Conclusion

There are clear links between the political history of South Africa and the social and natural environments. Apartheid policies which restricted the political rights of the majority of the population also limited their ability to improve their socio-economic status. Women were particularly affected as they had the lowest status of all. It has been shown universally that poor people generally have more children, but when socio-economic status (and particularly the status of women) improves and there is adequate access to education, health care and jobs, the birth rate declines. This process has already started in South Africa and can be expected to increase at a faster rate.

In the past most South Africans did not have adequate incomes and could not afford their own housing, or were denied access to land and housing. This lead to household overcrowding and uncontrolled informal settlement with negative effects for water, vegetation and soil (see Terrestrial Ecosystems). Low incomes meant that people could not afford electricity and therefore used other fuels for heating which contributed to degradation of natural vegetation, and increased the risk of respiratory diseases through generation of atmospheric pollution (see Climate and Atmospheric Change).

The uncontrolled exploitation of marine resources along the coast for food has negatively affected the coastal and marine ecosystems (see Marine and Coastal Systems and Resources). Affordability also affected access to clean water and the incidence of water related diseases (see Freshwater Systems and Resources). Low productivity due to low educational levels and, consequently, high unemployment affect state revenue (see Economic Environment) and the ability of the country to provide services such as education and health care. Since the change of government in 1994 all national policies have been redesigned to alleviate poverty and manage the environment sustainably. (see Political Environment)

The separate development policies and resulting inequality has caused severe environmental problems through wasteful resource use and pollution among the affluent minority. As income levels improve, people consume more and produce more waste (see Economic Environment). Recreational activities that require open space may contribute to environmental degradation (e.g. use of 4x4 vehicles on sensitive dune areas). Industrial manufacturing processes produce emissions which affect the atmosphere and contaminate water resources.

South Africa has a vast array of resources, facilities and infrastructure to support its population although not everyone has adequate access to them. The new government has made the alleviation of poverty a national priority. All levels of government are implementing new policies to ensure that everyone has access to services to enable them to meet their basic needs. It is too soon to evaluate the effect of these policies, although it can be anticipated that their overall effect on poverty and the natural environment will be favourable in the long term if combined with strategies to reduce consumption and waste in the affluent sectors of society and industry. In the short term however, until the employment rate increases to provide satisfactory incomes, the degradation of the natural habitat will continue as people deplete marine resources for food, denude the landscape through overgrazing and collection of building material and household fuel.

There is a heightened awareness about the possible negative effects of socio-economic development on the natural environment. Legislation requires that environmental impact assessments (including social impact assessments) be undertaken for all new developments that affect the natural environment. This imposes additional costs on developers which may have a detrimental affect on employment and retard the alleviation of poverty, but is a necessary requirement to ensure development is sustainable. There are also concerns about institutional capacity at all levels of government. It will be some time before all branches of government are effectively able to implement measures to alleviate poverty, curb crime and administer the already existing legal measures to mitigate negative impacts on the natural environment.