Annexure 6.Env. Situation Analysis August 2010

Transcription

1
Report No 104860/5065
Environmental Situation Analysis
Cape Winelands District Municipal Area of the
Western Cape
Final Report
August 2010
EIA CONSULTANT
Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
81 Church Street
CLIENT
Rode & Associates
Spatial & Development Planners & Economists
P.O. Box 494
Cape Town
8000
Tel: (021) 481-2500
Office: 082 658 7545
Fax: (021) 424-5588
Email: [email protected]
Email : [email protected]
2
PROJECT DETAILS
TITLE
:
Environmental Situational Analysis
Winelands district Municipal Area
for
the
Cape
AUTHORS
:
Simon Van Wyk
CLIENT
:
Cape Winelands District Municipality
PROJECT NAME
:
Cape Winelands District Spatial Development Framework
REPORT STATUS
:
FINAL
REPORT NUMBER
:
104860/5065
SUBMISSION DATE
:
August 2010
....................................................................
SIMON VAN WYK (Pr. Sci. Nat. SAIEES Cert.)
Practitioner: Environmental Services
..................................................................
KAREN SHIPPEY (Pr. Sci. Nat. Cert. EAPSA)
Associate: Environmental Services
This report is to be referred to in bibliographies as:
AURECON. 2010. Final Environmental Situational Analysis: Cape Winelands District Spatial
Development Framework, Report No. 104860/5065
CWDMA: Situational Environmental Analysis. © Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd (2010)
3
Contents
1
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND .............................................................................. 8
1.1
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8
1.2
Terms of reference for the Situational Environmental Analysis .................................... 8
1.3
Context ........................................................................................................................ 9
1.4
background .................................................................................................................10
1.5
Approach to the project ...............................................................................................11
1.5.1
Consultation process ...........................................................................................11
1.5.2
Research .............................................................................................................12
1.5.3
Spatial Planning Categories .................................................................................13
1.6
2
Biodiverstiy Conservation policy and Activities ...................................................................21
2.1
3
4
Assumptions and limitations ........................................................................................20
Policy, Legislative and programme Context ................................................................21
2.1.1
Policy ...................................................................................................................21
2.1.2
Legislation ...........................................................................................................21
2.1.3
Strategies, frameworks and programmes.............................................................22
2.1.4
Conservation initiatives ........................................................................................24
2.1.5
International agreements and policy frameworks .................................................25
Situational Assessment ......................................................................................................26
3.1
Introduction .................................................................................................................26
3.2
Vegetation and associated biodiversity .......................................................................26
3.3
Fauna Biodiversity ......................................................................................................32
3.4
Ecosystem biodiversity ...............................................................................................35
3.5
Catchments.................................................................................................................35
3.6
Wetlands.....................................................................................................................39
3.6.1
River channels .....................................................................................................39
3.6.2
Valley bottom and hillside seep wetlands .............................................................40
3.6.3
The importance of wetlands .................................................................................41
3.7
Geology and soil .........................................................................................................42
3.8
Climate and Climate Change ......................................................................................46
Resource Management ......................................................................................................50
4
4.1
5
6
7
Spatial Planning Categories and Guidelines ...............................................................50
4.1.1
Category A: Core Areas .......................................................................................51
4.1.2
Category B: Buffer Areas .....................................................................................54
4.1.3
Category C: Intensive Agriculture.........................................................................58
4.1.4
Category D: Human Settlement ...........................................................................61
4.1.5
Biosphere Reserve ..............................................................................................67
4.2
District Level Areas of General Concern .....................................................................68
4.3
Composite Overview ...................................................................................................72
Environmental Constraints and Opportunities ....................................................................74
5.1
Activities commonly associated with agriculture ..........................................................74
5.2
Activities associated with cultivated lands ...................................................................76
5.3
Activities associated with livestock farming .................................................................78
5.4
Activities associated with aquaculture .........................................................................79
5.5
Implications of invasive alien vegetation .....................................................................80
5.6
Implications of afforestation ........................................................................................81
5.7
Implications of human settlements ..............................................................................82
5.8
Implications of resort development and golf courses ...................................................85
5.9
Implications of roads ...................................................................................................86
5.10
Implications of dams, weirs and gabions in river channels ..........................................87
5.11
Generic opportunities ..................................................................................................90
5.12
Generic Constraints ....................................................................................................92
Spatial Guidelines ..............................................................................................................93
6.1
Formulation of overarching management objectives ...................................................93
6.2
Management Objective A ............................................................................................93
6.3
Management Objective B ............................................................................................94
6.4
Management Objective C............................................................................................95
6.5
Management Objective D............................................................................................95
Indicators to measure implementation and outcomes ........................................................97
7.1
Terrestrial ecosystems ................................................................................................97
7.2
Aquatic ecosystems ....................................................................................................97
7.3
Acknowledgement.......................................................................................................98
5
8
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................99
List of Tables
Table 1.1: Sections where aspects of the Terms of Reference are complied with ...................... 9
Table 1.2: Stakeholders and consultants consulted in terms of the situational analysis .............12
Table 1.3: Spatial Planning Categories .....................................................................................13
Table 3.1: Area of conservation areas .......................................................................................28
Table 4.1: Extent of land use within the Buffer Area ..................................................................54
Table 4.2: Extent of land use within the Transitional Area .........................................................58
List of Figures
Figure 3.1: Comparative area of conservation areas .................................................................28
Figure 3.2: Vegetation types .....................................................................................................29
Figure 3.3: Conservation Areas.................................................................................................30
Figure 3.4: Land Use.................................................................................................................31
Figure 3.5: Biological sensitivity (Fauna) ...................................................................................34
Figure 3.6: Relative size of the Water Management Areas within the Cape Winelands District
Municipality ...............................................................................................................................35
Figure 3.7: Water Catchment Areas ..........................................................................................37
Figure 3.8: Geology of the Cape Winelands District Municipal Area ..........................................44
Figure 3.9: Soil potential of the Cape Winelands .......................................................................45
Figure 3.10: Mean Annual Precipitation ....................................................................................47
Figure 3.11: Predicted impact of Climate Change on the Succulent Karoo Biome.....................48
Figure 4.1: Relative area of Spatial Planning Categories in Cape Winelands District Municipality
.................................................................................................................................................50
Figure 4.2: Category A – Core Areas ........................................................................................52
Figure 4.4: Relative areas of the various land uses within the Buffer Areas excluding unspecified
areas.........................................................................................................................................55
Figure 4.5: Category B – Buffer Areas ......................................................................................57
Figure 4.6: Relative area of land uses excluding unspecified areas within the Transitional Area
.................................................................................................................................................59
Figure 4.7: Category C – Intensive agriculture ..........................................................................60
Figure 4.8: Category D – Human Settlements ...........................................................................62
6
Figure 4.9: Industrialised Areas .................................................................................................64
Figure 4.10: Infrastructure .........................................................................................................66
Figure 4.11: Areas prone to Fire Hazard ...................................................................................69
Figure 4.12: Areas prone to Environmental Degradation ...........................................................70
Figure 4.13: Areas prone to Flooding ........................................................................................71
Figure 4.14: Composite Map depicting Spatial Planning Categories .........................................73
Figure 5.1: Agricultural activities extending to the edges of river banks .....................................75
Figure 5.2: Encroachment of agricultural activities into valley bottom wetlands .........................75
Figure 5.3: Burning of a valley bottom wetland in the Doring River subcatchment.....................77
Figure 5.4: Disposal of grape skins in close proximity to the Van Wyks River ...........................77
Figure 5.5: Invasion of alien vegetation into the Sand and Klein Berg Rivers respectively ........80
Figure 5.6: Degradation of rivers & associated wetlands in human settlements ........................84
Figure 5.7: River channels upstream (left) and downstream (right) of a road crossing ..............86
Figure 5.8: Impacts of gabions and weirs constructed along rivers............................................87
Figure 5.9: A farm dam altering the flow of the Dal River in its upper reaches ...........................88
List of Annexures
Annexure A: List of Conservation areas and their size ............................................................100
7
Abbreviations
SEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment
SDF
Spatial Development Framework
IDP
Integrated Development Plan
CWSDF
Cape Winelands Strategic Development Framework
ESA
Environmental Situational Analysis
CW
Cape Winelands
ISP
Internal Strategic Plan
CAPE
Cape Action for People and the Environment
CWDMA
Cape Winelands District Municipal Area
CWSEA
Cape Winelands Strategic Environmental Assessment
DWA
Department of Water Affairs
CMA
Catchment Management Agencies
WMA
Water Management Areas
NBSAP
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
UNFCCC
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
CAPE
Cape Action for People and the Environment
SPC
Spatial Planning Categories
DMA
District Municipal Area
DWAF
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Glossary
Environment
The surroundings within which humans exist and that are made up of soil,
water and atmosphere as well as micro-organisms, plant and animal life and
the interrelationships among these elements
Niche
Micro-habitats to which specific organisms are adapted
Eutrophic
High levels of nutrient enrichment
Mesotrophic
Moderate amount of nutrients, less than eutrophic
Biome
large scale ecological communities characterized by distinct soils, climate
and vegetation
8
1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1
INTRODUCTION
The Cape Winelands District Municipal Area (CWDMA) is rich in natural and human resources.
It is imperative for long term sustainable development that the natural resources are protected
as these resources supply essential ecological services that sustain development.
The purpose of this document is to:

