NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT J29079 February 2011 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT We are only as healthy as the world we live in Prepared by Dr N. Klages, assisted by J. Jegels, I. Schovell and M. Vosloo, of Arcus GIBB (Pty) Ltd for Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. NMBM SOER 1 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT CONTENTS Chapter Description Page 1 SUMMARY EVALUATION 11 2 INTRODUCTION 20 2.1 What is a State of the Environment Report? 20 2.2 Background to State of the Environment Reports 20 3 LEGAL FRAMEWORK 21 3.1 Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) 21 3.2 National Environmental Management Act (Act 107 of 1998) 21 3.3 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004) 22 3.4 Municipal Systems Act (Act 32 of 2000) 22 3.5 Promotion of Access to Information Act (Act No. 2 of 2000) 22 3.6 Local Agenda 21 23 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 24 4.1 Topography 24 4.2 Geology and soils 26 4.3 Weather and climate 27 4.4 Flora and fauna 28 4.5 Demographics 30 4.6 History 32 4.7 Political administration 33 4.8 Economy 35 NMBM SOER 2 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT 5 THEME: LAND 37 5.1 Introduction 37 5.2 Drivers and pressure s 37 5.3 State 38 5.4 Indicators 45 5.5 Impacts 45 5.6 Responses 45 5.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 48 6 THEME: CLIMATE CHANGE AND AIR QUALITY 49 6.1 Introduction 49 6.2 Drivers and pressure s 51 6.3 State 52 6.4 Indicators 58 6.5 Impacts 59 6.6 Responses 60 6.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 62 6.8 Identified gaps 63 7 THEME: BIODIVERSITY 64 7.1 Introduction 64 7.2 Drivers and pressure s 66 7.3 State 66 7.4 Indicators 77 7.5 Impacts 78 7.6 Responses 80 8 THEME: RIVERS, ESTUARIES & COAST 81 8.1 Introduction 81 8.2 Drivers and pressure s 85 NMBM SOER 3 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT 8.3 State 88 8.4 Indicators 97 8.5 Impacts 98 8.6 Links and inter-dependencies 100 8.7 Responses 100 9 THEME: BULK SERVICES: ENERGY, WASTE & WATER 101 9.1 Introduction 101 9.2 Drivers and pressure s 102 9.3 State 103 9.4 Indicators 114 9.5 Impacts 115 9.6 Responses 116 9.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 118 9.8 Identified gaps 118 10 THEME: POVERTY 119 10.1 Introduction 119 10.2 Drivers and pressure s 120 10.3 State 120 10.4 Indicators 123 10.5 Impacts 123 10.6 Responses 124 10.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 125 10.8 Identified gaps 125 11 THEME: HEALTH 126 11.1 Introduction 126 11.2 Drivers and pressure s 126 11.3 State 127 NMBM SOER 4 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT 11.4 Listed and suggested indicators 134 11.5 Impacts 136 11.6 Responses 136 11.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 137 12 THEME: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE 138 12.1 Introduction 138 12.2 Drivers and pressure s 138 12.3 State 139 12.4 Indicators 143 12.5 Impacts 144 12.6 Responses 144 12.7 Linkages and inter-dependencies 144 12.8 Identified gaps 144 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. List of Portfolio Committees of NMBM. A 10th Portfolio (Special Projects) also exists. 34 Table 2. Economy of NMBM by sector as GGVA (Value Added Geographical Growth) (NMBM IDP). 35 Table 3. Percent land use in 2007. 38 Table 4. Zoning of the Nelson Mandela Bay 39 Table 5. Mean erf size and area of Public Open Space for a sample of 40 Table 6: State of Environment indicators for Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality: 58 Table 7: State of Environment indicators for Nelson Mandela Bay 58 Table 8. Definition of ecosystem status categories of land classes. 67 Table 9. Conservation areas in Nelson Mandela Bay. NMBM total area = 195412 ha. 71 Table 10. Evaluation matrix of ecosystem status by protection status (i.e. represented in Type 1, 2 and 3 protected areas) for the 58 land classes occurring in the NMBM. 73 Table 11. Common alien trees in the NMBM. These species have the ability to spread aggressively into natural habitats without the direct assi stance of people. 75 Table 12. The criteria used to measure water quality for the Blue Flag beaches are as follows:90 Table 13. Water quality according to coliform counts of the 12 main beaches 91 Table 14. Degradation pressure s 96 Table 15. Impacts from environmental degradation in the coastal zone. 99 Table 16. Attributes of landfill sites in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality 106 Table 17. Capacity and permit type of NMBM waste water treatment works 110 Table 18.Selected physical and chemical parameters of six water treatment works. 