Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 CEM2011/072 Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework Report Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - i Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS Environmental Management Framework for the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site EMF Report OCTOBER 2013 Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - ii Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - iii Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 APPROVAL CLIENT: Department of Environmental Affairs PROJECT: Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework REPORT STATUS: Draft EMF Report DATE OF REPORT: 22 October 2013 CONSULTANT: Centre for Environmental Management PROJECT Messrs Theunis Meyer and Reece Alberts CO-ORDINATOR(S): For: Centre for Environmental Management For: Department of Environmental Affairs Mr Theunis Meyer Mr Simon Moganetsi Manager: Environmental and Legal Specialist Director: Environmental Impact Services Management Systems and Tools Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - iv Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background and legal mandate The Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site (VDWHS) is the oldest, largest, and most deeply eroded meteorite impact structure in the world, providing critical evidence of the earth’s geological history. The listing of the VDWHS in terms of the World Heritage Convention resulted in several duties and obligations being imposed on the South African government. These include a duty to ensure that cultural and natural heritage contemplated in the Convention is identified, protected, conserved and transmitted to future generations; and an obligation to ensure that effective and active measures are taken for the protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural heritage. The VDWHS is located within various municipalities and two provinces. Therefore, different institutions are responsible for the processing of land use and development applications and management of building and developmental control. Consequently, various policies, planning instruments and guidelines are being used to manage land use and development for different geological entities within the VDWHS. A single EMF is therefore required to guide land use management and development within and around the VDWHS (South Africa, 2011). The Centre for Environmental Management (CEM), North West University was appointed by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to draft an EMF for the VDWHS, as well as separate EMFs for the areas of the Moqhaka and Ngwathe Local Municipalities in the Free State Province that fall outside the VDWHS Purpose of the EMF EMFs are part of the suite of Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) tools that can be used to support informed decisions regarding the management of environmental impacts that arise out of human activities and developments. The purpose of EMFs is to function as a support mechanism in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in the evaluation and review of development applications, as well as decision-making. EMFs provide a compilation of information and maps, illustrating attributes of the environment for a specific geographical area that becomes useful in a diverse field of environmental applications, including EIA processes, but also other planning processes, such as the development of IDPs, SDFs and other open space planning applications. Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - v Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 EMF phasing The project to draft the EMF for the VDWHS consisted of nine phases, in line with the requirements of the ToR, that has been condensed into the following four phases with sub- phases: Inception phase included the preparation, submission and approval of an Inception Report by the Project Management Team (PMT). It also involved the identification of stakeholders who wished to participate in the EMF process. The stakeholder database was updated and expanded during the course of the process. Analysis phase which included assessments of the institutional and governance context and frameworks, biophysical environmental aspects, social and economic aspects. The results of the analysis phase have been documented in a separate Status Quo Report. Synthesis phase during which strategic significant environmental issues (identified in the Status Quo Report and during public consultation) are summarised; the DSoE of the VDWHS is described; Environmental Management Zones (EMZs) are identified (based on environmental sensitivities and the DSOE) and a Strategic Environmental Management Plan is developed that will address management guidelines and responsibilities. Implementation phase, which will include the development of a GIS training manual, as well as all relevant actions required for the implementation, monitoring and maintenance of the EMF. Desired state of the VDWHS environment The analysis and evaluation of the base line information, issues raised through the public participation process, and authority requirements and policies identify and provide the basis for establishing environmental priorities, related to critical environmental issues, in the EMF development process. These environmental priorities must be used to develop a vision and strategic objectives for the Desired State of the Environment, as well as management guidelines for the EMF Sensitivity mapping and Environmental Management Zones A key consideration in the development of an EMF relates to sensitivity. Sensitivity refers to the manner in which a feature in the environment may or may not be affected by specific types of activities or land uses. Addendum 5 contains the sensitivity maps for key environmental attributes which forms the baseline for the environmental constraints dataset. Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - vi Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 To aid strategic environmental management in the area, environmental management zones were delineated by grouping areas which share the same characteristics together. Areas were grouped based on their current use (e.g. Agriculture, Residential, Natural, etc.) and their sensitivity to different types of activities. Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) The SEMP is developed in accordance with Terms of Reference (ToR), which sets out management guidelines and responsibilities. The SEMP includes strategies and guidelines for inter alia the implementation of the EMF linked to institutional frameworks as well as a system to evaluate, monitor and report on progress made towards the DSOE. The SEMP sets out the management approach to the study area at a strategic level, and addresses amongst others, along with the EMF and the management zones Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - vii Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The project team wishes to thank the Project Management Committee for their valuable guidance and assistance throughout this EMF process. PMT members included officials from the DEA, NWDEDECT, FSDETEA, DRDLR, FSCOGTA, and NWCOGTA. The valuable contributions of the Project Steering Committee, consisting of officials from the DRDLR, DAFF, DWA, FDDM, KKDM, TLM, MLM, NLM, as well as representatives of the three land owners associations, the NWLOA, FSLOA & DBC are also acknowledged. To all stakeholders, we thank you for your continued participation and interest in this project. Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - viii Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Abbreviation or Description Acronym CARA Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983 CEM Centre for Environmental Management DEA Department of Environmental Affairs DMR Department of Mineral Resources DSoE Desired State of the Environment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMF Environmental Management Framework ha Hectares IDP Integrated Development Plan IEM Integrated Environmental Management IMP Integrated Management Plan IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature MA Management Authority SATOUR South African Tourism SDF Spatial Development Framework SMME Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation VDWHS Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site WHCA World Heritage Convention Act 49 of 1999 WHS World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework Report (Final) Page - ix Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site Environmental Management Framework – October 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... VIII ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ....................................................................................... IX TABLE OF CONTENTS ...........................................................................................................