Sustainability challenges for informal plantations in lsimangaliso Wetlands Park: impacts and perceptions BL Mdluli orcid.org/ 0000-0001-9879-6622 Mini-dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Environmental Management at the North-West University Supervisor: Prof FP Retief Graduation May 2018 27625966 DECLARATION I declare that this research study: Sustainability challenges for informal plantations in Isimangaliso Wetlands Park: impacts and perceptions, except where specifically indicated to the contrary in the text, is my own work both in conception and execution. All the theoretical information and related sources that have been used or quoted have been duly acknowledged by means of complete references. It is further declared that this dissertation has not previously been submitted to any institution for degree purposes. By Bongani Loveous Mdluli i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the following persons: • My supervisor Prof Francois Retief for his guidance, valuable time, moral support and encouragement. It would not have been possible to write and complete this dissertation without his assistance; • My family for believing in me, being supportive and acting as a source of inspiration. Your encouraging words and support have brought me to this point in my career; • Sibongile Zimu who helped me with some of the practical problems during the data collection; • Jabu Sithole for sharing her ideas and experiences, and Sifiso Xaba for his encouragement and support in the course of my career; • My friends and all who supported me during my study; • I thank God for granting me the courage to complete my studies. ii ABSTRACT Certain forest activities in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park have made a significant contribution to the economy; forest products range from natural forest products to commercial forest products derived from forests ranging from timber to non-timber forests products. The local communities of iSimangaliso Wetland Park practise informal afforestation (Eucalyptus, Wattle and Pine). All these informal activities are progressively contributing, not only to the gradual deterioration of the status of the water resources, but also to spoiling the ecosystem between living organisms and non-living organisms around the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. These occurrences are impacting adversely on the aesthetic appeal of the Park. What is implicit is that the rate at which informal afforestation is taking place at the Wetland Park will increase which will reduce the water availability in the river catchments and in turn affect the employment rate within the local communities. Pursuant to these observations and problems, the researcher found it appealing and necessary to explore the informal afforestation and its reduction caused by afforestation in the catchment. In an attempt to address the research question or problem, the following research objectives were set up: To assess how local communities in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park perceive the practice of informal afforestation; To assess the reduction of water resources caused by the informal afforestation (Eucalyptus, Pine and Wattle) in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in order to project future use of water resources; and To project the future status of water resources in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The research methodology applied to achieve the objectives of the research study involved collecting information from the local communities of iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Data were collected by means of sets of questionnaires. The data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) computer statistical package and spread sheets, which led to obtaining the research findings. Various findings that emerged and were deduced from the research data analysed. The findings indicated that too much informal afforestation is practised by the local communities in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The findings further indicated that, among the respondents from the study area of the Park, a limited number of them had received tertiary education. It is believed that the lack of tertiary education had influenced the availability of skills, which resulted in a large number of people participating in practising informal activities that would pose negative to water resources. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) needs to improve awareness about the negative impacts about the iii practised of informal afforestation in water resources. The delayed of the issuance of Water Use Licences(WUL) by the Department of Water and Sanitation will cause the local communities of iSimangaliso Wetland Park to practised informal afforestation. Finally, the local communities indicated that if the government come up with alternative crops to plant and markets to sell, they can remove all the informal afforestation and to plant that crops. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION………………………………………………………………………………………..…i Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………....ii Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………iii-iv Table of contents……………………………………………………………………………………...v-vii List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………………….viii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………….........ix Definitions of Key Terms and Concepts……………………………………………………................x Acronyms………………………………………………………………………………………………....xi Chapter 1.ORIENTATION OF THE STUDY…………………..…………………………………….1 1.1. Introduction…………………………………………………….…….…………………………….1-3 1.2. Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………........... 3-5 1.3. Delineation of the Study …………………………………………………………………………5-6 1.4. Objectives of the study…………………………………………………………………………. .6-6 1.5. Structure of the Dissertation……………………………………………………………………..6-7 Chapter 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY…………………………….………………………….2 2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………......................7-7 2.2. Research Design………………………………………………………………………………... 7-8 2.3. Primary and Secondary Sources……………………………………………………………….8-9 2.4. Interview Data …………………………………………………………………………………….9-9 2.5. Survey Data Sources……………………………………………………………………………..9-9 2.6. Data Collection Technique ……………………………………………………………………10-10 2.6.1. Questionnaire ………………………………………………………………………………..10-10 2.6.2. Questionnaires design………………………………………………………………………10-11 2.6.3. The structure of the questionnaire ………………………………………….. .. …………11-12 2.7. Permission to conduct the study. ……………………………………………………………12-13 2.7.1 Data collection procedure …………………………………………………………………..12-12 2.7.2. Questionnaire for all respondents…………………………………………………………12-12 2.7.3. Sampling Technique ……………………………………………………………….……….12-13 Chapter 3. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………………….3 3.1.Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..................14-14 3.2. Community Perception……………………………………………………………………….. 14-16 v 3.3. Informal Afforestation………………………………………………………………………….16-16 3.4. Wetland Park…………………………………………………………………………. ........... 16-16 3.5. Water Resource Management ……………………………………………………… .......... 16-16 3.6. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….. .......... 17-17 Chapter 4. RELATED MODELLING OF SPATIAL FEATURES: AFFORESTATION, WATER RESOURCES AND WETLAND PARK ………………………………………………………………4 4.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..17-17 4.2. Role and Significance of Modelling in Geography ………………………………………... 17-18 4.3. Planning and Modelling of Forest Reserves in KwaZulu-Natal……………………......... 18-18 4.4. Planning and Modelling of Water Resources in KwaZulu-Natal…………………………18-19 4.5. Planning and Modelling of Wetland Parks in KwaZulu-Natal…………………………….. 19-19 4.6. IMP and Local Communities in KwaZulu-Natal…………………………………………….20-20 4.7. Cost Benefit Analysis of Spatial Features…………………………………………… ........ 20-21 4.8. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...22-22 Chapter 5. STUDY AREA ………………………………………………………………………........5 5.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..22-22 5.2. Relative Location……………………………………………………………………………....23-23 5.3. Absolute Location…………………………………………………………………………….. 23-24 5.4. Geography and Geomorphology……………………………………………………………. 24-24 5.5. Climatological Characteristics……………………………………………………………….. 24-24 5.6. Natural Tourism Activities……………………………………………………………………. 24-24 5.7. Demographics of the Study……………………………………………………………. ....... 24-25 5.8. Hydrological Features………………………………………………………………….......... 25-25 5.9. Environmental Conservation………………………………………………………………… 25-26 5.10. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….. ........ 26-26 Chapter 6. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ………………………………………...6 6.1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….26-26 6.2. Reserve Determination Analysis……………………………………………………….. ...... 26-30 6.3. Analysis of Biographic Characteristics……………………………………………………...31-34 6.4. Community awareness of the importance of forestry practice in the study area………………………………………………………………………………………. ....... 34-35 6.5. Perceptions of local Communities perceptions regarding the impact that caused by afforestation practices in the study area……………………………………………………. .35-36 vi 6.6. The status of the Water Use Licences in the study area ……………………………. .... 36-38 6.7. The determination of Lawful/Formal Versus Unlawful/Informal Water Use with a view to maintain the water level in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park ……………………........38-39 6.8. Reasons for the local communities to practice informal afforestation……..……...........39-40 6.9. Companies that provide seedlings to Unlawful Users ………….................................…40-41 6.10. Is practising informal afforestation user friendly