112 Table 19. State of the environment indicators for Nelson Mandela 114 Table 20: Population trends of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. 122 NMBM SOER 5 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT Table 21: HIV prevalence among antenatal clinic female attendees in the NMBM. 127 Table 22. Trends in underweight births in the NMBM from 2007 to 2009. 129 Table 23. Infant and child mortality rates for the Eastern Cape and South Africa 131 Table 24. Census data for 2001 and 2007 for NMBM, Eastern Cape and 132 Table 25. Percentage of households having access to piped water in NMBM 133 Table 26. Health facilities in NMBM (Source: WC Sustainability Atlas 2006). 133 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Location of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in South Africa. 24 Figure 2. Topography, rivers and main roads of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. 25 Figure 3. NMBM broad habitat units (after Stewart et al. 2005). 29 Figure 4. Racial composition of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (2001 census). 30 Figure 5. Population density per km 2 in Nelson Mandela Bay by electoral ward according to the 2006 census. 31 Figure 6.Comparison of dwelling density between the low-cost settlement at Motherwell NU 31 (left) and affluent Walmer (right). The left image contains 168 dwellings on 3.66 ha while the right image contains 15 houses on the same area of land. Note how trees and bushes in Walmer provide microhabitat for fauna and that there are no trees present in the township. 32 Figure 7. Structure of NMBM Directorates. 34 Figure 8. Positions of the sample of allotments in urban Port Elizabeth that 41 Figure 9. Occurrence of informal settlements in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in 2009. 42 Figure 10. The poor standard of housing and the absence of most municipal services render the demarcated erven 43 Figure 11. Mining in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. 44 Figure 12. Spatial Development Framework map of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as approved in March 2009. 47 Figure 13. Haze visible over Port Elizabeth as seen on a windless day. 50 Figure 14. Long term mean surface temperature for Port Elizabeth. 52 Figure 15. Annual precipitation in Port Elizabeth from 1970 to 2007. 53 Figure 16. Household dependence on different energy sources for cooking 54 Figure 17. Number of flood and drought disaster events in Nelson Mandela Bay 54 Figure 18. Average annual SO 2 concentrations at six bubbler measuring 56 Figure 19. Average 24 hourly concentrations of SO 2 and NO 2 56 Figure 20. Average one hourly concentrations of ozone in North End 57 Figure 21. Percent breakdown of the ecosystem status of NMBM land classes. 67 Figure 22: Ecosystem status of the 58 land classes occurring in Nelson Mandela Bay (from Stewart et al. 2005). 70 Figure 23. The Critical Biodiversity Areas and Ecological Support Areas of the NMMOSS (from Stewart 2009). 74 Figure 24. Distribution of dense stands of alien invasive trees in Nelson Mandela Bay. The locations of the small commercial tree plantations in the west are also shown. 76 Figure 25. The rivers and major streams in the NMBM. 82 Figure 26. Change in land cover 1997 – 2007 in the coastal zone. 89 Figure 27. Water quality of the Swartkops River: chloride. The red line represents the 92 Figure 28. Water quality of the Swartkops River: fluoride. 92 Figure 29. Water quality of the Swartkops River: potassium. The red line represents 93 Figure 30. Water quality of the Swartkops River: sodium. The red line represents 93 Figure 31. Water quality of the Swartkops River: sulphate. The red line represents 94 NMBM SOER 6 NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY STATE OF ENVIRONMENT REPORT Figure 32. Water quality of the Swartkops River: magnesium. The red line represents 94 Figure 33. Water quality of the Swartkops River: nitrate. 95 Figure 34. Water quality of the Swartkops River: pH. The red lines represent 95 Figure 35. Percentage of households in the NMBM using electricity for lighting, 103 Figure 36. Energy usage by energy carrier type expressed as a percentage. 104 Figure 37. Electricity usage per sub-sector in the NMBM. Numbers in the bars 104 Figure 38. Petrol and diesel usage per sub-sector in the NMBM. Numbers in the 105 Figure 39. Average yearly electricity consumption per capita in the NMBM. 105 Figure 40. Total waste in tonnes received by Arlington and Koedoeskloof landfill sites. 107 Figure 41. Waste depots, waste transfer sites, land fill sites (above) and waste collection types and service in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. 108 Figure 42.