Pongola River Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation: Project Briefs December 2009 PRESPA Contents: Seven Project Briefs 1. Overview of the Pongola River Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Project 1 2. The impact of the Pongolapoort dam on the ecosystem services provided by the Pongola Floodplain 3 3. Livelihoods and poverty linkages to the ecosystem services provided by the Pongola Floodplain 5 4. Governance: Managing flood releases from the Pongolapoort dam to best maintain the ecosystem services on the Pongola Floodplain for poverty alleviation 7 5. Future scenarios for the Pongola Floodplain 9 6. Stakeholder participation and dissemination 11 7. Hydrology, ecosystem services and poverty alleviation 13 PRESPA PROJECT BRIEF No 1 Overview of the Pongola River Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Project (PRESPA) Introduction The Pongola River Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (PRESPA) project is a joint study undertaken by the Institute of Natural Resources (South Africa) and the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom). The study is funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (United Kingdom) and aimed at improving the management of ecosystem services to reduce poverty and improve human well‐being. The project commenced in January 2009 and will conclude in March 2010. Study area The PRESPA study area is located in northern KwaZulu‐Natal and includes the Pongolapoort Dam, Pongola River and floodplain downstream of the Dam. For the purposes of this phase of the project, only the section of the Pongola Floodplain in South Africa has been investigated. The downstream Mozambiquean portion of the floodplain, though important in terms of livelihoods, was not included in this study due to time and funding limitations. Project objectives The PRESPA project set out to develop tools, datasets and networks needed to improve capacity to better manage ecosystems services for human well‐being in the Pongola region. The specific objectives of the project are to: • Examine, characterise and quantify recent past and current eco‐systems services in the floodplain. • Explore and assess the impact of management decisions on the state of ecosystem services and associated human wellbeing in the Pongola system • Determine plausible future changes in ecosystem service supply and wellbeing to develop appropriate response strategies • Contribute to international debates on ecosystems theory, particularly taking a critical look at its current linear conceptualization. • Involve local mangers, scientists and user representatives from project inception to completion so as to deepen their understanding about the linkages between ecosystem services and human wellbeing. • Strengthen relationships between management authorities to enhance environmental management. The study adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the assessment of ecosystem services and builds new partnerships between UK institutions and researchers in sub‐Saharan Africa. 1 2. How decision‐makers could manage water from Project approach Pongolapoort Dam to amplify ecosystem services that Water from the Pongolapoort Dam is used to sustain the enhance well‐being for more water users. The key floodplain ecosystem as well as to provide for the livelihoods components of this study include: of local people (rural and urban) and to supply two irrigation • Review of changes and trends in the biophysical profile schemes. This project investigates the implications of the and associated changes in ecosystem services from the management of water releases from the Pongolapoort Dam Pongola Floodplain on the provision of ecosystem services and the consequent • Establish the socio‐economic profile of the area and impact on the livelihoods of the surrounding rural trends in dependency on ecosystem services from the communities. It also assesses the economic returns from Floodplain other uses of water from the Pongolapoort Dam and the • Review of governance structures and systems for the percentage of this revenue that accrues to the poor. management of the Pongolapoort Dam and Pongola Floodplain The study addresses the following key questions: • Valuation of water use from the Pongolapoort Dam and • What ecosystem services are supported by the water and the ecosystem services supported by the Floodplain and when they occur within an annual timeframe? used by the communities • What volumes of water are required to ‘support’ them? • Hydrological assessment of the functioning and uptake of • Who accesses these ecosystem services? water from the Pongola River system in the target study • What is the economic value of these services? area • How is this value apportioned to or accessed by poor • Scenario development integrated assessment of people? implications of management of water releases from the Pongolapoort Dam on ecosystem services and poverty The project develops three potential future scenarios to alleviation on the Floodplain explore management options for the release of water from Pongolapoort Dam and associated land uses on the The study facilitates the participation of local managers, Floodplain: unstructured diversified economy, structured scientists and user representatives so as to improve diversified economy, structured single focus economy. Based awareness and deepen their understanding about the on these scenarios the project investigates: linkages between ecosystem services and human well‐being. In this way the study aims to strengthen relationships 1. The extent to which each eof thes scenarios impacts on between management authorities and local stakeholders to ecosystem services and associated human well‐being in the enhance environmental management and contribute to surrounding area. improved human wellbeing. 2 PRESPA PROJECT BRIEF No 2 The impact of the Pongolapoort Dam on the ecosystem services provided by the Pongola Floodplain Introduction The Pongola River floodplain is located on the low‐lying flats in the Maputaland area in northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa and extends from below the Pongolapoort Dam to the confluence of the Pongola and Usutu Rivers. It comprises a low‐lying area with numerous depressions and a range of vegetation communities which are dependent upon the periodic flooding and inundation by the rivers (Heeg & Breen, 1982). These vegetation communities give rise to a number of ecosystem services as listed in the table below. The people living on the floodplain Category Ecosystem service have experienced a considerable change in Grazing the ecosystem services they receive due to the upstream construction of the Pongolapoort Dam. The PRESPA Reeds/sedges for thatching and building biophysical assessment undertook to determine how these services have Provisioning Wood for building and fuel changed as a result of the construction of this impoundment. Bulrushes for mats Food production Methodology Biodiversity Two study sites were identified to examine the response of the riparian Nutrient cycling vegetation to artificial flows from the Pongolapoort Dam and the Flood attenuation consequent impact on ecosystem services. The first site was located Regulating & approximately 36km below the dam and extended 52km to the tar road Supporting Erosion control linking the Skimilela and Ingwavuma settlements. The second site was Sediment retention located on the floodplain in Ndumo Game Reserve and was used as the Water quality control or reference site as it has largely been protected from significant Primary production anthropogenic impacts. Cultural Reeds for reed dance For both sites, a comparison was undertaken using aerial Pongola site, Transect 6, 1955 photography taken before and after construction of the dam. Ten transects which demarcated a consistent geographical area for comparison of vegetation cover between historical and current photos, were considered in both the study area and the control site. Transects were randomly selected throughout each area and transect centre lines were drawn at right angles to the river course from one edge of the floodplain to the other. These lines were then buffered by 100m on either side to provide 200m wide transect areas across the floodplain. The boundaries of the floodplain were determined by scanning, geo‐referencing and then digitizing the one in one hundred year floodlines. Ten functional cover classes were identified based on previous Pongola site, Transect 6, 2003 studies of the floodplain vegetation. These include: Functional cover classes Non‐floodplain trees Phragmites community Non‐floodplain grass Mud flats & sandy areas Shrub/Tree community Cultivated land Cyperus community Settlement Grass community Open water The percentage contribution of each of the respective functional cover classes to the total transect area was then calculated for each transect in the study area and control site. 3 Results In both sites there have been substantial Table 1. Change in ecosystem services at the Pongola site changes to the cover classes between Ecosystem services 1955 and 2003. In the Pongola site the for non‐floodplain trees component has mats building for reed retention building decreased on average by 20% whilst the & Cover classes cycling sedges production control quality for for & attenuation production Cyperus cover class has shown a decline of fuel almost 16%. Cultivated land has increased Primary dance Food Reeds Water Erosion Sediment Flood Biodiversity Nutrient and Bulrushes Wood thatching Grazing Reeds by over 40%. Non‐floodplain grass Non‐floodplain trees The change in cover