Assess the natural resources in the CWDMA

Determine the opportunities and constraints relating to these resources

Provide guidelines on how to adapt to or mitigate these constraints

How to measure mitigation performance over time
1.2
TERMS
OF
REFERENCE
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
FOR
THE
SITUATIONAL
The following Terms of Reference was provided to Aurecon Environmental Unit by Rode Plan
for the Environmental Situational Analysis for the Cape Winelands District Municipality:
1. To complete a high-level qualitative assessment of current biodiversity conservation
guidelines/policy/activities with particular reference to spatial relevance and implication.
2. To determine and locate areas of high conservation importance and current
conservation status.
3. To complete a broad synthesis of existing biophysical information (spatially referenced
according to the bioregional sub-regions).
4. To assist in the description and delineation of Spatial Planning Categories.
5. To determine opportunities and constraints presented by the environment.
6. To assist in the formulation of “spatial” guidelines (strategy, objective, action) as part of
the Spatial Development Framework within the “environmental” thrust.
7. To make preliminary proposals regarding (basic) indicators to measure the
implementation and outcome of CWDSDF proposed spatial guidelines over time.
9
Table 1.1 below provides an indication of where the Terms of Reference have been met in this
report.
Table 1.1: Sections where aspects of the Terms of Reference are complied with
Terms of reference
Section
1. Assessment of guidelines, policy and activities
Section 2
2. Determine areas of high conservation value
Section 7
3. Synthesis of existing biophysical information
Section 3
4. Description and delineation of Spatial Planning Categories
Section
4.1.1
5. Environmental opportunities and constraints
Section 4
6. Spatial environmental guidelines
Section 6
7. Indicators to measure the implementation and outcome
Section 7
1.3
1.5.3
&
Section
CONTEXT
The Environmental Situational Analysis (ESA) as a part of the Cape Winelands Spatial
Development Framework (CWSDF) is in line with and informed by the vision, scope and
strategic planning of the Cape Winelands Strategic Environmental Assessment (CWSEA) in
terms of the environment of the Cape Winelands District. This report will focus on ecosystem
services provided for social development, how people impact on these services and how to
mitigate these impacts. It will furthermore consider the governance of social interactions with
the environment from a municipal perspective.
BOX 1: VISION
The Cape Winelands District Municipality, together with its key stakeholders, effectively
manages human activities to ensure the maintenance and enhancement of key ecosystem
services within the area, for the benefit of all, now and into the future
The environment means the surroundings within which humans exist and that are made up of
soil, water and atmosphere as well as micro-organisms, plant and animal life and the
interrelationships among these elements. It furthermore includes the physical, chemical,
aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that influence human health
and wellbeing.
These elements of the environment have been categorised according to Categories A to D to
facilitate effective management of these resources. Section 4.1 describes the scope of each of
these categories.
10
1.4
BACKGROUND
The CWDMA is endowed with a number of natural and human systems. Natural systems
provide ecological services to the social systems namely biodiversity, soil and water services.
These services and elements that provide the services are impacted by human activities and
Climate Change. The services and influences are introduced below and are discussed in more
detail in Section 3.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the multitude of fauna, flora and micro-organism species that constitute an
ecosystem at three scales viz. genetic, species and ecosystem.
Although there is limited research on the role of biodiversity in functioning of ecosystems, there
is general consensus that the loss of biodiversity would impact on ecosystem services and in
turn on human well being. Biodiversity for example plays an important role in inter alia the
pollination of crops and natural vegetation, the provision of useful species such as flowers for
harvesting, fauna and flora species for pest control, and the creation of a pleasant and attractive
environment for tourists for instance.
The CWD is dominated by the Fynbos Biome (aka the Cape Floristic Kingdom) and the
Succulent Karoo Biome. Both these are recognized as global biodiversity hotspots, with high
levels of plant diversity and endemism (Midgley et al. 2008). These vegetation types provide
habitat for many animal and micro-organism species that together provide ecological services.
Even though a particular organism may not provide a direct or indirect service to the human
system it helps maintain balances within the natural system that in turn provides important
ecological services.
Water Resources
Water resources in the Cape Winelands provide a variety of direct and indirect ecosystem
services. Not only is drinking water essential to human survival, but water resources are also
critical to cultivation, processing and manufacturing, in addition the river systems of the Cape
Winelands are important tourist and recreational resources and contribute to the sense of the
place of the Winelands.
The Cape Winelands area straddles four Water Management Areas (WMA) viz. Gouritz,
Olifants/Doorn, Breede and Berg WMAs. Of these the Breede River and Berg River systems
provide most of the water used to irrigate crops in the Cape Winelands as well as water for
domestic purposes within and beyond the boundaries of the Cape Winelands, mostly notably
also contributing significantly to the supply of the Cape Metropolitan Area.
Land and soil
Soil, which largely determines the characteristic of the land on which it occurs, provides a
number of ecological services for development, most notably a medium within which to grow
crops. It is important to note, however, that this service in particular is provided in combination
with climate and water availability and thus cannot be seen in isolation.
11
Soil is derived from the underlying geological formations and derives its characteristics from
these formations. It takes a long time to form and is easily eroded if the land is not appropriately
managed resulting in loss of productive areas.
Climate change
In the Western Cape Climate Change is predicted to result in a drying trend from west to east,
with a weakening of winter rainfall, possibly slightly more summer rainfall (mainly in the east of
the province), a shift to more irregular rainfall of possibly greater intensity, and rising mean,
minimum and maximum temperatures (CWDM 2008). In the Cape Winelands these trends are
likely to result in increased competition for scarce water resource.
The competition for water resources would bring developed areas in direct conflict with natural
systems such as rivers and other wetlands through water extraction. To protect wetlands
effectively the ecological reserve needs to be maintained. The ecological reserve is the
minimum amount of water required to maintain in situ ecological systems.
Climate Change would furthermore compromise the integrity of natural vegetation, especially
vegetation that is stressed due to development. The ecological services provided by the
vegetation and associated ecosystems e.g. flood attenuation, soil erosion, pollinators, pest
control etc; will be compromised, which would limit the potential for sustainable development.
Human activities in the CWDM area
The most prominent economic activities in the Cape Winelands District are agriculture, primarily
wine and deciduous fruit production, and tourism, which centre on the wine industry, the natural
environment and cultural history in the District. Other less prominent economic activity includes
forestry, mining, manufacturing and construction.
Agricultural activity comprises not only viticulture and deciduous fruit production, but also
vegetable, poultry and essential oil production, and aquaculture. A wide range of manufacturing
industries operate in the District including food and tobacco, textiles, leather tanning, wood and
paper products, chemicals, metals, machinery, household and medical supplies, motor vehicles
and jewellery production. The tourism sector in the District offers a diverse mix of opportunities
in health and wellness, food and wine, eco-and adventure tourism, conferencing, and history
and cultural heritage categories.
1.5
APPROACH TO THE PROJECT
1.5.1 Consultation process
The stakeholders and consultants noted in Table 1.2 have been consulted for input into the
situational analysis.
12
Table 1.2: Stakeholders and consultants consulted in terms of the situational analysis
SUBJECT
General
Aquatic systems
Indicators
Vegetation
Fauna
Fire management
Agricultural
Alien vegetation
Climate Change
Ecosystem fragmentation
Mapping
Protected areas
Legal issues
Consultant
NAME
SW van der Merwe, Alexander Rehder
Melanie Simpson
Jan Truter
Marlé Kunneke
Atherton de Villiers, Dean Impson & Jaco van Deventer
Dr Charles Boucher
Mark Berry, Jan Vlok & Charles Boucher
Peter Lloyd & Jaco van Deventer
Jan Vlok
Jaco van Deventer
Brian Barnes
Charles Boucher
Jaco van Deventer
Gerhard Erasmus
Jaco van Deventer
Jan Truter
Peter Lloyd
Gerhard Erasmus
Zelda Els
Alexander Rehder
Ricky de Villiers
Patrick Shone, Ricky de Villiers & André Mitchell
Jan Truter
Jan Truter
André Mitchell
Anneke De Kok
ORGANISATION
Dennis Moss Partners
CapeNature
South Consulting
Clean Catchment Concepts
CapeNature
Environmental Consultant
CapeNature
CapeNature
ARC: Infruitec
CapeNature
Planning Services
CapeNature
South Consulting
CapeNature
Planning Services
Aurecon
Dennis Moss Partners
CapeNature
CapeNature
South Consulting
South Consulting
CapeNature
Anneke De Kok Environmental
1.5.2 Research
Various stakeholders and consultants as noted in Table 1.2 have been consulted to obtain relevant information for the Situational
Analysis. Reference material provided by them, the Strategic Environmental Analysis (SEA), Drakenstein Spatial Development
Framework (SDF), Drakenstein SEA and the Cape Biosphere Spatial Plan were reviewed as well as any other relevant reports
compiled by Aurecon. A geographic Information System (GIS) was used to analyse available data to determine spatial extent of the
environmental elements that are discussed in this analysis.
13
1.5.3 Spatial Planning Categories
The land use for the CWDM has been divided into four major categories namely Categories A to D as defined in Table 1.3 below.
These categories are used in the environmental analysis to define distinct management categories implemented by the CWDM.
Table 1.3: Spatial Planning Categories
Definition of core
SPC
Purpose of Core SPC
Possible land use & activities in the Core SPC
What kinds of
activities?
Where to locate?
Appropriate form
and scale
Essentially „no-go‟ areas from
a development perspective.
Accordingly they should, as
far as possible, remain
undisturbed
by
human
impact.
Conservation
management activities such
as alien clearing, research
and environmental education
should
be
encouraged.
Subject to stringent controls
the following biodiversity
compatible land uses (i.e.
those of very low impact)
may be accommodated in
Core areas:
o
Non-consumptive low
impact eco-tourism activities
such as recreation and
tourism (e.g. hiking trails, bird
and game watching, and
visitor
overnight
accommodation).
o
Harvesting of natural
resources (e.g. wild flowers
for medicinal, culinary or
commercial use), subject to
EMP
demonstrating
the
sustainability of harvesting.
Where Core areas are
identified on land that has no
formal conservation status
(e.g. private farm), no further
loss of natural habitat should
occur. Given the often high
visual or aesthetic value of
these landscapes, no largescale
eco-tourism
developments
to
be
permitted. Land consolidation
No
development
is
permissible in proclaimed
Wilderness Areas. Wherever
possible,
structures
associated with activities in
Core Areas should preferably
be located in neighbouring
Buffer
areas.
Fine-scale
environmentally
sensitivity
mapping should inform the
placement of
essential
buildings or structures in
Core areas (e.g. as per
SANParks CDF planning
process). Where structures
associated with biodiversitycompatible
activities
are
located in Core areas, these
should preferably be located
on
currently
disturbed
footprints.
Restrict
development in Mountain
Catchment Areas in order to
maintain their high water
yielding and water quality
function (e.g. plantations or
activities
resulting
in
increased sediment inputs to
aquatic systems).
Where
buildings
and
structures in Core Areas are
justifiable, “touch the earth
lightly” construction principles
should be applied to ensure
that development is in
harmony with the character of
the surrounding landscape
and
to
ensure
the
maintenance of its natural
qualities.
The
receiving
environment and aesthetic
qualities of an area must be
the determinant of the scale
and form of development.
Good management practices,
with small low density
footprints,
appropriate
technology
and
design
concepts (e.g. Enviro-loos,
temporary structures, green
architecture and use of
natural
resources).
Temporary structures to be
preferred
(e.g.
wooden
structures, tents, and/or tree
canopy structures, with units
carefully
dispersed
or
clustered to achieve least
impact. Raised boardwalks
preferred or alternatively
porous materials and design
concepts.
Stringent
management programs for
resource harvesting informed
by determination of carrying
capacity and a management
plan to ensure appropriate
harvesting techniques and
volumes.
Core SPC
delineation
guidelines
Core 1 Areas
Core 1 Areas are those parts
of the rural landscape
required to meet biodiversity
patterns
or
ecological
processes
(i.e.
critical
biodiversity areas).
These
include
habitats
classified
as
highly
irreplaceable,
critically
endangered, or endangered
terrestrial (land), aquatic
(rivers, wetlands & estuaries)
and marine habitats. These
also include areas currently
not yet exhibiting high levels
of biodiversity loss, but which
should be protected and
restored in order to ensure
biodiversity
pattern
and
ecological
process
targets/thresholds can be met
in the most efficient way
possible.
Also
includes
essential biological corridors
vital
to
sustain
their
functionality.
Two
components of the rural
landscape make up Core 1
Areas:
(i) All areas with formal
conservation status (i.t.o. the
Protected
Areas
Act),
namely:
national
parks;
provincial nature reserves;
designated
mountain
catchment areas (i.t.o. the
Mountain Catchments Areas
Act);
forestry
reserves;
wilderness areas; and marine
reserves (i.t.o. the Marine
Designate which parts of the
rural landscape are of highest
conservation importance, and
if they are currently protected
or not.
(ii) Informs expansion of the
protected area network.
(iii) Delineates areas that
must be maintained in, or
restored to, a natural state in
order to sustain biodiversity
patterns and processes and
the functionality of ecosystem
services.
(iv) Identify areas of land that
could serve as biodiversity
offset receiving areas.
(v) In combination with Core
2 Areas, they spatially define
the „core‟ of the rural
landscape‟s
ecological
network.
Include all formal Protected
Areas.
(ii)
Include
all
land
designated
as
Critical
Biodiversity Areas (public or
private) that should be
protected and eventually
incorporated
into
the
Protected Areas network.
(iii)
Where
possible
incentivize
incorporation
using
the
following
designations:
- Private Land; Stewardship
Agreements
or
as
a
Protected Environment or
Nature Reserve i.t.o. NEMA
or the Protected Areas Act.
- Municipal Land; Nature
Reserve i.t.o. NEMA or
Protected Areas Act.
- Forest Nature Reserves
through the National Forest
Act and Wilderness Areas
i.t.o. of the Wilderness Act.
- Title deed restrictions where
land has been designated
under
the
Stewardship
Program or declared a
Nature Reserve or Protected
Environment
14
Living Resources Act).
(ii) Critical Biodiversity Areas
(CBA), as identified through a
systematic
conservation
planning process, that have
no
formal
conservation
status. These may comprise
terrestrial or aquatic habitats,
remnants or features that
must be conserved to meet
national biodiversity pattern
or process thresholds.
should be encourages and
sub-division prohibited.
Core 2 Areas
This category includes:
(i) Areas currently not yet
exhibiting high levels of
biodiversity loss, but which
should be protected and
restored in order to ensure
biodiversity
pattern
and
ecological process targets
can be met in the most
efficient way possible.
(ii) Ecological Support Areas
(ESA) to Critical Biodiversity
Areas (i.e. river reaches
within priority CBA subcatchments which prevent
degradation of CBA‟s).
(iii) CBA aquatic Buffer areas
including CBA catchment
areas.
(iv) Coastline and coastal
processes.
(v) River and ecological
corridors (those not classified
essential as per Core 1
definition).
(vi) Mountain Catchment
Areas.
Manage to restore and
sustain
eco-system
functioning,
especially
ecological processes (i.e.
rivers and seep clusters and
their respective buffers) in
support of wetlands and
rivers in Critical Biodiversity
Areas.
Biodiversity – compatible and
low impact conservation land
uses as per Core 1 Areas,
but allowing for a limited
increase
in
scale
of
development in less sensitive
areas (provided ecological
processes not disrupted). To
be informed by environmental
sensitivity
mapping,
transformation
thresholds
and cumulative impacts.
Biodiversity offsets may be
necessary in this case.
Where existing agricultural
activities
(e.g.
livestock)
occur in Core 1 or Core 2
Areas, it needs to be subject
to:
- Lower impact practices
- Lower than standard
stocking rates
Resting
cycles
(i.e.
rotational grazing)
- Wetland & river bank
protection
to
avoid
overgrazing, trampling and
destabilization
- Avoiding areas containing
red data species
- Limiting “value-adding” to
nature-based tourism.
Incentivise consolidation of
the conservation estate by:
- Introducing limited low
density
rural
housing
development rights
- Financial incentives (i.t.o.
the Property Rates Act)
- Other incentives (e.g.
resource
economic
approaches)
As for Core 1 Areas
As for Core 1 Areas
Delineation and inclusion of
Critical Ecological Support
Areas (i.e. river reaches and
their buffers and significant
seep clusters in support of
CBA rivers and wetlands).
(ii) Coastline outside the
urban edge, together with
coastal processes to be
included.
15
No further extensions of
intensive or extensive
agriculture
Refer Table 3 for Land use
Management Guidelines
Definition of Buffer
SPC
Purpose of Buffer
SPC
Possible land use & activities in the Buffer SPC
What kinds of
activities?
Where to locate?
Appropriate form
and scale
(i) Conservation activities as
per Core 1 and 2 Areas
including
sustainable
consumptive
or
nonconsumptive uses.
(ii) Biodiversity compatible
land uses as informed by
transformation
thresholds,
including:
Low
density
Rural
Residential Development
Resort
and
holiday
accommodation
- Tourist and recreational
facilities
- Additional dwelling units
(iii)
Development
(e.g.
structures) in support of both
tourism
and
biodiversity
conservation in Core Areas
preferably be located in
Buffer 1 and 2 if logistically
feasible.
(iv) Extensive agriculture
comprising extensive game
and livestock farming, subject
to the following:
- Lower impact practices be
favoured (e.g. indigenous
game farming as opposed to
domestic
livestock
production)
- Lower than standard
stocking rates be employed
Resting
cycles
(i.e.
rotational
grazing)
be
employed
- Buffer areas be protected
from
overgrazing
and
trampling in order to avoid
wetland shoreline and river
bank
erosion
and
destabilization
Avoidance
of
areas
containing red data species
(i) Development to target
existing farm precincts and
disturbed areas, with the
employment
of
existing
structures and footprints to
accommodate development.
(ii) Extensive developments
(e.g. caravan and camping
sites) be restricted to sites of
limited visual exposure and
sites not prominent in the
landscape.
(iii)
Consolidation
and
maintenance of Buffer Area
land
units
should
be
promoted, especially when in
private ownership, through
encouraging
voluntary
stewardship together with
incentives (e.g. alienable
property
rights
and
opportunities in terms of the
Property Rates Act).
(i) Development to reinforce
farm precinct and reflect
similar vernacular in terms of
scale, form and design.
(ii) In the absence of existing
farmsteads, development to
reflect
compact
and
unobtrusive
nodes,
conforming
to
local
vernacular in terms of scale,
form and design.
(iii) Development design (e.g.
resort) to embrace the spatial
form, movement patterns,
building
design
and
conservation and ecology of
the area through:
- Maintaining the dominance
of the natural and agricultural
landscapes
- Maintaining and enhancing
natural continuities of green
spaces, riverine corridors and
movement
Maintaining
dominant
landscape features and their
continuity (e.g. ridge lines,
valleys)
- Protecting conservationworthy places and heritage
areas (e.g.
farmsteads)
Buffer SPC
delineation
guidelines
Buffer 1 Areas
Bufer 1 SPC comprises large
intact portions and remnants
of natural or near natural
vegetation not designated as
CBA or ESA, especially in
proximity/adjacent to CBAs
and/or ESA:
(i) To restore & maintain
ecological processes.
(ii) To retain landscape scale
biodiversity corridors
(iii)
To
strengthen
the
conservation and extensive
agricultural
economies
through;
incentivising
the
consolidation
and
maintenance of extensive
agricultural units; and
- broadening the agricultural
economic base through farm
diversification of use and
revenue generation (e.g. farm
tourism)
(iv) To buffer Ecological
Support Areas (including
CBA Buffer Areas) which
support Critical Biodiversity
Areas.
(v) To enhance biodiversity
through
innovative
agricultural practices (e.g.
veld
management)
and
rehabilitation of previously
disturbed agricultural land.
(vi) To buffer against the
impacts of climate change.
(i) All land designated as
Large
intact
portions/r
remnants of natural or near
natural
vegetation
not
designated as CBA or ESA,
especially
in
proximity/adjacent to CBAs
and/or ESA including:
rivers
and
wetlands
(together with their buffers)
- vulnerable and least
threatened vegetation types
- significant water yield areas,
and
- significant groundwater
recharge
and
discharge
areas
(ii)
Corridors
(river,
vegetation,
habitat)
necessary to promote and
sustain ecological processes.
16
- Strictly limited “valueadding” through intensified
tourism (e.g. resort or
recreational
facilities)
or
consumptive
uses
(e.g.
hunting)
(v) Extension of extensive
agriculture
may
be
accommodated
if
accompanied
with
biodiversity
offsets,
with
receiving areas for such
offsets being onsite or in
other Core 1 areas.
Refer Table 3 for Land Use
Buffer 2 Areas
This category includes areas
designated as Other Natural
Areas,
located
in
an
extensive and/or intensive
agriculture
matrix
(i.e.
livestock production) as the
dominant land use
(i) Manage for sustainable
development of current land
use in the area.
(ii)
Protect
existing
agricultural
activity
(i.e.
livestock
production)
to
ensure
food
security,
contribution to the regional
economy, maintenance and
management of rural areas
and contributing and to the
working
agricultural
and
cultural landscape.
(iii) Facilitate agricultural
diversification
and
nonagricultural opportunities (e.g.
game
farming,
tourist
facilities) and “value-adding”
to the primary product (e.g.
cheese-making).
(iv) Accommodate space
extensive
and
nuisance
urban uses, and extensive
agricultural uses (e.g. waste
water
treatment
plants,
piggeries, mushroom growing
plants, etc.).
(v)
Enhance
biodiversity
through
innovative
agricultural practices (e.g.
veld management).
(vi) Minimize fragmentation of
remaining natural habitats
and corridors.
(vii) Reverse lost biodiversity
in order to reinstate buffer
zones and corridors.
(viii) Rehabilitate degraded
(i) Activities and uses directly
relating to the primary
agricultural enterprise
(ii) Farm buildings & activities
associated with the primary
agricultural activity, including
a homestead, agricultural
buildings
and
worker
accommodation
(iii) Additional dwelling units,
including:
- units approved under the
agricultural-land
policy
equating to 1 additional nonalienable dwelling unit per
10ha to a maximum of 5 per
agricultural unit - units
permissible in terms of Rural
Residential Development
(iv) Additional land uses to
facilitate diversification and
“value adding” including: Small-scale
holiday
accommodation
(farmstay,
B&B, guesthouse, boutique
hotel,); - restaurant, lifestyle
retail, venue facility;
- farm stall & farm store; home
occupationlocal
product
processing (e.g. cheesemaking)
tourist
&
recreational facilities (e.g.
hiking trail, 4x4 routes)
(iv) No fragmentation of farm
cadastral unit, with spot
zoning and consent uses
employed to accommodate
(i) Location of primary
agricultural activities (e.g.
livestock production) to be
informed by the exclusion of
steep
slopes,
wetlands,
floodplains of rivers and
streams (and associated
buffers), as well as areas of
remnant vegetation
(ii) Development in support of
primary
cultivation
(e.g.
product
handling
and
processing) to be located
within or peripheral to the
farmstead precinct or as
distinct clusters at farm
outposts.
(iii) Development associated
with farm diversification or
“value adding” should:
- not result in excessive
expansion and encroachment
of building development and
land use into the farm area;
and
- not be located in visually
exposed areas given the
extensive
landscape
of
extensive farming areas
(iv) Development (i.e. farm
diversification
or
“value
adding”) to be located within
or peripheral to the farmstead
precinct or outposts and
should be accommodated in
reused,
converted
or
replaced farm buildings (i.e.
existing footprint) or to target
(i) Development of the
primary
agricultural
enterprise (e.g. livestock
production) to comply with
existing
guidelines
for
extensive
agriculture,
including:
- Carrying capacity;
- veld management and soil
erosion
control;
&
agricultural
setback
on
wetlands, rivers and streams
as per CARA regulations.
(ii) Building development to
reflect the style, scale, form
and the significance of the
farmstead precinct or farm
outpost, their buildings and
setting
(iii) In the absence of existing
farmsteads
or
outposts,
development
to
reflect
compact and unobtrusive
nodes, conforming to local
vernacular in terms of scale,
form and design.
(iv) Development design (e.g.
resort) to maintain and
enhance the dominance of
the agricultural landscape,
continuation of green spaces,
riverine
corridors,
and
dominant landscape features
(e.g. ridge lines)
All other natural areas that
are located in an agricultural
matrix, including:
Existing
extensive
agricultural areas
- All areas considered
suitable for current and future
extensive
agricultural
activities as identified in the
LandCare/AreaWide
Planning Programme
- All areas of endangered
vegetation that are not
included in a CBA or ESA,,
including remnants Corridors
(river,
and
biodiversity),
wetlands natural habitats
17
areas
(e.g.
mining).
Definition
The Intensive Agriculture
SPC
comprises
a
consolidation of the existing
and
potential
intensive
agricultural footprint (i.e.
homogeneous farming areas
made up of cultivated land
and
production
support
areas).
The
Intensive
Agriculture SPC includes:
(i) Irrigated crop cultivation
(annual & perennial) (ii) Dry
land crop cultivation including
tillage of nonirrigated crops
(annual & perennial)
(iii) Timber plantations
agricultural,
Purpose of Intensive
Agriculture SPC
(i) Consolidating &
protecting existing &
potential agricultural
landscapes.
(ii) Facilitating
sustainable
agricultural
development, land
and agrarian reform,
and food security.
nonagricultural uses
(v) On-farm settlement of
farm workers, using
existing housing stock or
upgraded hostels
(vi) Buffer 2 Areas within the
“fringe” of urban settlements
to
accommodate
the
following uses not suited to
location within the urban
edge:
- space extensive
requirements (e.g. regional
sports & recreation facilities,
tourist facilities)
nuisance
and
buffer
requirements (e.g. waste
water
treatment
plants,
cemeteries,
solid
waste
disposal
sites,
airports,
feedlots, quarries and mines,
truck stops)
Refer Table 3 for Land Use
disturbed areas
(v) Location of additional
development to be informed
by existing farm road access
and existing on-line services
network
(vi) Buffer 2 areas within the
“fringe” of urban settlements
to be determined through an
integrated urban fringe study
to determine their extent and
suitability for accommodating
space
extensive
and
nuisance agricultural and
urban uses.
Possible land use & activities in Intensive Agriculture SPC
What kinds of
activities?
Where to locate?
Appropriate form
and scale
(i) Activities and uses directly
related
to the
primary
agricultural enterprise.
(ii) Farm buildings and
associated structures (e.g.
homestead,
barns,
farm
worker accommodation, etc).
(iii) Additional dwelling units
approved under the policy of
1 additional nonalienable
dwelling unit per 10ha, up to
a maximum of 5 per farm
(iv) Ancillary rural activities of
appropriate scale that do not
detract
from
farming
production, that diversify farm
income, and add value to
locally produced products,
e.g.: - small-scale rural
holiday accommodation (e.g.
farmstay, B&B, guesthouse,
boutique hotel); - restaurant,
rural lifestyle retail; function
venue facility;
- farm stall and farm store; home
occupation
(farm
product processing);
- local product processing
(i) The location of agricultural
activities will be dictated by
local on-farm agro-climatic
conditions (e.g. soils, slope,
etc.),
but
wetlands,
floodplains
&
important
vegetation remnants should
be kept in a natural state.
(ii) Ancillary activities should
be
located
within
or
peripheral to the farmstead
precinct (preferably in reused or replaced farm
buildings
and
disturbed
areas), not on good or
moderate soils, and linked to
existing farm road access
and the services network.
(i) Farming to be undertaken
in accordance with existing
guidelines regarding slope,
setbacks around wetlands
and streams, etc (as per
CARA Regs).
(ii) Facilities for ancillary onfarm activities should be in
scale with and reinforce the
farmstead precinct, enhance
the historic built fabric and
respect conservation-worthy
places.
(iii)
Landscaping
should
complement existing planting
patterns.
(iv) Fragmentation of farm
cadastral unit should be
prevented, and consent uses
and spot zoning employed for
managing ancillary on-farm
activities.
(v) Consolidation of cadastral
units should be promoted,
especially where farms have
Conservation-worthy natural
remnants (see Appendix A
for Conservation Stewardship
SPC delineation
guidelines
The
SPC
should
be
delineated to consolidate
farming landscapes. Land
suitable
for
intensive
agriculture
should
be
included, such as:
Existing
intensive
agricultural super blocks,
areas of High Potential and
Unique Agricultural Land
(HPUAL),
areas in between of lower
agricultural potential that are
not Core or Buffer SPCs,
areas identified in the Land
Care/ Area-Wide Planning
Programs,
areas
having
irrigation
rights or future irrigation
potential, and
land suitable for small-scale
farming in close proximity to
settlements.
18
(e.g. winery, olive pressing);
and - rural recreational
facilities (e.g. riding school)
(v) Ancillary on-farm activities
in an Intensive Agriculture
SPC will be impacted on by
surrounding farming activities
(e.g. dust generation, spray
drift, etc), and these impacts
are not grounds for restricting
farming production. (vi) Large
scale resorts, and tourist and
recreation facilities should not
be accommodated within
Intensive Agriculture SPCs
as they detract from the
functionality and integrity of
productive landscapes.
(vii) Intensive-feed farming
should not be accommodated
in Intensive Agriculture SPCs
due to their operational
impacts (e.g. odour and
traffic).
(viii) Nurseries in Intensive
Agriculture SPCs should limit
propagation to local crop
types
Refer
Table
3.2
for
Agricultural Land Use
Definition
This category includes all
existing cities, large and
smaller towns, villages and
hamlets, and all forms of new
human settlements.
Purpose of
Settlement SPC
To develop & manage
existing and new settlements
on a sustainable basis.
Where-ever possible existing
settlements should be used
to
accommodate
nonagricultural rural development
activities and facilities. This is
for reasons of:
local
economic
development;
- consolidating, integrating
and reinforcing settlement
structure;
- improving service delivery;
- strengthening rural-urban
linkages;
Options).
Possible land use & activities in Settlement SPC
What kinds of
activities?
Where to locate?
Appropriate form
and scale
(i) Agricultural activities of
excessive scale and nonagricultural
activities
not
suited for location in the
Intensive Agricultural and
Buffer 1 and 2 Areas to be
located within settlements or
their “fringe areas”. These
activities include:
Off-farm
residential
development
and
farm
worker accommodation(e.g.
in “agricultural suburbs”)
- Agricultural industry (e.g.
wine bottling plant) and
regional product processing
(e.g. fruit cannery)
Non-agricultural related land
uses
and
activities
associated
with
rural
development
initiatives
should, where-ever possible,
be
located
in
existing
settlements.
Preference
should
be
given
to
settlements along dominant
routes and accessible to bulk
services
corridors. The SDF and its
urban
edge
component
should define areas suitable
for the expansion of existing
settlements. Visual impact
considerations should be
New buildings and structures
should conform with the
massing, form, height and
material use in existing
settlements.
When
accommodating development
in existing settlements the
following principles should be
adhered to:
- Retain the compact form of
smaller settlements;
- maintain and enhance
public spaces;
reinforce
the
close
relationship of settlements to
the regional route structure;
- integrate new development
SPC delineation
guidelines
(i)
All
settlements
as
delineated by their interim
and/or medium-term urban
edges.
(ii) Urban “fringe areas” as
denoted within Buffer 2 Area
immediately peripheral to
urban edges.
(iii) Use CBA and HPUAL
mapping
to
inform
delineation.
19
- promoting socioeconomic
development; and
- increasing thresholds for
service delivery and social
facilities In line with the
principles of the Provincial
Growth and Development
Strategy, new settlements in
the rural landscape should
only be established in
essential circumstances (e.g.
power station, mine, etc.).
- Institutions (e.g. jail or
rehabilitation centre)
- Agricultural colleges and
schools
Large-scale
tourist
accommodation (e.g. hotel)
and facilities (e.g. water park)
- Service trades
Footloose
business,
including
farming
cooperatives,
agricultural
requisites and filling stations
(ii) New settlements should
be restricted to:
- Servicing of geographically
isolated farming areas;
- servicing rural resource
exploitation (e.g. mine);
- proclaiming the urban
component of existing Act 9
and church settlements (e.g.
Wupperthal,
Genadendal),
and - servicing significant
infrastructural developments
(e.g. new power plant)
situated in an isolated
location.
taken into account, especially
within settlement gateways.
Where new settlements need
to
be
established,
consideration needs to be
given to:
- Environnemental impact
(e.g. waste management)
- Visual impact, especially on
the rural landscape
Historical
settlement
patterns and form
- Natural landscape and
topographical form as design
informants
into the settlement structure;
and
- respect socio-historical and
cultural places.
(Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning: Rural Land Use Planning & Management Guidelines)
20
1.6
ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS
It is assumed that:

The information drawn on by this study that has been sourced from planning documentation and
documentation provided by the CWDM is comprehensive and accurate.
The findings of this study are also subject to the following limitations:

The scope of the ESA did not allow for the collection of new biophysical, chemical, geographical or
socio-economic data and the Situational Assessment thus relied extensively on existing reports and
databases.

The study area was assessed at the scale of 1:250 000 for most part and 1:10 000 to 1:50 000 for the
Breede River and Breede Valley municipal areas. There may thus be land use features that were not
recognised due to the small scale used in some areas.

The impact data used is not up to date as it varies considerably for each Spatial Planning Category
(SPC), therefore all deductions are provided subject to available literature and data at time of
compilation. It is thus reasonable to assume a certain level of deviation applies from true data i.e.
status per SPC at current date.
21
2 BIODIVERSTIY CONSERVATION POLICY AND ACTIVITIES
Numerous policies and regulatory and strategic frameworks exist regarding biodiversity conservation. Many of
the older statutes do not directly use the term biodiversity but refer to the need for conserving environments
and species. In the sections that follow, we look at policy, legislation and strategies that deal directly with the
biodiversity sector, and then at related policy, legislation and strategies.
2.1
POLICY, LEGISLATIVE AND PROGRAMME CONTEXT
2.1.1 Policy

White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biological Diversity
(1997) was South Africa‟s first step to give effect to the various measures outlined in the Convention
on Biodiversity (1992). It is the government‟s national policy on the conservation and sustainable use
of South Africa‟s biological diversity. It emphasizes that sustainable resource use depends on the
conservation of biodiversity.

White Paper on Environmental Management Policy (1998) is the national policy on environmental
management. It sets out the vision, principles, strategic goals and objectives, and regulatory
approaches that government uses for environmental management in South Africa. This overarching
framework policy applies to all government institutions and to all activities that impact on the
environment.
2.1.2 Legislation

National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998) (NEMA) provides the overarching
framework governing environmental management in South Africa. It provides for cooperative
environmental governance by establishing principles for decision-making on matters affecting the
environment. One of these principles is sustainable development, which requires the consideration of
a range of factors including that the disturbance of ecosystems and loss of biological diversity be
avoided, or, where they cannot be altogether avoided, are minimised and remedied.
Chapter 1(2) of NEMA contains a set of core environmental principles that are applicable to all organs
of state that may significantly affect the environment. Local Government is required to incorporate
these into any policy, programme, plan or any decision made that may have a negative impact on the
environment. These principles embodied in the act and the derivatives thereof viz. National
Environmental Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004) and National Environmental Management Protected
Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003) ensure that people and their needs are put first and that resources are
shared equitably and sustainably. This is achieved through sensible environmental management and
where damage or degradation cannot be avoided, that it is minimised and remedied. It furthermore
encourages public participation in environmental management and the use of natural resources.

NEMA: Biodiversity Act (10 of 2004) forms part of the National Environmental Management suite of
legislation. It provides for the management and conservation of South Africa‟s biodiversity, the
protection of ecosystems and species, the sustainable use of biological resources, and the fair and
equitable sharing of benefits arising from bio-prospecting of genetic material. It also provides for the
22
development of a National Biodiversity Framework and bioregional plans that is consistent with
NEMA. The statute also provides for the protection of ecosystems and species that are threatened or
in need of protection and seeks to prevent the introduction and spread of alien or invasive species.

NEMA: Protected Areas Act (57 of 2003 as amended 2005) forms part of the National Environmental
Management suite of legislation. It provides for the protection and conservation of ecologically viable
areas representative of South Africa‟s biological diversity and its natural landscapes and seascapes,
the establishment of a national register of national, provincial and local protected areas, and the
management of these areas according to national norms and standards.

National Water Act (34 of 1998) provides for the development, use and protection of water
resources.

National Forests Act (84 of 1998) recognises that natural forests and woodlands form an important
part of the environment and need to be conserved and developed according to the principles of
sustainable management. It furthermore recognises that conservation of biological diversity within
woodlands should be promoted in a way that is consistent with the primary economic purpose for
which the plantation was established.

National Heritage Resources Act (25 of 1999) allows for conservation and management of national
heritage and cultural resources.

Genetically Modified Organisms Act (15 of 1997) provides for measures to promote the responsible
development, production, use, and application of genetically modified organisms.

Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (43 of 1993) provides for the conservation of natural
agricultural resources by maintaining the production potential of land through combating and
preventing erosion, the weakening or destruction of water sources, the protection of vegetation, and
the combating of weeds and invader plants.

Sustainable Utilization of Agricultural Resources Bill will replace the Conservation of Agricultural
Resources Act.

Mountain Catchment Areas Act (63 of 1970) provides for the conservation, use, management and
control of land in mountain catchment areas.

Development Facilitation Act (67 of 1995) set out local government land development principles and
procedures. It includes a principle that encourages environmentally sustainable land development
practices and processes.

Municipal Property Rates Act (6 of 2004) includes an important provision for a rates exclusion for
formally declared protected areas, including private land which is declared a contract nature reserve in
terms of the Protected Areas Act.
2.1.3 Strategies, frameworks and programmes

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) builds on the above policies and
legislation by translating biodiversity-related policy goals into prioritized objectives and implementation
action plans.
23

National Biodiversity Framework (NBF) is required in terms of the Biodiversity Act, and will be
based on the NBSAP. It must provide an integrated, coordinated and uniform approach to biodiversity
management throughout the country.

National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS) (2004) provides the framework within which the water
resources of South Africa will be managed in the future. The NWRS sets out policies, strategies,
objectives, plans, guidelines, procedures and institutional arrangements for the protection, use,
development, conservation, management and control of the country‟s water resources. Objectives for
the strategy include achieving equitable access to water, sustainable use of water and efficient and
effective water use.

Catchment Management Strategies provide guidelines on the management of Water Management
Areas (WMAs). The country has been divided into 19 WMAs, with four being located in the Western
Cape. The delegation of water resource management from central government to catchment level will
be achieved through the establishment of Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs) at a WMA level.
Each CMA will progressively develop a Catchment Management Strategy (CMS) for the protection,
use, development, conservation, management and control of water resources within its WMA. The
Department of Water Affairs (DWA) aim is to eventually hand over certain water resource
management functions to CMAs, but until such time as the CMAs are established and fully
operational, the Regional Offices of the DWA will continue to manage the water resource in their areas
of jurisdiction.

State of environment reporting provides a framework for tracking the impact of policy, legislation
and strategies on the state of biodiversity. Consistency between the biodiversity indicators used in
national, provincial and local State of Environment Reports is important. The National State of the
Environment Report (1999) considers the forces driving economic change, the environmental
pressures, the state of the environment, the impacts of environmental change, the country‟s
responses to this change, and environmental management scenarios for South Africa. The Western
Cape State of the Environment Report (1995) further considers the importance of the biodiversity in
the Cape Floristic region and the Succulent Karoo and the impacts on these biomes.

Environmental Management Plans and Environmental Implementation Plans, required of national
departments in terms of NEMA, should include a focus on biodiversity. However, biodiversity tends to
be weakly integrated into these.

Bioregional programmes are multi-sectoral partnership programmes that aim to link biodiversity
conservation with socio-economic development. They include:

o
Cape Action for People and the Environment (CAPE)
o
Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP)
o
River Health Programme measures and reports on river health in order to achieve ecologically
sound water resource management of South Africa‟s river systems.
Policy on Agriculture in Sustainable Development forms part of the process of incorporating
principles and objectives of sustainable development into the ethos of the agricultural sector of this
country. It aims at integrating and harmonising the three pillars of sustainable development viz. social
(people), environment (planet) and economic (prosperity). Its goals should be to ensure socially
24
responsible economic development while protecting the resource base and the environment for the
benefit of future generations. The policy recognizes the shared goals of government, farmers and
conservationists and the need for all stakeholders to work together to achieve a sustainable
agricultural sector in South Africa. The success of this policy will depend largely on the support and
participation of farmers, consumers, government departments, parastatals, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and other stakeholders.

