Threatened Biodiversity, the NEMA EIA Regulations and Cultivation of Virgin Land: More of the Sorry Same?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2007/v10i3a2799Abstract
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) regulations published in terms of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) have extended an unprecedented degree of environmental oversight into the domain of agricultural decision-making. However, threatened Cape flora occurring in remnants of less than three hectares in extent will be denied such protection pending their incorporation in a national list of threatened ecosystems. Until such listing, unresolved legal questions that inhibited the effective consideration of biodiversity in agricultural decision-making prior to the promulgation of the NEMA EIA regulations are likely to persist—to the detriment of a globally imperilled biodiversity. This contribution sets out to identify some of the key issues that inhibited mainstreaming of biodiversity in agri-environmental decision-making in the Western Cape. It also attempts to show that the NEMA EIA dispensation has inherited some problems in respect of cultivation that would result in the transformation or removal of less than three hectares of vegetation in Critically Endangered and Endangered ecosystems—which, until listed in terms of biodiversity law, will have no legal protection. Lastly, the contribution provides an analysis of, and suggest a number of options for ensuring that biodiversity is given its appropriate due in the issuing of cultivation permits that otherwise may contribute to the further degradation and loss of some of the most threatened elements of the globally unique Cape flora.
Downloads
References
Bibliography
Botha “Interpretation” 2005
Botha MJ “Interpretation” in Correspondence between the Manager: Land
and Monitoring, National Department of Agriculture and the Botanical Society of South Africa (15 March 2005)
Bowie “Land-use Advice”
Bowie V “Land-use Advice in Cape Nature” in CapeNature Biodiversity
Review (Driftsands Nature Reserve Kuils River 26 October 2005)
CAPE Agri-forum Minutes
Cape Action for People and the Environment Agricultural Forum Minutes of 24 August 2005 (Rufford Maurice Laing Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Kirstenbosch)
Cowling “Foreword” 7
Cowling RM “Foreword” in De Villiers CC (ed) Fynbos Forum Ecosystem
Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape (Fynbos Forum & BSSA Kirstenbosch 2005)
Cowling et al Framework for a Conservation Plan 16
Cowling RM et al Framework for a Conservation Plan for the Cape
Floristic Region, South Africa IPC Report 9902 prepared for WWF-SA
Stellenbosch (UCT Rondebosch 1999)
Cox and Youens Review
Cox D and Youens K Review of the agricultural application procedure:
Alignment of the CARA and ECA Application Processes (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Affairs KwaZulu-Natal 2005)
CSIR Situation Assessment
CSIR Consortium Situation Assessment for the Policy, Legal, Institutional, Financial, Social and Economic Component (Module 3) of the CAPE Project (CSIR/WWF-SA Stellenbosch 1999)
De Villiers and Turner “Managing Agricultural Land Transformation”
De Villiers CC and Turner I “Managing Agriculture Land Transformation in the Cape Floristic Region: An Overview” in IAIAsa 2000 National Conference Proceedings (IAIAsa Goudini Spa 30 September-4 October 2001)
De Villiers et al “Developing Guidelines”
De Villiers CC et al “Developing Guidelines for Incorporation of
Biodiversity Considerations in Environmental Assessment: The Experience of the Fynbos Forum” in IAIAsa 2004 National Conference Proceedings (IAIAsa Champagne Sports Resort Drakensberg KwaZulu-Natal 17-20 October 2004)
De Villiers et al Fynbos Forum Ecosystem Guidelines
De Villiers CC et al Fynbos Forum Ecosystem Guidelines for
Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape (Fynbos Forum & BSSA Kirstenbosch 2005)
DEA Guideline Document
Department of Environmental Affairs Integrated Environmental Management Guideline Series: Documents 1-6 (DEA Pretoria 1992)
DEADP Presentation
Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Presentation to the Steering Committee for the Supplementation of the EIA regulations to be promulgated in terms of s 24(2) of the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998 (as amended) (DEADP Cape Town 2 February 2006)
Driver et al 2005 Strelitzia
Driver A et al “National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation in South Africa” 2005 Strelitzia 17
Glasson et al Introduction 4-6
Glasson J, Therivel R and Chadwick A Introduction to Environmental
Impact Assessment (UCL Press London 2005)
Mittermeier et al Hotspots
Mittermeier RA et al Hotspots Revisited: Earth’s Biologically Richest
and most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions (CEMEX Agrupación
Serra Madre SC Mexico 2005)
Mucina and Rutherford 2006 Strelitizia 19
Mucina L and Rutherford MC (eds) “The Vegetation of South Africa,
Lesotho and Swaziland” 2006 Strelitzia 19
Preston et al IEM 748-761
Preston G, Robins N and Fuggle RF “Integrated Environmental
Management” in Fuggle RF and Rabie MA (eds) Environmental Management in South Africa (Juta Kenwyn 1996)
Rouget et al NSBA Technical Report
Rouget M et al South African National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment
Technical Report Volume 1 Terrestrial Component (SANBI
Pretoria 2004)
SANBI NBSAP
South African National Biodiversity Institute South Africa’s National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Final Draft 6 May 2005 (SANBI
Pretoria 2005)
Sandwith et al Mainstreaming Biodiversity
Sandwith T et al “Mainstreaming Biodiversity through South Africa’s
Bioregional Conservation Programs: Top-Down, Bottom-Up” in Petersen C and Huntley B (eds) Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production Landscapes (Global Environment Facility Washington DC 2005)
Scholes and Biggs (eds) “Ecosystem services in South Africa” 18
Scholes RJ and Biggs R (eds) “Ecosystem Services in Southern Africa:
A Regional Assessment: A contribution to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, prepared by the regional-scale team of the Southern African Millennium Ecosystem Assessment” (CSIR Pretoria 2004)
Von Hase et al Cape Lowlands Renosterveld
Von Hase A et al A Fine-Scale Conservation Plan for Cape Lowlands
Renosterveld Report No CCU 2/03 (BSSA Kirstenbosch 2003)
Register of legislation
Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996
Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989
GN R385 Government Gazette 28753 of 21 April 2006
GN R386 Government Gazette 28753 of 21 April 2006
GN R387 Government Gazette 28753 of 21 April 2006
GN R670 Government Gazette 23401 10 May 2002
GN R672 Government Gazette 23401 10 May 2002
GN R1182 Government Gazette 18261 5 September 1997
GN R1183 Government Gazette 18261 5 September 1997
GN R1184 Government Gazette 18261 5 September 1997
GN R1048 Government Gazette 9238 25 May 1984
National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998
National Environmental Management Second Amendment Act 8 of 2004 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004
National Water Act 36 of 1998
Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000
Western Cape Nature Conservation Board Act 15 of 1985
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2017 CC de Villiers
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}