WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION AND OTHER INITIATIVES

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WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION AND
OTHER INITIATIVES
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BIODIVERSITY ACT

• Provide for
• Management and conservation of biological
  diversity
• Use of biological resources in a sustainable
  manner
• Co-operative governance of biodiversity
  management
• Chapter 4 Threatened or protected ecosystems and
  species
• Art 52 Listing of ecosystems that are threatened
  or in need of protection (can include rivers,
  dams, wetlands, ponds, etc)
• Art 53 Minister may identify any process or
  activity in a listed ecosystem as a threatening
  process

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NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN

• Goal Conserve and manage terrestrial and aquatic
  biodiversity to ensure sustainable and equitable
  benefits to the people of SA, now and in the
  future
• Strategic Objective 3 Integrated terrestrial and
  aquatic management minimises the impacts of
  threatening processes on biodiversity, enhance
  ecosystem services and improves social and
  economic security
• Activities include e.g.
• ensure that Catchment Management Agencies
  integrate terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity
  management in their operations
• implement integrated coastal management
  programmes that address biodiversity management
  in production activities in coastal zones
• develop and implement integrated programmes to
  minimise on marine biodiversity

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NATIONAL SPATIAL BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT

• Study to support the NBSAP
• Alarming results
• 82 of mainstem rivers are threatened (44
  critically endangered)
• 65 of marine biozones are threatened
• Estuarine ecosystems are in good condition

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CROSS SECTOR POLICY OBJECTIVES FOR CONSERVING
SAS INLAND WATER BIODIVERSITY

• Establishing a common conservation goal for
  inland water biodiversity
• Achieving the goal through operational objectives
• 5 Objectives
• Set and entrench quantitative conservation
  targets for inland water biodiversity
• Plan for representation of inland water
  biodiversity
• Plan for persistence of inland water biodiversity
• Establishing a portfolio of inland water
  conservation areas
• Enable effective implementation

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RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS

• DEAT national focal point
• 17 Existing Ramsar sites and Makuleke and Prince
  Edward Islands soon to follow
• Working for Wetlands
• National Wetland Inventory (funded by NORAD)
• Extensive rehabilitation projects in rural areas
  improved hydrological functioning
• Water Research Commission provide reports for
  use in Ramsar Convention water related guidance

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MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL AND MARINE WATER QUALITY

• 80 of marine pollution emanates from land-based
  sources
• - Wastewater discharges into the marine
  environment
• - Storm water and agricultural run-off
• - Rivers and catchments etc
• UNEP Global Programme of Action on Land-based
  Activities
• - Source of practical guidance for action.
• Establishing and implementing a National
  Programme of Action
• - Need for interdepartmental collaboration.
• Need for a national coastal water quality
  monitoring programme
• - Build local compliance and environmental
  monitoring efforts into a national network
• - Data collection and sharing