-economic environment present?................................................................................................................. 67 5.5.1 Opportunities................................................................................................. 68 5.5.2 Optimising opportunities.............................................................................. 69 5.5.3 Constraints..................................................................................................... 70 5.5.4 Measures to mitigate constraints ............................................................... 70 6. THE FINANCIAL VIABIL ITY OF THE GAENP .................................................... 75 6.1 Is the proposed gAENP financiallly viable? ..................................................... 75 6.1.1 Land ................................................................................................................ 75 6.1.2 Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 76 6.1.3 Roads ............................................................................................................. 76 6.1.4 Building and other infrastructure ................................................................ 76 6.1.5 Equipment...................................................................................................... 76 6.1.6 Game.............................................................................................................. 76 6.1.7 Operating costs............................................................................................. 77 6.1.8 Conclusion..................................................................................................... 77 6.2 What income can be expected from the park?................................................ 77 6.2.1 Income............................................................................................................ 77 6.3 What is the tourism potential? ............................................................................ 80 6.3.1 Established eco-tourism in the planning domain..................................... 80 6.3.2 the economics and sustainability of eco-tourism/ conservation as a form of land use......................................................................................... 83 6.4 what are the opportunities and constraints presented by tourism?.............. 84 6.4.1 Opportunities................................................................................................. 85 6.4.2 Constraints..................................................................................................... 87 6.4.3 Mitigation measures ..................................................................................... 87 7. THE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................... 89 7.1 What is the legal framework for developing the gAENP?.............................. 89 7.2 What is