Strategy for rates rebate for the conservation of biodiversity and removal of alien vegetation:
Landowners that have taken it upon themselves to set-aside and manage threatened habitat to
maintain biodiversity should be given an incentive for their foresight and commitment. Over and above
forgoing the economic benefits of ploughing the land for agriculture, many spend a substantial amount
of time, money and effort on conservation management interventions such as clearing the land of
alien vegetation, implementing firebreaks, erecting fencing etc. Aside from conserving a vital part of
South Africa‟s natural heritage, these landowners are delivering the following benefits to the region:
o Conserving biodiversity, a prerequisite to healthy ecosystems and sustainable production
o Saving water through the eradication of alien plant species on their property
o Reducing fire risk by removing alien vegetation and having a fire management plan
o Creating employment through the management of conservation land
o Securing tourism as South Africa‟s biodiversity is a major tourist attraction
Levying rates on such land would serve as a disincentive to landowners to conserve and might result
in them cultivating natural areas to avoid an escalating rates bill. This would have a serious negative
effect on the biodiversity of CFK, and in turn on the ability for the Western Cape to meet its agricultural
potential on a sustainable basis.
2.1.4 Conservation initiatives

Working for Water is aimed at removing invasive alien species and restoring water supplies, while
addressing social objectives through poverty alleviation and job creation.

Working for Wetlands aims to facilitate the conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable use of
wetland ecosystems through cooperative governance, while at the same time contributing to poverty
alleviation, job creation, training and empowerment. It furthermore offers technical expertise to
landowners and collaborates with local partners to set rehabilitation objectives with the intention of
improving the integrity and functioning of ecosystems.

National Land Care Programme is a programme for natural resource management with the overall
aim of optimizing productivity and sustainable use of natural resources, to ensure the conservation of
natural resources, improved productivity, food security and empowerment.

CapeNature stewardship program offers three stewardship options to landowners who wish to
conserve biodiversity (namely Conservation Areas, Biodiversity Agreements & Contract Nature
Reserves). They differ according to degree of restriction and amount of benefit / assistance offered by
CapeNature.
The stewardship options can be regarded as a tool for the expansion of protected areas within a
municipality, by securing portions of land containing critically endangered and endangered natural
25
vegetation on private land. Only Contract Nature Reserves are recognized as statutory protected
areas in terms of the Protected Areas Act, No 57 of 2003.
Biodiversity & Wine Initiative through the South African Wine and Brandy partnership with
Conservation International, CAPE and the Botanical Society actively promote conservation of the
natural resources that are present on wine farms and develop Fire Protection Areas.
2.1.5 International agreements and policy frameworks

Convention on Biological Diversity (1993) (CBD) provides broad principles for the conservation of
biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic resources. The CBD is being implemented through several
national policies and laws including the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP),
the Biodiversity Act, and the Protected Areas Act.

RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. South Africa has 17 sites designated
to the List of Wetlands of International Importance.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is
being implemented through the Biodiversity Act.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being implemented
through the Climate Change Response Strategy approved by Cabinet (2004).

Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage
Convention) is being implemented nationally through the World Heritage Convention Act (49 of 1999).

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Genetically Modified Organisms Act (15 of 1997) is currently
under review to enable implementation of this Protocol.
26
3 SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT
3.1
INTRODUCTION
GIS was used to collate and analyse the spatial data layers. The
areas for the Categories A to F provided in Section 1.5.3 (see Box 2:
Spatial Planning Categories) and the intersection of these categories were
calculated and are provided in this report. This system was
furthermore used to generate spatial images of the extent of the
various categories as depicted in this report.
Box 2: Spatial Planning Categories
Category A: Core
Category B: Buffer
Category C: Intensive Agriculture
Category D: Human Settlement
The vegetation layers for Categories A and B were created by Cape
Action for People and the Environment (CAPE.) project. CAPE is a
conservation plan that was developed for the Cape Floristic Region aimed at conserving sufficient areas that
would reflect the uniqueness of biodiversity as well as ensure the long term survival of this biodiversity. The
plan highlighted the priority areas for conservation that would inform decision making about land use and
development in the area. The priority areas have been mapped at relatively small scale (1:250 000) with finescale mapping at a larger scale (1:10 000 to 1:50 000) in the Breede Valley and Breede River municipal
areas. As part of this conservation plan, the formally protected areas have also been mapped.
The ecological elements that provide services to the social systems are fauna, flora and micro-organisms and
associated biodiversity as well as the elements in which they live namely water, soil and atmosphere. The
elements and the services they provide are discussed below.
Water is one of the most important natural elements used by social systems and one of the most impacted.
This section places more emphasis on water resources including catchments and wetlands but also
recognises the value of the other ecological elements, especially vegetation and the service vegetation
provides in maintaining water quality and sustained flow and other ecological services.
The conservation of these aspects viz. vegetation, fauna, micro-organisms and aquatic systems are
organised and prioritised in accordance with Spatial Planning Categories (SPCs) presented in Section 1.5.3.
3.2
VEGETATION AND ASSOCIATED BIODIVERSITY
The natural vegetation in the Cape Winelands is dominated by the Fynbos Biome which includes Fynbos,
which constitutes 42% of the vegetation, and Renosterveld, which constitutes 22 % of the vegetation as well
as the Succulent Karoo Biome, which constitutes 28 % of the vegetation (Figure 3.2). The Fynbos Biome and
the Succulent Karoo Biome are recognized as global biodiversity hotspots, with high levels of plant diversity
and endemism (Midgley et al. 2008).
Vegetation offers numerous direct and indirect ecosystem services. The direct services include harvesting of
flowers and plants for medicinal purposes, particularly in the DMA in the north eastern part of the CWDMA,
tourist attraction, recreation (hiking, plant and bird viewing) throughout the CWDMA. Indirect services include
water storage, flood attenuation, water purification in the catchment areas and along river channels in the
CWDMA as well as soil stabilization, pollination of crops, CO2 sequestration and O2 production and controlling
27
pests throughout the CWDMA. It is generally acknowledged that the greater the diversity the more services
that are provided by the vegetation. Some of the more important services are discussed in more detail below.
Erosion control and flood attenuation
Vegetation, particularly in the Mountain Catchment Areas (CMA) of the CWDMA holds water during rainfall
events by creating a sponge effect both in the vegetation layers as well as in the organic ladened soil and
slowly releases the water overtime. As the soil is more porous and the water flow rate is decreased by the
vegetation more water is able to penetrate the soil and is diverted into the ground water to replenish aquifers
and supply a source of water for rivers, especially during the drier periods. As more water penetrates the soil
the surface runoff reduced. The lower runoff coupled with the soil being bound by vegetation, reduces
erosion of the soil and thus results in less siltation of dams and better water quality. It also reduces flooding
as there is less sheet flow across the land and less water enters rivers during the rainfall event.
Water purification
Vegetation in wetlands within the CWDMA that are adequately conserved and properly managed where
needed provide large surfaces for micro-organisms including bacteria to live on. The vegetation together with
the sediment in which it grows and the associated micro-organisms, filter nutrients and toxins from polluted
water thereby purifying the water. If the wetlands are however not properly managed as for example in river
channels down stream of Human Settlements in the CWDMA they may release the bound toxins into the
water.
Pollination and pest control
The majority of the commercial farms in the CWDMA have one or more mono-crops planted as cash crops.
As mono-crops have a limited number of niches (micro-habitat), it is unable to support large numbers of
insect species. Natural vegetation on the other hand is able to support large numbers of species and is a
source of insects required to pollinate many crops grown in the CWDMA. Furthermore natural vegetation
provides a habitat and food for insects when annual crops are harvested or seasonal crops don‟t provide
sustenance. Similarly it provides a source of predators to reduce the levels of pests that feed on and
damages the commercial crops.
Conservation areas
The extents of the conservation areas were determined using GIS (Geographic Information Systems). It was
determined that the conserved areas in the CWDMA (Figure 3.3) consist predominantly of Mountain
Catchment Areas, Provincial Reserves and Conservancies. The areas for the conservation areas are
depicted in Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.
Smaller area with regard to total extent, are conserved in Private Nature Reserves, SANParks, Local Nature
Reserves and Heritage Sites. Provincial, Local Nature Reserves, SANParks, Heritage Sites and registered
Private Nature Reserves are statutory reserves and are formally protected. Some of the Private Nature
Reserves and Conservancies belong to associations and adhere to agreed conservation principles.
28
Table 3.1: Area of conservation areas
Type
Area (ha)
Mountain Catchment Areas
349,618
Provincial Reserves
158,771
Conservancies
138,886
Private Nature Reserves
61,600
SANParks
39,022
Local Nature Reserves
14,329
SA Heritage Sites
8,802
1%
2%
5%
8%
Mountain Catchment Areas
Provincial Reserves
45%
Conservancies
Private Nature Reserves
18%
SANParks
Local Nature Reserves
SA Heritage Sites
21%
Figure 3.1: Comparative area of conservation areas
The conservation areas in the CWDMA have however been severely fragmented (Figure 3.4) and degraded
in some parts, particularly in the Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and Witzenberg Municipalities due to human
activity. The primary cause of loss of biodiversity through fragmentation is urban expansion and cultivation. Of
particular concern is the transformation of the low lying Renosterveld areas for cultivation purposes, of which
there is very limited areas left. Whereas there has been a fairly significant expansion of vineyards from 1992
to 2000 (91 038 ha – 105 566 ha) this took place on land that was mostly already transformed for grazing and
wheat farming purposes. However the trend towards cultivating specific cultivars on foothills is more likely to
result in the loss of biodiversity (Matthews et al. 2003). In essence the findings of the CWSEA suggest that
there is limited scope for the expansion of agricultural areas in the Cape Winelands and that the urban
expansion should also be approached with caution so as to avoid loss or impacts on biodiversity.
29
Figure 3.2: Vegetation types
30
Figure 3.3: Conservation Areas
31
Figure 3.4: Land Use
32
The terrestrial component of the remaining fragmented areas is heavily impacted by social
systems and affords varying degrees of protection for the various vegetation types. The main
impacts include frequent fires and the introduction of invasive alien vegetation as discussed
below.
Fire threat
Fragmented conservation areas in the CWDMA are usually surrounded by human systems
including farms and urban areas and often have recreational facilities within them e.g. Paarl
Rock. These are all sources of fire that easily spread through the vegetation once ignited under
suitable conditions. Fires are thus frequent in fynbos. Although fynbos is adapted to fires and
requires fire to ensure a sustainable ecology, frequent fires alter the ecology and result in lower
biodiversity and altered ecosystem functioning. Plants for example do not have enough time to
mature and produce seeds for the next generation. Different fire frequencies furthermore select
for different species e.g. more frequent fires select for more Erica species and fewer Protea
species. The loss of vegetation and organic material on and in the soil reduces the erosion and
flood control capabilities of the ecosystem.
Invasive alien species
Invasive alien species pose numerous threats to the environment including out competing
indigenous vegetation, consuming large consumes of water, creating hot fires that damage
ecosystems and in some cases are allelopathic. These invasive aliens are common along river
channels, parts of the Mountain Catchment Areas and on many of the farms in the Buffer and
Transitional Areas in the CWDMA.
Invasive species out compete the natural vegetation as they have fewer predators and are
better able to utilise available resources than indigenous species. They are thus capable of
growing faster and capturing more of the scarce resources viz. water, nutrients and eventually
light. Invasive species consumes large volumes of water due to extensive root systems and
large leaf surface areas and leaf characteristics, reducing the amount of water available to the
ecosystem and also human systems.
Many of these invasive species are well adapted to fire. Due to their biomass and chemical
properties they create very hot fires that are capable of sterilizing the soils of useful
microbiological species and indigenous seed. After a fire, the seeds of many of the invasive
species are some of the first to regenerate and out-compete indigenous species. Some species
furthermore are allelopathic, producing toxins in the soil that prevent indigenous seeds from
germinating and growing.
3.3
FAUNA BIODIVERSITY
The fauna of the area is poorly studied, largely because it is time consuming and costly to
obtain accurate census data. The species present and their relative abundance however have
been determined for the CWDMA.
Fauna includes large vertebrates such as mammals, reptiles and birds as well as invertebrates
such as insects. The fauna populations are vulnerable for most of the CWDMA, with over 120
33
species regarded as sensitive (Figure 3.5). The north eastern parts, which constituted of large
portions the DMA, however, are less vulnerable with areas near the north eastern border of the
DMA having less than 110 sensitive species.
Fauna depend on the integrity of the natural vegetation for their survival. The greater the
vegetation biodiversity within the Fynbos Biome and the Succulent Karoo, the more niches and
food sources available for fauna and thus ensures a greater fauna diversity. The fynbos is
generally unpalatable due to high tannin content and thus does not support many large
herbivores. There are however a few herbivores and omnivores that have adapted to fynbos
e.g. klipspringers and duikers.
Human disturbances and development creates added stress on faunal ecology. These
stressors predominantly occurring in the Buffer and Transitional Areas of the CWDMA include:

Hunting and poisoning of “vermin” such as caracal, leopard and porcupine

Frequent fires caused by controlled burns on farms that get out of hand

Loss of habitat due to developments and agriculture

Creating barriers to movement e.g. fences and roads

The introduction of invasive aliens that transform the natural habitats

The introduction of cats and dogs that hunt indigenous wildlife

The spraying of insecticides to control pests
34
Figure 3.5: Biological sensitivity (Fauna)
35
3.4
ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY
The fauna, flora and micro-organism biodiversity interact with non-living factors such as air
water, soil, rock and temperature to create unique ecosystems. These factors are influenced by
climate and landscapes to further diversify the ecological systems and ecological services. All
these elements furthermore interact and influence each other and are finely balanced. As a
unified system it provides services to human systems.
3.5
CATCHMENTS
Water resources in the Cape Winelands provide a variety of direct and indirect ecosystem
services. Not only is drinking water essential to human survival, but water resources are also
critical to cultivation, processing and manufacturing, in addition the river systems of the Cape
Winelands are important tourist and recreational resources and contribute to the sense of the
place of the Winelands.
The Cape Winelands area straddles four Water Management Areas (WMA) viz. Gouritz,
Olifants/Doorn, Breede and Berg WMAs as indicated in
Figure 3.7. The relative size of these catchments are depicted in Figure 3.6. Of these the
Breede River and Berg River systems provide most of the water used to irrigate crops in the
Cape Winelands as well as water for domestic purposes within and beyond the boundaries of
the Cape Winelands, most notably also contributing significantly to the supply of the Cape
Metropolitan Area.
12%
39%
Berg
Breede
Gourits
Olifants
34%
15%
Figure 3.6: Relative size of the Water Management Areas within the Cape Winelands District
Municipality
“The catchment areas of most of the major dams within the Western Cape Water Supply
Scheme originate within the mountains of the Cape Winelands District Municipality Area. These
36
dams provide bulk water supply mainly to Stellenbosch and Cape Town, and to vineyards and
fruit farms in the area. The Berg-Riviersonderend Scheme transfers water from Theewaterskloof
Dam in the Breede River to Kleinplaas Dam at Jonkershoek (RHP, 2005). The water is mostly
used for domestic purposes (3 million m3/a) in Cape Town and Stellenbosch and for irrigation
(24 million m3/a). Kleinplaas Dam (0.38 million m3/a) serves as a balancing dam to the
Franschhoek/Jonkershoek Tunnel system, while two off-channel dams (5.5 million m3/a) in Idas
Valley store excess winter water from the Eerste and Dwars Rivers to supplement bulk water
supply to Stellenbosch (RHP 2005).
Similarly, groundwater plays an increasingly important role as a water supply source. The
largest groundwater resource in the Western Cape (i.e. Table Mountain Group Aquifer)
originates in this area, as most of the recharge to this system occurs in the mountains of the
winelands. Farmers rely heavily on groundwater in the Ceres area, in the vicinity of Rawsonville,
and in the Hex River valley. In the Hex River valley for instance, surface and groundwater use
are of similar magnitude (approximately 20 million cubic metres per year each)” (CWDM 2008).
Berg River WMA
The berg River WMA falls predominantly within the Drakenstein Municipal Area. The Internal
Strategic Perspective (ISP) prepared for the Berg WMA in 2004, indicated that approximately
57 % of water in this system is used for urban purposes, 41 % for irrigation and 2 % to serve
rural communities. Based on the year 2000 requirements it is calculated that there is a shortfall
of at least 28 million m3/a in this system, with the highest shortfalls in the Greater Cape Town
and Upper Berg components of the system. As will be indicated below, there is some spare
capacity in the Breede River system, and although the current greater system allows for the
pumping of water from this system into the Berg River system, the cost and environmental
impacts of this practice would render it inappropriate for irrigation purposes (CWDM 2008).
37
Figure 3.7: Water Catchment Areas
38
Breede River WMA
The Breed River falls with in the Breede Valley and Breed River Municipal Areas. The Internal
Strategic Perspective for the Breede WMA, 2004, indicates that 95% of all water in the Breede
River WMA is used for irrigation purposes and only 5% for urban purposes. The Greater
Brandvlei Dam is the largest of the dams supplying water for irrigation purposes and has spare
storage capacity of 133 million m3 / a (compared to its current firm yield of 155 million m 3/a)
(CWDM 2008)..
The ISP indicates that there is 889 million m3/a of water available in the Breede River
component in 2000, with a requirement of 869 million m3/a, thus in an estimated surplus of 20
million m3/a of which 17 million m3 is potentially available in the Upper Breede sub-area and 3
million in the Lower Breede sub-area. The surplus lies in the Koekedouw Dam (3 million m3/a),
the Stettynskloof Dam (14 million m3/a) and the Buffeljags Dam (3 million m3/a) which falls
outside the CWDM area (CWDM 2008).
Olifants/Doorn
A part of the Witzenberg and CWDMA area falls with the upper areas of the Olifants/Doorn
WMA. The highest runoff contributing to this system is found in the Upper Olifants, Doring and
Koue Bokkeveld sub-areas. The total available water supply in this system is estimated at 339
million m3/a of which 95% is used by the agricultural sector. The water requirements for the
2000 base year has been calculated at 373 million m3/a which would indicate a deficit of 34
million m3/a of which 29 million m3 is experienced in the Lower Olifants sub-area and the ISP
indicates that the sub-areas including the Koue Bokkeveld and Upper Olifants areas are all
more or less in balance (CWDM 2008)..
Gouritz
A small part of the CWDMA area falls within the Gouritz WMA, in particular in the Groot subarea. In the Groot sub-area a total of 53 million m3/a is required of which 49 million m3 is used
for irrigation purposes. However the supply is highly variable and crops are only irrigated in
years when the supply is sufficient. However only 42 million m3/a is available, which indicates a
deficit of 11 million m3/a. The Overview of Water Resources Availability and Utilisation Study
undertaken for the Gouritz WMA in 2003 also indicate that there is no potential for development
of further resources in the Groot sub-area (CWDM 2008).
39
3.6
WETLANDS
Wetlands are found throughout the CWDMA, particularly
in the Mountain Catchment Areas, and in the Buffer and
Transitional Areas. Small isolated wetlands are also
found within the more developed Human Settlements
(Category D).
The National Wetland Classification recognises five
separate wetland units that are linked to channels and
thus, at a catchment scale, should be considered of
relevance in terms of river management. These “nonisolated” systems comprise: river channels, valley
bottom wetlands, floodplain wetlands, depressions linked
to a channel and hillslope seeps. Other inland wetland
types are classified as isolated (not linked to any
channel), and the classification itself extends to
estuarine and shallow marine systems (Box 3).
The following types of wetlands contribute significantly to
the flow of the catchments in the CWDMA and are thus
considered in more detail:
Box 3: What is a wetland?
The term “wetland” incorporates a wide
range of wetland types, including rivers
and their estuaries, and even shallow
coastal marine areas.
The South African National Wetland
Classification defines wetlands as: “areas
of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether
natural or artificial, permanent or
temporary, with water that is static or
flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including
areas of marine water the depth of which
at low tides does not exceed ten meters”.
Wetlands are areas where water is the
primary factor controlling the environment
and, therefore, wetlands develop in areas
where soils are saturated or inundated
with water for varying lengths of time and
at different frequencies.

