Responses

4.6.1 Policy and institutional initiatives:  

Past policies and legislation on environmental management in South Africa have been fragmented both in implementation and responsibility. Over the past five years changes in environmental legislation and policy have resulted in new laws with a national focus and aligned with the Constitution of South Africa. These laws and policies promise more effective and efficient management of the coastal and marine ecosystems and all the other natural resources in the country. Effective implementation will depend on management capacity in government departments and availability of information necessary for decision making.

Draft White Paper

The primary response to the pressure on the coastal zone is the Coastal Management Policy (http://www.cmpp.co.za) (White Paper Status). Of almost equal importance, especially with respect to estuaries, is the National Water Act, Act 56 of 1998 which make a legal requirement that sufficient water reach estuariea to maintain their natural function. Despite these far-sighted policy initiatives, immediate (short-term) needs normally take preference over long-term sustainability.

The development of a national Coastal Policy is an important step to ensure coordination in management of the coastal zone. Training and improved working relationships between the responsible government departments and environmental practitioners may help to increase the efficiency and capacity to process EIA applications.

The Consortium for Estuarine Research and Management (CERM) which was formed in the early 1990s provides a platform for organisations and experts to collaborate in promoting the wise management of estuarine systems. This is achieved through joint participation in directed research, training, and information and technology sharing. CERM aspires to ensure the environmentally sustainable development of southern Africa's estuaries.

One other initiative, which involves local communities, is the Working for Water Programme. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has since October 1995 embarked on this nation-wide multi-partnerprogramme. The project aims to increase catchment water yield, to meet basic human needs in terms of water supply and ecosystem requirements, through the clearing of invasive alien plants in catchments throughout the country. Other project aims include the improvement of water quality, stormwater management, erosion control and the conservation of biological diversity, and most importantly, the creation of jobs in areas of poverty and low employment.

4.6.2 International treaties, national legislation and guidelines: 

International trends and public pressure have largely contributed to the development and implementation of various legislation, policies and guidelines which aim to minimize or prevent the deterioration of the South African coastal and marine environment. These include:

• A Draft White Paper was published in March 1999 with the objective of promoting sustainable coastal development in South Africa. Goals have been set for the development and management of coastal settlements. These include: requirements for the design and built form of coastal settlements to be in harmony with the aesthetic, amenity, biophysical, economic, social and cultural opportunities and constraints of coastal localities and regions; and coastal settlements and associated activities shall be managed to promote and enhance the socio-economic benefits of the coastal setting and to minimise adverse effects on coastal ecosystems.
• Legislation to control pollution at sea, e.g. Dumping at Sea Control Act, Act 73 of 1980, International Convention of Pollution from Ships Act, Act 2 of 1986, Sea Fisheries Act, Act 12 of 1988, The Shipping General Amendment Act, Act 23 of 1997. These distinguish between the different categories of waste, lists them and subsequently prohibits the disposal at sea of some of them, and prescribes a permit requirement for the disposal of others.
• The development of oil spill contingency plans for the South African coastline resulted in the production of the Coastal Sensitivity Atlas of Southern Africa which was published in 1984. This detailed the sensitive marine and coastal systems and resources along the coast and serves as an information source for those responsible for combating oil spills along this coastline. The oil spill contingency plans provide clear response measures in the event of oil spills. The South African coast has been divided into 25 zones for this purpose.

The contingency plans also list the responsible government departments with whom contact should be made during an oil spill incident. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is tasked with the co-ordination and implementation of coastal protection and cleanup measures.

• According to Section 21 of the Environment Conservation Act, Act 73 of 1989, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is compulsory for all proposed developments and activitie, including those which may have an effect on the marine and coastal environment.
• The development and implementation of the South African Water Quality Guidelines for coastal marine waters set out to achieve water quality objectives based on designated uses of coastal waters. Extensive monitoring of the environmental impact of most of the effluent outfalls around the coast is performed on an annual basis. The South African Water Quality Guidelines play a key role in determining the assimilative capacity of the sea adjacent to effluent discharge points. This refers to the determination of the degree with which the marine ecosystem can cope with the dumping of waste in relation to flushing / dilution rates as well as water circulation.
• The National Water Act, Act 56 of 1998 requires that the water resources of South Africa are managed such that the: basic human needs of present and future generations are met; aquatic ecosystems are protected which includes estuaries; and water quality requirements of water users are protected. The important feature of this act is the Reserve which is determined in terms of the quality and quantity of catchment water yield. The level at which the Reserve is set for a particular resource will be dependent on the management class that is selected for that resource. Formal protocols for determining the estuarine Reserve are in the development phase. For the first time in South Africa, estuaries will have to be classified with a clear management objective in mind; i.e. the allocation of sufficient water to ensure that the estuary continues to function at the designated level.
• The National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998 has as its aim the provision for co-operative environmental governance by establishing principles for decision-making on matters affecting the environment, institutions that will promote co-operative governance and procedures for co-ordinating environmental functions exercised by organs of state; and to provide for matters connected therewith.
• Licencing systems are in place to control access to and the opportunity to harvest marine resources. The draft Marine Fisheries Policy for South Africa makes provision for the potential use of Marine Protected Areas to manage certain types of resources, but no specific details are given in respect of objectives, design or management.
• The United Nation's Law of the Sea Convention empowers South Africa to control activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone and thereby reduce the potential risk of pollution of the South African coastline.

There are 57 Marine Protected Areas along South Africa's coast which encompass a variety of species and habitats, and which serve various conservation purposes as shown in Table 4.5 below.

>     Marine and Coastal Systems: Outcomes

There is also information about Terrestrial Ecosystems in the following reports:
Metropolitan reports:
	Cape Metropolitan Council (1998 edition)		Durban Pilot Study
	Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council (1999 edition)		Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council (1999 edition)