KWAZULU-NATAL SITUATIONAL OVERVIEW April 2016 Page 1 of 443 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 24 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 29 OVERVIEW OF KZN FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE .............................................................. 31 THE NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND NATIONAL GROWTH PATH ......................................... 31 THE NINE POINT GROWTH PLAN ..................................................................................................... 35 THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS ................................................................................................ 37 YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.................................................................................................................... 40 RURAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................... 40 THE PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL LANDSCAPE.................................................................. 41 TOPOGRAPHY................................................................................................................................ 41 Elevation .......................................................................................................................... 41 Slope ................................................................................................................................. 42 GEOMORPHOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 43 LAND COVER ................................................................................................................................ 45 AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL.............................................................................................................. 47 MINING AND BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................. 51 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 53 Strategic Water Source Areas ................................................................................... 55 Water Management Areas (WMAs) ......................................................................... 57 Umgeni Water: Water Resource Regions ................................................................. 68 3.6.3.1 Lower uThukela Region ............................................................................................................. 69 3.6.3.2 Mvoti Region ............................................................................................................................... 70 3.6.3.3 Mdloti Region ............................................................................................................................. 70 3.6.3.4 Mooi/Mgeni Region .................................................................................................................. 71 3.6.3.5 Mlazi/ Lovu Region .................................................................................................................... 72 3.6.3.6 Mkhomazi Region ...................................................................................................................... 72 3.6.3.7 Middle South Coast Region ..................................................................................................... 73 3.6.3.8 Mzimkhulu Region ...................................................................................................................... 73 3.6.3.9 Mtamvuna Region ..................................................................................................................... 73 Page 2 of 443 Coastal Metropolitan Area Water Reconciliation .................................................. 74 Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas ......................................................................... 75 Groundwater ............................................................................................................... 79 Water Demand Management ....................................................................................... 81 Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) Proposals ............................................................... 82 Vulnerability of Community due to Dependence on Open Water Sources ....... 83 Wetlands ...................................................................................................................... 84 BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION ................................................................................................. 90 Vegetation ................................................................................................................... 90 National Protected Area Expansion Strategy 2008 .................................................... 95 Impact of climate change on biome stability ........................................................ 97 Trans-Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) .............................................................. 103 MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 104 CLIMATE CHANGE ....................................................................................................................... 105 Climate Change Vulnerability ................................................................................. 108 Responses to Climate Change in KwaZulu-Natal ..................................................... 116 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory ..................................................................... 117 Durban Adaptation Charter .................................................................................... 118 Provincial Responses to Climate Change ............................................................. 119 Durban Climate Change Strategy ......................................................................... 120 ENERGY RESOURCES .................................................................................................................... 121 Wind Energy ............................................................................................................... 124 Solar Energy ............................................................................................................... 126 Hydro Energy ............................................................................................................. 129 Biomass Energy .......................................................................................................... 132 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ..................................................................................................... 133 SYNOPSIS: STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ............................................................................... 134 THE DEMOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................. 138 Page 3 of 443 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................................... 138 Population size and growth ..................................................................................... 138 Population distribution, growth and density .......................................................... 139 Age distribution ......................................................................................................... 142 Gender distribution ................................................................................................... 143 FERTILITY ...................................................................................................................................... 144 Marriage and childbearing ..................................................................................... 144 Fertility levels and trend ............................................................................................ 146 Teenage pregnancy and childbearing ................................................................. 147 HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES.......................................................................................................... 150 MORTALITY .................................................................................................................................. 151 Early age mortality .................................................................................................... 151 Adult mortality and longevity .................................................................................. 151 MIGRATION ................................................................................................................................. 152 Out-migration ............................................................................................................ 152 In-migration ................................................................................................................ 153 Inter-district movements ........................................................................................... 153 Characteristics of migrants ...................................................................................... 155 Migration and access to basic