River channels (in turn subdivided into mountain headwaters, mountain streams,
transitional rivers, upper (cobble bed) foothills, lower (gravel bed) foothills and lowland
rivers).

Valley bottom wetlands (subdivided into naturally channelled and unchannelled
systems).

Hillslope seeps.
River channels are generally associated with the larger named rivers viz. the Berg, Olifants
Gouritz and the Breede Rivers an their main tributaries.. Mountain headwalls and mountain
streams occur in the mountainous areas and high gradient areas. Foothill streams occur at
slightly flatter gradients as well as downstream of most mountain stream reaches. Transitional
and lower river channel types characterise most of the tributaries at their point of confluence.
3.6.1 River channels
This wetland type includes so-called “true” rivers, with well-defined channels and occur in all the
local municipal areas of the CWDMA. The National Wetland Classification defines river
channels as “linear landforms which when inundated usually carry water. The definition
includes the river bed and its riparian fringe (vegetation along the river banks that is there by
virtue of the proximity of the river channel).
The main river channels are mountain streams, foothill streams and lowland rivers. These are
briefly discussed below.
40
Mountain streams, predominantly found in the MCA of the CWDMA are fast flowing, erosive
areas, with stream beds often dominated by boulders and bedrock. Their waters are usually
shallow, well oxygenated and cool, with relatively low concentrations of nutrients compared to
downstream reaches, and low concentrations of phytoplankton (floating algae). They would be
particularly sensitive to impacts such as abstraction, impoundment, changes in flow regime,
nutrient enrichment, removal of indigenous riparian vegetation and invasion by alien trees, with
the latter leading to channelisation, downcutting and erosion.
Foothill streams, predominantly occurring on the foot slopes of the MCA often have more
diverse habitats than mountain streams, including combinations of riffle and run habitat, sand
bars, backwaters, pools and marginal vegetation. Gravel bed foothills are usually at a lower
gradient than cobble bed foothills, with the former dominated by sand/ gravel substrate and the
latter having a larger component of cobbles and coarser gravels. The flatter gradient means
that flow rate is slower than in mountain streams, but discharge is usually greater. Oxygenation
decreases and both water temperatures and nutrient concentrations tend to increase even
under natural circumstances. Wider channels and less shading means that increased
phytoplankton as well as attached algae is likely to occur in these reaches. These river reaches
are particularly vulnerable to abstraction and changes in flow regime, nutrient enrichment,
sedimentation and erosion.
Lowland rivers, predominantly found in the Buffer and Intensive Agricultural Areas and some of
the Human Settlements and low lying Core Areas, have relatively flat gradients, and their beds
are usually dominated by alluvial material. They tend to meander within a relatively wide
floodplain and may be associated with broad floodplain features such as oxbow lakes. Lowland
rivers are usually deeper and wider than their upstream reaches. Water is usually more turbid,
with higher concentrations of fine sediments and phytoplankton. Lowland rivers are vulnerable
to changes in flow regime, impoundment (particularly where impoundment results in loss of
flood flows), nutrient enrichment and invasion by alien aquatic plants, such as water hyacinth
Eicchornia crassipes.
3.6.2 Valley bottom and hillside seep wetlands
Valley bottom wetlands contribute a lower proportion of runoff at a catchment level than do
river channels. They play a significant role if unimpacted in terms of management of water from
the surrounding catchment. Shallow, diffuse flow through such systems, contribute to flood
amelioration, trapping sediment during low flow periods and removal of phosphorus under
aerobic conditions. Subsurface seepage of water from the surrounding catchment into the
valley bottom and flow through wetland vegetation, promotes the removal of nitrates and other
toxicants. This is of particular relevance to farm land in the Buffer and Transitional Areas within
the CWDMA that could be negatively affected by flooding and cause nutrient enrichment and
erosion,
Both unchannelled valley bottom wetlands and hillslope seeps are vulnerable to headwall
erosion, which results in the creation of channelled systems, and the loss of many of the
associated wetland functions.
41
Seepage wetlands, which may occur on farm lands within the CWDMA, are often hillslope
seeps, which are wetlands on a relatively steep slope, characterised by diffuse, often shallow
subsurface flow. They are characteristically vegetated by dense stands of sea-rush Juncus
kraussii and usually indicate the start of a seasonal lowland drainage line. The characteristic
diffuse subsurface flow through seepage wetlands gives them a high potential for nitrogen and
especially nitrate removal. They also contribute to extending the period of flow in downstream
systems, by slowing down the rate of surface and subsurface water movement down the slope.
3.6.3 The importance of wetlands
The National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (SANBI 2004) identified rivers in the Western
Cape as among the most severely threatened rivers in the country, with 95 % of them assessed
as critically endangered (that is, with less than 10% of their length intact). With increasing levels
of impact, rivers become less and less resilient to additional impacts, while their ability to
provide the kinds of services and resources to human users and natural ecosystems diminishes.
These services include (Job and Driver 2006):

Drainage at a catchment level.

Provision of habitat to aquatic and semi-aquatic plants and animals, and in highly
developed catchments, even terrestrial fauna may shelter within riparian fringes.

Self-cleansing. Natural rivers are able to process low levels of organic inputs by cycling
nutrients through the system with the aid of microbiological and biological activities if
sufficiently oxygenated.

Provision of longitudinal corridors, connecting upland and lowland terrestrial and aquatic
areas.

Provision of organic carbons and nutrients to floodplains, ensuring their sustainability
and productivity.

Provision of fish, plant and other natural resources used by people.

Provision of water for agricultural, domestic and industrial use.

Provision of areas for tourism, recreational and cultural uses.

Potential enhancement of the property values of adjacent land owners.
Other wetlands too are recognised as critically threatened ecosystems, with seasonal wetlands
being among the most threatened habitats nationally. Wetlands as a whole are internationally
recognised as important natural ecosystems (e.g. Cowan 1995) which, depending on the
characteristics of each wetland type, may perform a number of the following valuable ecological
and other functions, including (Davies and Day 1998):

Provision of habitat to wetland-associated animals and plants, many of which rely
exclusively on these areas for breeding, feeding or nursery areas (Cowan 1995).

Provision of corridors for movement between terrestrial natural areas, or along river
systems.
42

Contribution to the perennial stream flow, through retention and slow release of waters
during low flow periods.

Flood attenuation effected by retention of flood waters in wetland soils, and reduction of
flood velocities through dissipation of flows through wide, vegetated areas.

Improving water quality, through uptake and absorption of nutrients and other
contaminants often found in surface runoff.

Trapping sediment and reducing erosion of stream channels.

Contribution to groundwater recharge.
South Africa is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention (1971), an international treaty aimed at
the conservation of wetland habitats (Cowan 1995). This convention binds members to a set of
criteria aimed at the conservation of wetland ecosystems. These criteria include stemming the
loss of wetlands, promoting the wise use of all wetland areas and promoting the special
protection of listed wetlands. Despite the acknowledged ecological, economic and educational
value of wetlands, it has been estimated that over half of South Africa‟s wetlands have already
been destroyed and lost, while those that remain are among South Africa‟s most threatened
natural areas.
3.7
GEOLOGY AND SOIL
The CWDMA comprises a sequence of rocks from the Malmesbury Group, the Cape Granite
Suite (3 %), the Table Mountain Group (TMG) and younger Cenozoic sediments.
The Table Mountain Group consists predominantly of erosion resistant quartzitic sandstones
(arenite – 39%) which result in the formation of steep rugged topography and is found
throughout the CWDA. In many of the lower lying areas the TMG erodes down to underlying
Phyllite and Greywacke shales from the Malmesbury group (Shale – 38%), which dominates the
DMA as well as the Breed Valley and Breed River geology. These shales are interspersed with
lenses of quartzite schist as well as limestone.
Essentially, the Malmesbury group comprises soft, highly erodible rocks surrounded mostly by
shales that form undulating plains in low lying areas. Large outcrops of erosion resistant granite
from the Cape Granite Suite are present within the southern reaches of the municipality, in the
form of Paarl Mountain, Perdeberg and an area extending from the Klein Drakenstein Mountains
to Groenberg. Fine to medium and coarse grained alluvial deposits are present in river
channels extending throughout the municipality. The implications of these formations in terms
of water quality and agricultural potential are described in below.
Implications of major geological formations for water chemistry
Soils derived from different geological formations contribute different quantities and proportions
of ions and nutrients to water bodies with which they are associated (Davies and Day 1998).
Rock formations associated with the Table Mountain Group (TMG) sandstones are old and
well-weathered, typically leaching very few salts and nutrients into water as is found in the
Witzenberg and many parts of the Drakenstein Municipal Areas. Water associated with this
43
geological group, is generally of good quality, with low Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) values. Table Mountain Sandstones typically yield low quantities of
sediment, as they are relatively erosion resistant and associated with thin soils (Beck et al.
2006) Formations associated with the TMG group include: Cedarberg, Goudini, Graafwater,
Piekenierskloof, and Skuweberge.
Igneous rocks such as granites from the Cape Granite Suite e.g. Paarl Rock in the Drakenstein
Municipal Area tend to leach only slightly higher amounts of ions (both cations and anions) into
water in comparison to rocks from the TMG. This results in relatively higher TDS levels, in
conjunction with nominal effects on pH and buffering.
By contrast the shale-dominated geology associated with the Malmesbury Group, common in
the DMA and Breed River and Breede Valley Municipal Areas is associated with relatively large
amounts of salts (with low nutrient levels), which leach into water. Waters associated with this
geology type, generally exhibit relatively high EC and TDS values. Sediment yields are usually
higher from this group than in the case of Table Mountain Sandstones, as the shales are more
erodible and associated with deeper soils. Formations associated with the Malmesbury group
include: Morreesburg, Norree, and Porterville while two commonly occurring types of shales are
Greywacke and Phyllite.
Soil, which largely determines the characteristic of the land on which it occurs, provides a
number of ecological services for development, most notably a medium within which to grow
crops. It is important to note, however, that this service in particular is provided in combination
with climate and water availability and thus cannot been seen in isolation.
44
Figure 3.8: Geology of the Cape Winelands District Municipal Area
45
With reference to the Area Based Land Sector Plan of the CDWM (2008), the soil capability of
the Cape Winelands (Figure 3.9) is measured on a scale of 1 to 8 where 1 (green) indicates the
best agricultural capability and 8 the lowest. It is generally considered that a capability below 5
renders soil unusable for agricultural purposes. The orange-brown areas on map has ranking of
6. It is however acknowledged that certain unique farmland that is suitable for vineyards for
instance is given a low ranking in this classification.
Figure 3.4 illustrates actual areas under cultivation, thus indicating the limitations placed by
water availability on the ability to cultivate land in the Cape Winelands. Only eight percent of
land in the Cape Winelands is under irrigation.
The Cape Winelands District Municipality has generally very poor soil conditions, but unique
farmland opportunities, make certain land agriculturally valuable for specific uses such as wine,
olives and deciduous fruit. The area of land suitable for cultivation in the Cape Winelands
District Municipality is thus severely limited. The suitable land is concentrated in the more
developed western parts of the municipality.
The report also notes the threats such as the loss of productive land due to land use change
and the severe pressure for development of agricultural land experienced in this area, salination
(lower Breede Valley area), erosion as a result of fires, impacts of climate change, and poor
rehabilitation of soils after mining.
Figure 3.9: Soil potential of the Cape Winelands
(Source: CWDM 2008)
46
3.8
CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The CWDMA falls within the Western Cape which can be described as a winter rainfall region
with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The topography, however results in significant
changes in the micro-climate, particularly mean annual precipitation (MAP) in different areas.
MAP ranges from 3 000 mm in the high-lying mountains to less than 100 mm in the north and
north eastern parts of the CWDMA (
Figure 3.10). The rain predominantly falls from May to August and the summers are dry, but not
necessarily without rain.
Climate Change studies suggest that the future climate of the Western Cape is likely to be
warmer and drier than at present. Projections for the Western Cape are for a drying trend from
west to east, with a weakening of winter rainfall, possibly slightly more summer rainfall (mainly
in the east of the province), a shift to more irregular rainfall of possibly greater intensity, and
rising mean, minimum and maximum temperatures everywhere (D:EA&DP 2007).
Impact on water resources
The water from Berg River Catchment is fully utilised and has no spare capacity. The Breede
River Catchment and the Olifants Catchment has capacity for further development, though
limited. The raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall would further increase the capacity in the
Olifants River. There is furthermore water resources in the aquifer in the Breede River
Catchment area and limited resources in the Olifants and Berg River catchment areas.
There is thus limited scope further development in the CWDMA. In some catchments, such as
the Berg River Catchment a water deficit exists, when the ecological reserve is factored into the
water allocation, meaning too much water is already being abstracted from the system in a way
that threatens the integrity of the ecosystems that depend on this water. This is reflected in the
current poor state of the Berg River. However, demand continues to grow from agriculture, the
Cape Town Metropolitan Area and the coastal towns. The pressure of limited water supply
remain vulnerable, especially during periodic.
Because water is already a limiting factor for economic growth in many parts of the WCDMA,
the projected Climate Change has serious implications for the competing interests of
environmental integrity and socio-economic development. Adaptations that will be required are
much greater efficiency in use, especially in agriculture and industry, which implies investment
in technology. Investment in exploring alternative sources and importation of supplies from
further afield are indicated, which may raise costs. In a warmer and drier future, the competition
for fresh water will increase sharply. The equitable sharing of the water resource will demand
considerable skill. Under current rates of urbanization and population growth, new sources will
almost certainly need to be developed.
A more detailed synthesis of the expected climate change and the associated impacts on the
Socio-Economic aspects of the Cape Winelands are included in Annexure 7 of the Cape
Winelands Spatial Development Framework.
47
Figure 3.10: Mean Annual Precipitation
48
Impacts on wetlands and estuaries
Many of the wetlands in the CWDMA are destroyed by cultivation and urban encroachment and
lack of water due to artificial draining. This scenario is further exacerbated by the drying
tendency expected for many parts of the CWDMA due to Climate Change. Wetlands have thus
capacity to adapt to Climate Change when disturbed by human interference. South Africa has
an international obligation to protect its wetlands, particularly those registered under the Ramsar
Convention, which implies allocating enough water to them for their continued existence.
There are no estuaries that fall within the CWDMA. The impacts on rivers and water quality
within the CWDMA will however impact estuaries downstream. Estuaries are important
breeding grounds for certain commercially harvested fish species and provide important habitat
for local and migratory wading birds. The vulnerability of estuaries to warming and drying is
particularly acute because these features are located at the end of the river systems and are
therefore the final receivers of increasingly scarce water. They have particular requirements for
fresh water to maintain salinity profiles and for flushing sediment.
Impacts on biodiversity
The impact of climate change manifested by a warmer and drier climate is likely to be a
progressive impoverishment in species richness in the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo Biomes.
According to climate models within 50 to 100 years the extant biomes will have been reduced to
35 to 55 % of current extent (Midgley et al. 2008). High altitude marshes that host some highly
endemic and isolated species (e.g. ghost frog) are particularly vulnerable to desiccation.
Of critical concern are CBAs or hotspots that have high biodiversity and endemicity. The
endemicity coupled with the fact that many of the CBAs have become isolated biogeographic
islands put these CBAs at risk of extinction as species are unable to migrate to more suitable
habitats. It is predicted that the Succulent Karoo would be the most threatened. The Succulent
Karoo is expected to reduce to small remnants along the west coast and the higher altitudes of
the south-eastern part of the CWDMA and the western part of the Central Karoo District
Municipality (Figure 3.11).
Figure 3.11: Predicted impact of Climate Change on the Succulent Karoo Biome
a) Original, b) ~2050, c) ~2090 (Source: Midgley et al. 2008)
49
Impacts associated with alien invasive species
Many of the invasive alien plant species are adapted to Mediterranean climates that include
summer droughts. They able to out compete our indigenous vegetation for scarce resources
such as water, particularly in disturbed areas but also in undisturbed areas. As the climate
becomes hotter and drier and the indigenous vegetation is stressed, the alien vegetation may
increase their competitive advantage and proliferate further. This is of particular relevance to of
the MCA in the WCDMA that are infested with invasive alien vegetation as they are not
managed as well as the other conservation areas.
The hotter and drier conditions coupled with increase in alien vegetation biomass would result in
increase fire frequency and intensity, threatening, remnant livelihoods, development and
remnant natural vegetation.
50
4 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Ownership and responsibility for implementation of the outcomes of the ESA as part of the
CWSDF reside with the District Municipality. It is the intention of the District Municipality to
interact widely with other planning initiatives in its area, to ensure alignment, rationalise
resources and maximise synergies for the protection and maintenance of ecosystem services in
the district.
Through informed cooperative governance natural resources can be better managed for present
and future generations to live sustainably from the environment. This can be achieved by
preventing pollution and ecological degradation, promoting conservation and ensuring
ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable
economic and social development.
Natural resources include water, air soil, vegetation, fauna, micro-organisms, landscapes and
the interactions between these and other elements. Humans have impacted on each of these
elements and unless they are properly managed the system will break down to varying extents
depending on the impact and will limit development potential and sustainability.
4.1
SPATIAL PLANNING CATEGORIES AND GUIDELINES
The Spatial Planning Categories are constituted of:

Core Areas

Buffer Areas

Intensive Agricultural Areas

Human Settlements
The relative area of each of these categories are depicted in the pie chart below
2%
34%
Core
Buffer
Intensive Agriculture
Human Settlement
62%
2%
Figure 4.1: Relative area of Spatial Planning Categories in Cape Winelands District Municipality
51
4.1.1 Category A: Core Areas
The Core Areas (Category A) are constituted of:

Wilderness Areas

Other Statutory Conservation Areas

Critical biodiversity areas (CBA)

CBA ecological support areas

Rivers and ecological corridors
It is imperative that these Core Areas (Figure 4.2) are considered as a whole. The main hub or
source of species would be large core areas, which would make up the bulk of these core
areas. Many of the mobile plant (seed and pollen transfer) and animal species would be
sourced from the core areas and dispersed to conservation areas in the vicinity. There would
also be transfer of organisms towards the biosphere reserve but to a lesser extent. Species
such as many of the bird species, and insects to a lesser degree, do not necessarily require
corridors to transfer between conservation areas. The further the conservation area is away
from the core areas the less chance there is for species transfer and thus fewer species will
transfer. There is furthermore less chance for species to transfer into smaller conservation
areas due to the lower chance of locating the smaller areas. Small conservation areas that are
far away from the core area will thus have less chance of sourcing species from core areas.
Conservation areas between such areas and the core areas could however be used as stepping
stones for some species. Animals that transfer in this way are however more vulnerable to
predation, which further decreases the chances of species migration into small distance
conservation areas.
There is well documented research regarding the size of a conservation area versus the number
of species that can be maintained in the area for the fynbos biome. This relationship is provided
in species area curves (Woodward & Kelly 2008, Cowling & Desmet 2004). The smaller the
area is, the less species it can maintain due to fewer niches available and less available space
per niche, recognizing that a number of different species may compete for the same niche.
Core areas should thus be as large as possible, considering that there is limited untransformed
land left.
The main purpose of core areas is for conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning,
especially of the Cape Floral Kingdom, non-destructive recreational usage, research and
education.
52
Figure 4.2: Category A – Core Areas
53
Critical Biodiversity Areas
Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) (Figure 4.2) are terrestrial and aquatic features in the
landscape that are critical for conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem functioning.
Ideally they should be conserved within core areas (see Table 1.3 for definition of Core Area),
but there are instances where the CBA is situated within a confined area and cannot practically
be included in a Core Area. In these circumstances CBAs should be identified, mapped and
managed as special management units that would ensure the survival and spread in the spatial
extent of the characteristic features that characterise each CBA. Ideally CBAs should be
managed so that eventually they could become Core Areas with a suitable buffer to ensure the
long term protection of the CBAs.
The CBAs in the CWDMA are predominantly constituted of river channels, other wetlands as
well as Fynbos and Renosterveld biodiversity hotspots. Rivers are threatened to an alarming
extent due to pollution and the introduction of invasive fauna and flora species and urban
expansion. The biodiversity has dropped substantially and the natural ecosystem functioning
has virtually collapsed in many reaches of the main river systems.
Renosterveld and many of the fynbos subtypes are threatened by invasive alien vegetation and
development, especially agriculture. The remaining vegetation is furthermore threatened by
unnatural fire frequency and intensity. Fire frequency is a result of people starting fires that they
cannot control on farms and in rural settlements as well as arson. Fire intensity is heightened
by the increased biomass and flammable chemicals associated with certain invasive alien
species.
These impacts on CBAs could be reduced by educating people on the effects of pollution and
uncontrolled fires and encourage farms to protect the remnant CBA on their farms. A
programme based on cooperative governance by all stakeholders could be developed that
identifies CBAs and attempts to create buffers around them as well as corridors linking them.
Where possible adjacent areas could be rehabilitated to its natural state to allow CBAs to
expand.
Corridors
It is imperative that conservation areas in Buffer Areas that are isolated from the Core Area and
each other, as well as isolated Core Areas, are linked via corridors. These corridors need to be
wide enough, of the same vegetation structure as the conservation nodes and undisturbed to
allow for species migration though them. Considering vegetation succession, the outer edges of
corridor would have difference plant species and vegetation structure than towards the centre of
the corridor and should not be included in the width determination of the corridor as it would not
be available to many species adapted to core areas. Furthermore should there be disturbance
of the corridor, it needs to be wide enough to maintain continuity between the nodes and be
able to recover in as short a time as possible.
Conservation areas and corridors should be planned and orientated to mitigate and adapt to
impacts of climate change. There is a natural gradient towards more productive growth in terms
of biomass and species towards the equator. Species are adapted to specific niches affected
by non-living factors e.g. temperature and moisture. Climate change would impact on these
54
parameters and change the distribution of these niches predominantly in a North-South direction
superimposed over an altitude effect. Should the area become drier, the tendency would be for
species to move to higher altitudes and further north, where it is expected to be moister. This
does however depend on site specific parameters. It is thus preferable to have larger areas
conserved over wider area to allow species impacted by climate change to migrate into more
suitable areas.
Ideally there should be a conservation body with representatives from each conservation
authority and private reserve owner. This body would be better placed to provide an integrated
management plan to facilitate optimal conservation for each conservation area and allow for
effective transfer of species between conservation areas.
Ecological Support Areas
Ecological support areas (ESA) provide ecological services that support Core Areas and Critic
cal Biodiversity Areas (CBA). If the ESA are compromised through for example pollution or
destruction they may not be able to sustain the Core Areas and CBAs resulting in the demise of
these areas.
4.1.2 Category B: Buffer Areas
Buffer areas (Category B) are constituted of:

Non-statutory Conservation Areas

Remnant vegetation areas not part of Core Areas

Rehabilitation Areas

Extensive agricultural areas
Buffer Areas (Figure 4.4) occur adjacent to Core Areas. This is regarded as a soft boundary,
suggesting that it does not have official cadastral boundaries. The Buffer Areas include private
reserves and other forms of private land and conservation areas. Excluding the vacant /
unspecified areas, which accounts for 85% of the buffer area the relative areas for each of the
land uses (relative to the remaining area) within the buffer Area of the CWDMA, are presented
in Figure 4.3. The actual areas all inclusive are presented in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1: Extent of land use within the Buffer Area
Land Use in Buffer Area
Area (ha)
Relative area
Conservation
92,990
5.0%
Cultivated land
179,008
9.0%
Forestry
16,157
1.0%
Vacant/ Unspecified
1,704,489
85.0%
Residential
6,778
0.3%
55
Land Use in Buffer Area
Area (ha)
Relative area
Commercial/ Industrial
216
0%
Mining
22
0%
5%
2%
0%
0%
32%
Conservation
Culativated land
Forestry
Residential
Commercial/ Industrial
Mining
61%
Figure 4.3: Relative areas of the various land uses within the Buffer Areas excluding unspecified
areas
The buffer area is intended to reduce the impact of Human Settlement and Intensive Agriculture
on the Core Areas and link isolated core areas by creating corridors. Certain human activities
can occur such as extensive farming or small localised developments keeping the conservation
importance of the land in mind.
What do ecological buffers do?
 Buffers can reduce the impacts of poor water quality, particularly non-point source runoff
from farmlands in the CWDMA, depending on the type of vegetation in the buffer, as well
as other factors such as soil type, slope and the nature of water quality impacts.

Buffers can lessen the hydrological impacts often associated with hardened catchments
from large Human Settlements in the CWDMA by improving soil infiltration upstream of
river channels and other wetlands. This means that impacts such as erosion and rapid
fluctuations in water level as a result of high runoff rates are controlled

Buffers, if adequately vegetated, provide protection from erosion associated with
floodwaters. Appropriate vegetation along river banks and floodplains reduces flood
velocities and retains topsoil – and the setback area itself indirectly protects adjacent
landowners from the loss of crops or other assets which, if grown immediately adjacent
to river channels, would otherwise be damaged or lost in flood events. This is of
particular relevance to farmlands in the CWDMA
56

Setback areas also protect (“buffer”) rivers / wetlands from disturbance as a result of
activities taking place alongside them e.g. private property or holiday resorts, which may
result in increased levels of noise or light; increased physical disturbance, including
compaction, dumping of rubble and waste and allowing the spread of alien seeds from
nearby sources.

Buffers provide space for future restoration activities, even if it is not feasible at the time

Buffers allow conservation of longitudinal and lateral connectivity with the catchment,
thus contributing to the maintenance of key ecological processes particularly between
conservation areas (Category A) that are separated by developed areas (Categories C &
D)

Buffers provide habitat for species that move, during part or all of their life cycle,
between aquatic, semi-aquatic and adjacent terrestrial areas, particularly in conservation
areas (Categories A & B).

Some buffer areas may also provide additional functions, such as recreational facilities
e.g. footpaths along rivers that run through Human Settlements, provided that these are
not in conflict with the purpose for which the buffer area has been designed.
57
Figure 4.4: Category B – Buffer Areas
58
Conservation Areas
Other conservation areas in the vicinity should be as large as possible to increase the available
land to maintain a larger number of species. These areas could then act as a source of species
should there be a temporary disturbance in the core area such as a fire. They would also
diversify the available niches and provide a pool of genetic material to reduce genetic
bottlenecks and maintain healthy populations.
Remnant vegetation areas
Remnant vegetation areas are often found in agricultural areas. These areas together with
conservation areas retain landscape scale biodiversity and assist with maintaining ecological
processes and services. These vegetation areas may also form part of buffers to further protect
Core Areas.
Extensive agricultural and rehabilitation areas
There may a matrix of Intensive and extensive agricultural practices within the extensive
agricultural area. The area is however dominated by extensive agriculture where the natural
environment is not heavily impacted on. Ecological processes and services can be maintained
to a limited extent as long as the natural vegetation has not been severely impacted. These
areas may contribute large tracts of land that are available for ecological processes to be
maintained and should be managed accordingly.
Areas that have been transformed but still resemble that natural state could be rehabilitated to
its natural state. Certain areas that have been subjected to intensive agriculture that benefit
from a higher precipitation and surrounded by natural vegetation may also be rehabilitated to its
natural state.
4.1.3 Category C: Intensive Agriculture
Intensive Agriculture areas (Category C) are constituted of:

Irrigated crop cultivation

Dry land crop cultivation

Timber plantation

High density livestock husbandry
The relative areas of land uses within the transitional area, excluding the unspecified area,
which accounts for 79 % of the area is shown in Table 4.2.
Table 4.2: Extent of land use within the Transitional Area
Land use in Agricultural areas
Area (ha)
Relative Area
Conservation
96,640
5%
Cultivate land
328,658
15%
Forestry
19,485
1%
59
Land use in Agricultural areas
Area (ha)
Relative Area
Residential
2,200
0%
Vacant/ unspecified
1,677,613
79%
4% 0%
22%
Conservatin
Cultivate land
Forestry
Residential
74%
Figure 4.5: Relative area of land uses excluding unspecified areas within the Transitional Area
Intensive agricultural areas (Figure 4.6) transform the landscape substantially. There are
usually minimal ecological processes evident and the agricultural practices tend to impact
heavily on natural adjacent or in close proximity to these agricultural areas, especially if not
properly managed. These impacts are discussed in more detail in Chapter 5. Land owners and
managers must make a concerted effort to maintain ecological corridors and buffers through
these areas if ecological functioning is to be maintained and if they are not to unduly impact on
resource users down stream.
60
Figure 4.6: Category C – Intensive agriculture
61
4.1.4 Category D: Human Settlement
Human Settlements (Category D) are constituted of:

Metropolitan Towns / District town

Main local town

Local town

Rural settlements

Institutional settlements

On-farm settlements

Farmsteads

Resorts & tourism-related areas

Other urban-related areas

Industrialised areas

o
Light industry
o
Heavy industry
o
Extractive industry
Infrastructure
Human Settlements are purposed to be densified and has minimal resemblance to the natural
environment. It has minimal biodiversity and natural processes and together with the Intensive
Agricultural areas is very consumptive. The management aim in Human Settlements is to use
natural resources sustainably and sparingly and to minimise the impact on the Intensive
Agricultural and Buffer areas. As Human Settlements are usually surrounded by Intensive
Agricultural areas that rely heavily on natural processes, it is imperative that the Human
Settlements do not disrupt the natural processes or pollute the natural resources to the extent
that it cannot be safely utilised by human practices or natural systems in the Intensive
Agricultural areas. A typical example is the impact of Human Settlements on rivers which are
required downstream for irrigation of cash crops.
62
Figure 4.7: Category D – Human Settlements
63
Industrialised Areas
Industrialised Areas (Figure 4.8) occur within Human Settlements, on the outer edge or within
the Intensive Agricultural areas, where the required resources occur. They are either used for
processing of raw materials or the extraction of raw materials and produce substantial amounts
of waste and pollution. Where activities such as mining occur in areas beyond the Human
Settlements it is imperative that waste and pollution is minimised and the areas are rehabilitated
to the natural state or in the case of agricultural areas rehabilitated to a state that is suitable for
agriculture.
Hazardous substances that have a residual effect should be strictly controlled and not permitted
to enter the environment, making rehabilitation costly and often ineffectual for conservation
areas. Areas that will be rehabilitated should also not have any soil contaminants that will
prevent future generations from being able to utilise the area to its maximum benefit.
Industrial areas are mostly limited to the Stellenbosch and Drakenstein Municipal Areas. The
total area occupied is very small, but effluent waste from the facilities could result in wide scale
damage if it enters rivers or underground water. Atmospheric pollution furthermore has wide
scale cumulative impacts that drive Climate Change and more local impact on air quality.
64
Figure 4.8: Industrialised Areas
65
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is constituted of:

National roads

Trunk roads

Main roads

Divisional roads

Minor roads

4X4 trails

Railway lines

Power lines

Communication structures

Dams & reservoirs

Other buildings & infrastructure
Infrastructure (Figure 4.9) can occur in any of the management categories depending on the
impact it has on the environment. It should however be minimised in Core Areas as
infrastructure is usually disruptive. This can be achieved by not passing infrastructure through
Core Areas and if it is absolutely necessary by reducing the footprint of the infrastructure. Ideally
infrastructure should be limited to Intensive Agricultural and Buffer areas and Human
Settlements. The infrastructure should be sensitive to the natural and human environment. In
Buffer Areas for example roads should be minimised to avoid the impact on fauna crossing
through the area. Culverts could be used to allow for the migration of fauna under the road,
especially busy roads. Powerlines and pipelines should be concentrated more in the Intensive
Agricultural areas in close proximity to existing roads, where they can be easily erected,
accessed and maintained without disrupting natural processes.
It is imperative that the requisite Environmental Impact Assessments are carried out for the
construction or erection of infrastructure in order to determine and minimise the impact of the
construction and operation of the infrastructure.
66
Figure 4.9: Infrastructure
67
4.1.5 Biosphere Reserve
The biosphere Reserve is a unique opportunity for human development to coexist sustainably
with the natural environment and for the biosphere to support the development of the Cape
Winelands District Municipality as an ‘area of excellence and good practice for people, culture
and nature’. The Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve strives to be a site of excellence that
explores and demonstrates approaches to conservation and sustainable development on a
regional scale.
The Biosphere Reserve has Core Areas (Category A) with a total area of 99 459 Ha, where the
natural processes need to be conserved in its natural state to maintain biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning as discussed in Section 4.1.1. The core area is continuous with the
Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. This link allows for the movement of fauna and flora between
the two areas making both Biosphere Reserves more resilient to temporary impacts and
increases genetic diversity.
The core areas are surrounded by a Buffer Zone (Category B) and has a total extent of
133 844 Ha. This is regarded as a soft boundary, suggesting that it does not have official
cadastral boundaries. The Buffer Zone includes private reserves and farms and can support
activities such as extensive farming.
The Intensive Agricultural areas (Category C) with a total area of 88 727 ha is intensively
farmed with vineyards and orchards, which form the economic back bone for the CWDMA.
These activities rely on natural processes emanating from the Core Areas and the Buffer Area
for their sustainability including rivers, other wetlands, pollinators etc. Some of the farms,
particularly those bordering on the major rivers such as the Berg Rivers and Breede River are
however disadvantaged by Human Settlements upstream that pollute the rivers causing them to
be unfit for consumption. Large portions of the Intensive Agricultural areas fall within areas that
should classically have been defined as Buffer Areas. The farms within these areas should be
particularly mindful of their role in conserving biodiversity and creating corridors for the
movement of fauna and flora across the landscape e.g. farms to the north and east of
Stellenbosch.
Human Settlements (Category D) are dotted throughout the Biosphere Reserve and some fall
within, what should be Buffer and Intensive Agricultural areas due to their proximity to the Core
Areas e.g. Franschoek and Kylemore. It is imperative that these Human Settlements are
particularly sensitive to the natural environment. Due to the densification and intensive nature
of Human Settlements, they have potential of polluting the environment and creating
unnecessary waste and consuming vast amounts of resources. This would be in direct
competition with the activities such as intensive farming in the Intensive Agricultural areas and
natural processes such as river ecology. With regard to river ecology it is important that the
ecological reserve for the rivers are determined and maintained to prevent the breakdown of
ecosystem functions and the services they provide for human development.
The majority of the industrialised areas fall within the urban edge of the larger towns in the
CWDMA and thus have less of an impact on the environment than if it were within the Intensive
Agricultural or Buffer Areas. There are however mines, quarries and industrial sites dotted in
68
various areas particularly within the south-western part of the CWDMA, predominantly in the
Stellenbosch and Drakenstein Municipal Areas, that have the potential to substantially disrupt
natural processes within the immediate vicinity as well as further afield, particularly if they are
contaminating rivers or ground water and are not adequately rehabilitated once operations are
completed.
There are extensive infrastructural networks within the Biosphere Reserve to service
developments and encourage growth within these developments. The infrastructure should
however not be developed at the cost of environmental processes. The laying of power lines,
roads and canals can impede the natural migration of fauna and flora across the landscape and
increase the rate of mortality to the extent that certain systems eventually breakdown.
The principles outlined in this section apply to the CWDMA as a whole. The underlying principle
is to maintain ecosystem functioning and minimise the impact of development on the
environment. This can be achieved by maintaining and connecting core areas and effectively
buffering the core areas from intensive developments.
4.2
DISTRICT LEVEL AREAS OF GENERAL CONCERN
The figures to follow provide spatial guidance for consideration that specifically addresses areas
prone to:
 Fire Hazards;
 Environmental Degradation;
 Flooding
It is a general misconception that a lack of rainfall or very little rainfall points to a drought
stricken area. Drought, a natural hazard, is not merely low rainfall, but a relative concept based
on the expected, or average, rainfall of an area, whether desert of tropical, for any given time of
year (Van Zyl, 2003). It therefore implies a deviation from the norm and not an absolute figure.
Drought means different things to different sectors, and is experienced in different ways.
Definitions of drought have therefore been developed to meet these diverse requirements. A
drought index is a useful tool to quantify the severity of a drought, and its rainfall measured at a
specific location, for a specific season, expressed as a percentage of the normal (average or
median).

Meteorological drought is defined on the basis of the degree of dryness/lack of
precipitation in comparison to an average amount, and the duration;
 Hydrological drought is associated with the impact of drier periods on surface and
subsurface water;
 Agricultural drought links characteristics of meteorological and hydrological drought to
agricultural impacts such as the variable susceptibility of crops during growth stages, soil
properties.
Socio-economic definitions of drought incorporate the supply and demand of economic goods
dependant on weather-related water-supply, in association with the other three definitions. As
such, a map depicting drought prone areas within the Cape Winelands District Municipality has
not been included in this report.
69
Figure 4.10: Areas prone to Fire Hazard
70
Figure 4.11: Areas prone to Environmental Degradation
71
Figure 4.12: Areas prone to Flooding
72
4.3
COMPOSITE OVERVIEW
This section makes provision for the depiction of Spatial Planning Categories (section 1.5.3),
Critical Biodiversity Areas and the Biosphere Reserve in one holistic composite map. The
composite map is based on the Western Cape Provincial Spatial Development Framework
Rural Land-use Planning and Management Guidelines (May 2009).
73
Figure 4.13: Composite Map depicting Spatial Planning Categories
74
5 ENVIRONMENTAL
OPPORTUNITIES
CONSTRAINTS
AND
Anthropogenic activities on terrestrial areas and in wetlands have a profound effect on
ecological “health” and its ability to provide ecosystem services. These effects can either result
from direct use of natural resources or from indirect impacts such as runoff from agricultural
areas. Certain activities are thus constrained in intensity and/or extent depending on its
proximity to natural systems and the sensitivity of these systems. The same systems however
also provide an opportunity if conserved.
5.1
ACTIVITIES COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH AGRICULTURE
Agricultural activities occupy large portions of the Drakenstein Municipal Area. Both channelled
rivers and numerous hillside seeps and valley bottom wetlands traverse the agricultural areas,
and are directly and indirectly impacted by land-use in their catchments. Some of these impacts
are common to most agricultural land-use while others are associated with particular agricultural
activities or types of land-uses.
This section focuses on impacts that occur throughout areas occupied by agricultural land-use,
and do not appear to be specific to any particular agricultural sector or activity. They comprise:

Encroachment into riparian and wetland areas.

Wetland drainage and diversion of flows.

Runoff of pesticides and herbicides.

Loss of habitat and fragmentation
Encroachment is one of the most pervasive impacts associated with agricultural land-use.
Along rivers, arable or grazeable land extends in places right to the edge of the river bank,
leaving at best only a narrow fringe of riparian or other vegetation along the river bank e.g. Berg
River within the Drakenstein Municipal Area (Figure 5.1). Orchards, vineyards, trees and crops
are protected from flooding by the creation of berms, levees and cut-off channels, which prevent
overtopping of floodwaters and even allow the placement of farm labourers‟ cottages and other
structures in the close proximity of river banks. However, since such berms and levees confine
flows within a narrow channel, they increase the likelihood of erosion of the river bed and banks
during high flows. Preventing overtopping of the river banks during floods effectively destroys
floodplain function, preventing natural fertilisation of floodplain soils from alluvial material, as
well as preventing water quality improvements (e.g. decreases in nutrient loading through
deposition of sediment-bound phosphorus as well as nutrient uptake and sorbtion by plants).
Lack of flood attenuation capacity increases the risks of downstream flooding. Encroachment
also reduces the value of the river as a longitudinal ecological corridor through the landscape.
75
Figure 5.1: Agricultural activities extending to the edges of river banks
Along unchannelled valley bottoms and hillslope seeps, agricultural activities also frequently
encroach right into the wetland, reducing its extent and concentrating flows through smaller
areas. Activities that reduce wetland extent lead to concentration of flows through remnant
areas. This often results in downcutting and erosion, leading to the formation of headcut
erosion and deep, unstable erosion channels e.g. Drakenstein Municipal Area (Figure 5.2).
Downcutting exacerbates wetland shrinkage, by draining the local water table. Runoff through
the wetland is faster, shortening the length of flow period in downstream streams and increasing
discharge during flood events. Other wetland functions such as water quality improvement
through filtration and infiltration are severely reduced.
Figure 5.2: Encroachment of agricultural activities into valley bottom wetlands
Diversion of flows from flood channels into mainstream rivers, and drainage of wetlands
through agricultural drains and trenches to dry out land and make it cultivable, results in
concentration of flows into downstream areas. This increases erosion potential; prevents
filtration of polluted water through wetland vegetation and percolation through soils, resulting in
discharge of point source runoff, potentially contaminated by pesticides, herbicides and
nutrients from fertilisers and manure.
Activities occurring within the close proximity of rivers and other wetlands have been shown to
have negative impacts on downstream riverine macro-invertebrate communities. This is
primarily as a result of agricultural runoff entering the river, leading to insecticide pollution and
increased turbidity levels.
76
Agriculture transforms large tracts of land from the original natural vegetation to exotic
monoculture species. This results in the loss of natural ecosystems and ecosystem functioning
and fragments and degrades the remaining natural ecosystems.
Transformed land should thus be constrained to allow for a reasonable natural buffer around
river channels and wetlands to protect these aquatic ecosystems from degradation. The buffers
would allow for natural processes to continue, though to a limited extent. The opportunities
afforded by buffers include:

Protection from bank erosion and thus loss of land and soil

Limited protection from flooding depending on vegetation type

Fauna availability for pest control and pollination

Improves the aesthetic value of the farm

Provides recreational facilities such as walking trails or picnic areas

Reduces loss of soil to the river due to surface runoff and thus also reduces siltation of
rivers and maintains water quality

Reduce the amount of herbicides and pesticides entering the aquatic system

Maintain natural flow patterns
5.2
ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH CULTIVATED LANDS
A number of impacts are associated specifically with activities taking place in or alongside
wheat-lands. Two of these, namely sedimentation of rivers and wetlands and burning of
wetlands, are discussed below.
Ploughed wheat-lands, particularly those on steep slopes, are vulnerable to erosion of soils
during early winter rains before new wheat germinates. Sedimentation results in gradual infilling
of wetland areas; the choking of channels, increases the perceived need for destructive
dredging of sediment from channels and provides areas of coarse sediment in rivers and other
channels that often favour the establishment of alien vegetation. Once established, such
vegetation stabilises sediment bars, changing river hydraulics and patterns of erosion
downstream.
Ploughing in certain soil types has been shown to degenerate the soil structure into finer
particles and create hard pans just below the plough depth and turns top soil over pushing it
deeper down the soil profile. The finer soil particles results in lower soil porosity thus reducing
water holding capacity and more surface runoff, further exacerbating soil erosion and
productivity. Top soil contains most of the organic material needed for plant growth. If pushed
to far down the nutrients are not available for plant growth, especially at the critical seedling
stage. Hard pans make it difficult for plant roots to penetrate, reducing growth rates.
The practice of burning in the Drakenstein Municipal Area (Figure 5.3) results in drying out of
terrestrial and wetland soils and the loss of organic matter and nutrients. The loss of wetland
vegetation furthermore reduces their capacity to perform wetland functions such as slowing
77
down runoff and filtration. Burned wetland areas are also more prone to erosion, particularly if
burning affects soil organic content. This practice furthermore destroys biodiversity and
sheltered corridors that provide habitat and movement corridors for small fauna.
Figure 5.3: Burning of a valley bottom wetland in the Doring River subcatchment
Some farms tend to plough downhill on steep slopes or plant vineyards and orchards in a
downhill orientation. This results in concentrated sheet flow in the furrows exacerbating soil
erosion, resulting in soil loss and sedimentation of rivers.
The storage of rotting fruit waste or grape skins from wine-making in the close proximity of river
channels or other wetlands results in runoff of acidic, nutrient enriched runoff into these
systems, impacting on water quality e.g. Van Wyks River in the Drakenstein Municipal Area
(Figure 5.4).
Figure 5.4: Disposal of grape skins in close proximity to the Van Wyks River
The environmental constraints regarding crop farming as is currently practiced on certain farms
is thus the limitations to soil cultivation, burning of vegetation and crop residue, orchard and
vineyard orientation and disposal of grape skins and rotting fruit.
78
The opportunities of environmentally friendly cultivation are:

More water available for plant growth

Better retention of soil i.e. less erosion, thus better water quality in rivers and better
agricultural productivity

More organic material and nutrients and micro-organisms available to promote plant
growth

Maintained buffer zone and corridors along rivers and wetlands

Improved biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

Improved water quality
5.3
ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH LIVESTOCK FARMING
Runoff from nutrient enriched areas
Live stock farming results in a buildup of nutrients from feedlots and the accumulated faeces on
the farm lands. Water runoff from these lands may result in the runoff of dissolved nutrients into
nearby aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
The increase in nutrient concentration in
ecosystems would result in eutrophic and even hypertrophic conditions. These unnatural
conditions result in change in the ecological balances and often favour invasive alien plant
species. This is of particular concern in aquatic systems as it may have far reaching
consequences.
Grazing and trampling of vegetation
Where livestock have access to wetland and natural terrestrial vegetation, it is often grazed,
thus reducing its quality as a sheltered habitat/ biodiversity corridor. Wetland functions such as
sorbtion of nutrients is however unlikely to be affected by grazing and may even be encouraged
by re-growth of grazed shoots. Trampling associated with the passage of livestock through and
within the natural areas can however result in any of the following impacts, depending on when
it occurs:

Compaction of soil reducing wet season infiltration.

Destruction of natural vegetation.

Disturbance to soil structures through excessive wet season trampling.

Creation of erosion nickpoints in river banks where vegetation has been lost as a
result of access routes.

Creation of paths that result in concentration of runoff along trampled pathways leading
to headcut erosion over time along the river banks and gulley erosion.
79
The constraints are thus limited access of livestock to natural areas, the position of feeding
stations relative to natural areas and access to natural water bodies for watering of livestock.
The opportunities area as follows:

Appropriate and well managed buffer areas reduce the amount of nutrients entering
natural ecosystems, thus maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

By keeping livestock out of natural water bodies, the water is kept clean for downstream
users

Unimpacted aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems require less maintenance and costs to
control invasive alien species
5.4
ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH AQUACULTURE
Aquaculture in the CWDMA involves mainly trout farming, which can have the following impacts
on freshwater ecosystems:

Increase nutrient loading into downstream systems
as a result of discharges from aquaculture ponds
and pools (see Box 4 for impacts).

Increase loading of organic and inorganic sediments
into downstream reaches from flushing of ponds and
pools into downstream systems.

Facilitate invasion of natural rivers by alien fish
species (e.g. rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss).
Box 4: Impacts of alien fish on
natural systems
Alien fish impact on indigenous fish species
by preying on them directly, competing with
them for food (e.g. Mozambique tilapia
Oreochromis mossambicus) and/or degrading
their habitat - in the case of carp Cyprinus
carpio, they stir up bottom sediments and
creating turbid water (RHP 2004).
The constraints are thus the amount of fish that can be farmed with, the areas where fish can be
farmed, the type of feed used and the management of the farms. Better husbandry (fish
management) results in less wastage and thus less pollution.
The opportunities are:

The water available for aquaculture

The cleansing of outflow water, though to a limited extent, by wetlands

Natural food availability to fish, even though limited.

Warm conditions available in summer to promote fish growth.
80
5.5
IMPLICATIONS OF INVASIVE ALIEN VEGETATION
Terrestrial invasive aliens
Eucalypts Eucalyptus camaldulensis, black wattle Acacia mearnsii and long-leafed wattle
Acacia longifolia are the main woody alien invaders along river courses in the CWDMA (RHP
2004) (Figure 5.5). Other terrestrial invasive plants include bug weed Solanum mauritianum
and, in many Human Settlements areas, kikuyu grass Pennisetum clandestinum.
Woody aliens impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems primarily in terms of water uptake,
reducing water flow and in some cases drying up seasonal wetland altogether. They can also
impact on river channels by constricting channels, leading to downcutting of channels and the
creation of steep, unstable banks; some species readily invade coarse in-channel sediment
depositions, creating permanent, vegetated islands, rather than temporary sand bars that would
under natural conditions be scoured in large floods.
In addition to excessive uptake of water, dense stands of alien trees also shade river banks,
further preventing the establishment of other plant species with better habitat value and making
access by all but very small fauna (including humans) difficult. Dense stands of alien trees
furthermore create an increased fire threat as they result in intense fires that spread quicker and
are more devastating to both the natural and the developed environments. Natural areas can
be sterilized due to the heat, resulting in a protracted revegetation process. Some species also
alter soil physical and chemical qualities, making later establishment of indigenous vegetation
difficult.
Large-scale removal of alien vegetation is also associated with problems, often resulting in
bank destabilisation and erosion, sedimentation of downstream areas and encouraging,
through disturbance, the germination of numerous alien seedlings.
Figure 5.5: Invasion of alien vegetation into the Sand and Klein Berg Rivers respectively
81
Aquatic invasive aliens
Aquatic invasive aliens could include hyacinth Eicchornia crassipes, although stands of invasive
duckweed Lemna gibba (not considered locally indigenous). Water hyacinth Eicchornia
crassipes grows very fast, particularly in nutrient-enriched, warm, slow flowing to standing water
e.g. parts of the lower reaches of the berg River in the Drakenstein Municipal Area, where it
forms dense stands, sometimes covering whole sections of a river. It has the following
implications for the use and ecological conditions of rivers:

It blocks the river channel, potentially leading to flooding as well as preventing access
(e.g. during the Berg River canoe marathon).

By lining the channel, alien vegetation confines flow, leading to the creation of erosion
nick points.

It results in the loss of relatively large volumes of water by evapotranspiration.

Impacts on instream habitat quality by smothering indigenous vegetation and blocking
open water habitat.

Removal by machine can exacerbate steep, unstable banks and channel deepening.
The constraints of invasive vegetation are thus the costs associated with the control of invasive
alien vegetation and the limitations it imposes on water use and natural ecosystems. The
opportunities associated with certain invasive alien vegetation are:

Job creation in the removal of invasive alien vegetation

Supply of fuel wood

Some aquatic invasive aliens take up heavy metals from water, which could then be
removed by mechanical harvesting
5.6
IMPLICATIONS OF AFFORESTATION
In the CWDMA, afforestation comprises mainly pine and gum plantations of approximately
19 500 ha found predominantly in the Witzenberg, Stellenbosch and Drakenstein Municipal
Areas and (see Figure 4.6). Usually located on steep mountain slopes, this land-use is often
associated with the following implications for rivers and other wetlands:

Encroachment of plantation trees into and sometimes across riparian zones, changing
stream flow and leading to the creation of nick points as a result of concentration of flow.

Accumulation of logging debris in river channels, resulting (especially in smaller streams)
in the formation of debris dams, in turn resulting in the undercutting of river beds and
banks and, in some cases, the creation of such deep subsurface cuts, overlain by inchannel boulders.

Downcutting of stream banks as a result of erosion and channel constriction, both
associated with afforestation, results in vertical separation of remnant indigenous
riparian areas from their water source.
82

Sedimentation of downstream areas as a result of erosion in plantation areas. This
affects both water and habitat quality.

The spread of invasive alien vegetation into natural areas as seeds are spread by birds
and other animals

Increased surface runoff due to less vegetation at ground level intercepting the runoff,
resulting in increased erosion and sedimentation of rivers

Less infiltration of water into ground water due to increase evapotranspiration of the
commercial species.

Losses of biodiversity as the natural areas are transformed into monocultures that
preclude indigenous vegetation.

Fragmentation of habitats
The constraints of afforestation are the limited locations where conditions are favourable for tree
growth and not impact on water security as well as the costs associated with preventing the
spread of fires and invasive alien vegetation control and keeping wetlands and river channels
clear of debris. The opportunities associated with afforestation are:

Timber production which contributes to the economy

Suitable conditions available for timber production

Afforestation, if managed appropriately is a renewable resource
5.7
IMPLICATIONS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS
Rivers and wetlands in Human Settlements are often subject to the following impacts (Figure
5.6):

Channelisation and canalisation (see Box 5),
usually to reduce floodlines and allow
development encroachment; sometimes in
response to erosion as a result of
encroachment elsewhere.
Box 5: What is wrong with canals?
 Concrete walls separate the river from its
floodplain, destroying wetlands that once
depended on floodwaters.
 Separate river channels from lateral
seepage lines that might have contributed
sustaining flows, particularly during the dry
season.

Infilling and drainage of wetlands to allow
development.

Diversion of natural streams and other flow
pathways to accommodate more efficient
town planning.

Removal of wetland riparian fringes and
 Self-cleansing services of rivers such as
buffers which results in no protective
infiltration and filtration are greatly reduced.
mechanism between development edges and
freshwater systems, and the full impact of changes in flow, water quality and disturbance
is passed on to the aquatic system. Loss of natural vegetation from riparian fringes is
 Smooth sides and base of a canal offer
little protection to riverine fauna and flora
from fast flows, and dramatically reduce
habitat diversity when compared to natural
conditions.
83
often to allow development encroachment and for safety and security for aesthetic
reasons.

Increased Runoff of urban stormwater due to increase in hard surfaces reducing
infiltration. This can result in aseasonal flow in naturally seasonal rivers which receive
too much water. It is also often associated with runoff directly into river from point
source stormwater pipes and channels, with no opportunities for addressing issues such
as velocity and water quality upstream of the receiving water body.

Receipt of poor water quality. Sources of poor water quality runoff into urban rivers
include:

Stormwater runoff from roads and parking areas. This water often contains hydrocarbon
waste from fuels and oils, fine sediments and heavy metals, as well as phosphates from
car wash areas etc.

Nutrient enriched organic material from runoff from areas with stores of organic material
(e.g. waste fruit and vegetable stores outside shops) or from fertilised suburban and
urban gardens and landscaped areas; runoff from poorly serviced formal and informal
settlements where high densities allow little infiltration and stormwater and includes all
domestic waste water (cooking, washing, laundry water) as well as runoff from faecal
deposits by humans and animals (dogs etc) in the catchment.

Treated sewage effluent from WWTWs.

Sewage pipeline capacity malfunctions.

Untreated sewage effluent from WWTWs following pump failure.

Point source discharges from industrial stormwater. This may include industrial waste,
with potential heavy metal, hydrocarbon, nutrient, other salt and/or other contaminants.

Stormwater often conveys litter into water courses. This may not affect water quality but
it does clog water channels and contribute to an air of degradation, which is instrumental
in encouraging poor management (e.g. dumping of other materials into channels and
their being perceived as degraded environments of little value).

Dumping of rubble and other waste in river corridors and wetlands. This can result in
infilling of wetlands, water quality impacts and diversion of flows, with possible
implications for erosion and bank stability.

Spread of alien vegetation from suburban gardens and landscaped areas. Rivers
provide longitudinal corridors that promote the rapid spread of invasive garden escapees
and other alien plants (e.g. nasturtium Tropaeolum majus, morning glory Ipomoea
purpurea and canna Canna indica).
84
Figure 5.6: Degradation of rivers & associated wetlands in human settlements
The figure, clockwise from top, shows: canalisation and encroachment of houses onto edge of
Krom River in Wellington in the Drakenstein Municipal Area; dumping, litter and alien invasion
along the Palmiet River, channelisation and loss of wetland vegetation; turbid waters resulting
from upstream erosion, as well as channel encroachment and impoundment for garden features
in Wellington.
The constraints with the development of Human Settlements are the size, shape, densification
and location of the settlements as well as the technology and costs required to minimize the
impact on the environment. The opportunities of urban developments however are:

Provision of accommodation and resources required for living

Employment opportunities

Reduction in transformed areas through densification and confinement

More effective and efficient management of waste, thus less pollution
85
5.8 IMPLICATIONS
COURSES
OF
RESORT
DEVELOPMENT
AND
GOLF
Resort development, including vineyard housing estates, and golf courses can have profound
impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This is because resort developments often
occur in more natural areas, where ecosystems may be less impacted and thus not only more
sensitive to disturbance but also often last remnants of relatively unimpacted systems. Impacts
associated with resort development include:

Encroachment of development units onto the edge of river banks and wetlands, reducing
value of riparian corridors between mountains and low lying areas and sometimes
threatening banks and bed stability

Hard stabilising of river banks to protect resort units from natural processes such as
flooding, which are natural mechanisms to reset channel shape and form

Clearing of natural vegetation to open up access, views and walkways

Localised erosion as a result of an increased concentration of resort users in one area

Runoff from septic tanks, swimming pools and soakaways into natural ecosystems

Spread of alien plants into relatively unimpacted areas, as a result of resort landscaping.

Abstraction of groundwater or river water for resort use, sometimes affecting stream flow
and thus habitat quality

Increase in litter

Increase in indirect impacts associated with infrastructure, such as roads.

Runoff of nutrient enriched irrigation water from golf courses or landscaped areas. Golf
courses in particular are sometimes associated with over-irrigation, to maintain grass
condition, resulting in increased subsurface runoff of nutrient enriched water leading into
nearby rivers and/or wetlands. This may have implications for seasonal wetlands where
increased subsurface or groundwater flows are sufficient to alter wetland seasonality.
The constrains of resort developments and golf courses are the location of these developments
and the mitigation measures employed and associated costs to reduce the environmental
impacts. The opportunities however are:

Increase in tourist facilities of a potentially high standard

Increased tourism to the area as people are attracted to the scenic natural beauty and
facilities such accommodation and golf courses

Increase in recreational facilities

Wetlands can be developed to improve water quality from effluent water once treated
86
5.9
IMPLICATIONS OF ROADS
Roads in the CWDMA range from major national roads (the N1) through to small farm roads and
tracks. Common aspects of road design that have implications for natural ecosystems include:

Ecosystems are fragmented by roads limiting the movement of organisms across the
landscape due to disturbance, increase in road kills or creating an unnatural barrier.

Introduction of alien vegetation species as seed in the imported road material.

The destruction of large swathes of vegetation to make way for the road and its
servitude.

Degeneration of ecosystems as a result of increased fire frequency from people using
the road.

Increased pollution by people who use the road and litter.

Concentration of flows beneath roads into pipes or culverts at road crossings, which can
result in (Figure 5.7):
o
Erosion of river and other wetland banks, as a result of runoff from roads,
particularly in areas where the road is on high fill platforms.
o
Shrinkage of valley bottom wetlands, resulting from inadequate numbers of pipes
or culverts to ensure downstream spread of flow.
o
Channelisation of naturally unchannelled valley bottom wetlands as a result of
concentration of flow – this leads to permanent shrinkage of wetlands, which
drain into the downcutting area.
o
Diversion of drainage lines into side channels, to reduce the number of culvert /
pipes, resulting in loss of downstream systems.
Figure 5.7: River channels upstream (left) and downstream (right) of a road crossing
The constraints of roads are the routes, width of servitude and design to minimize the impact on
the natural ecosystems. Regarding design, culverts can for example be built under the road at
intervals to allow for safe animal migration across the road.
87
The opportunities of roads however are:

Increased mobility of people

Increased trade and thus development

Increased opportunity for recreation

More effective use of land
5.10 IMPLICATIONS OF DAMS, WEIRS AND GABIONS IN RIVER
CHANNELS
Gabions and weirs
Gabion weirs across river channels are sometimes used to control erosion by managing vertical
stream gradients, to provide points at which stream flow can be measured using gauging weirs
e.g. in the tributaries to the Berg River in the Drakenstein Municipal Area, and to facilitate
diversion of flows for irrigation or other demands. Gabions and weirs however have the
following impacts:

Disrupt migration routes upstream.

Result in loss of aquatic habitat types (e.g. riffles) and its replacement with expanses of
standing open water pools, in which potentially non-indigenous fauna or flora can
survive, such as alien fish, floating aquatic plants and invasive reeds such as
Phragmites australis that would not normally invade across a fast flowing channel but
invade successfully across a sediment-laden impoundment upstream of a weir (Figure
5.8).

Result in river straightening and habitat simplification, reducing habitat availability for
aquatic communities that would naturally occur in fast flowing streams.

Can trigger erosion nick points if inappropriately designed.
Figure 5.8: Impacts of gabions and weirs constructed along rivers
88
The constraints of gabions and weirs are where they are constructed and the design of the
construction to minimise the impact on the natural environment. The opportunities associated
with gabions and weirs are:

Gabions provide erosion control where important infrastructures such as bridges or river
crossings are required.

Weirs can be used for measuring flow rates that help with improved river and catchment
management

Weirs can be used to abstract water for nearby developments
Farm dams
Farm dams proliferate in the CWDMA, particularly where there is more intensive agriculture as
in the Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Breede River and Breede Valley Municipal Areas. They can
be associated with the following negative implications for freshwater systems (Figure 5.9):

They trap runoff, cumulatively reducing runoff into downstream rivers and sometimes
capturing the entire flow through a catchment area.

They alter flow patterns, and if located in close succession along small systems can
change channelled river systems habitats to wetland seeps.

They trap sediment thereby reducing phosphate loading of downstream aquatic
systems, since phosphorus is often bound to sediment particles.

They provide wetland habitat, albeit of an unnatural kind; some farm dams provide
seasonal wetland habitat that may have local importance to wetland fauna.
Figure 5.9: A farm dam altering the flow of the Dal River in its upper reaches
The constraints of farms dams are the location, size and number of farm dams on a river
channel to minimize their cumulative impact on the river ecosystem functioning. The
opportunities associated with farm dams however are:

Improved water security for crop and livestock farming during the dry periods

Diversified recreational activities such as swimming, boating and fishing
89
Large dams
This is a complex issue and the implications are dependent on the operating rules of each dam
and the nature of the downstream environments. In general large dams e.g. Berg River,
Wemmershoek, Brandvlei, Kwaggaskloof and Voelvlei Dams have the following effects:

Alter downstream erosion processes, by releasing sediment-free water with high erosion
potential.

May result in unseasonal downstream flows and other alterations that affect the cues for
natural aquatic lifecycles (e.g. temperature, water level).

Result in reduced flows.

Limit the effects of floods in terms of channel shaping and flushing. Natural floods are
important for sediment and algal scour, which may not occur in the case of managed
flood releases.

Alter water chemistry in downstream systems by changing the proportion of downstream
river water sourced in the dam‟s catchment, versus other catchment areas feeding the
river downstream. In the case of the Berg River Dam, the salinity of tributaries
downstream is somewhat increased.
The constraints of large dams are the location, size, number and design of dams and outlet
systems on a river channel to minimize their cumulative impact on the river ecosystem
functioning. The opportunities associated with farm dams however are:

Improved water security for Human Settlements and maintenance

Improved water security for crop and livestock farming during the dry periods

Diversified recreational activities such as swimming, boating and fishing
Implications of irrigation releases
Water releases from large dams into rivers are usually timed for the dry season to allow for
irrigation and may result in an effective reversal of seasonal cues for riverine ecosystems, as
was the case in the upper Berg River, when it received inter basin transfers from the
Theewaterskloof Dam during summer. Common ecological problems associated with irrigation
releases include:

Timing of releases is geared around agricultural and not ecological needs. Irrigation
water in some areas is released to follow a working week, with irrigation water being
turned off during the weekend. This means that aquatic ecosystems have to survive
sudden (unseasonal and uncued) spates when water is released on Monday mornings
and sudden drought when water is turned off on Fridays, resulting in rapid drawdown of
river levels, and with a high potential of stranding aquatic fauna such as fish in isolated
pools or dried out channels. Flowering, breeding and hatching or germinating cues can
be hugely interfered with under these conditions.

Irrigation releases may however augment river flows in upstream areas subject to largescale riverine abstraction.
90

Irrigation releases may further improve water quality by diluting poor river water quality.
The constraints of irrigation releases are when to release water, how much to release and which
part of the dam (vertical distribution of outlets) to release water from to minimise the impacts on
the river ecology and ecosystem functioning below the dam. The opportunities associated with
a well managed flow control are:

Maintaining the natural river ecology by maintaining the ecological reserve

Ensuring water supply for crop and livestock farming
5.11 GENERIC OPPORTUNITIES
More generic opportunities pertaining to the CWDMA include:

Conservation areas

Research

Eco-tourism

River systems

Ecological importance of Fynbos

Stewardship options
Conservation areas
The areas of high biodiversity will create opportunities for conservation by establishing nature
reserves and areas of natural beauty, which in turn could lead to eco-tourism. Management and
control of the spread of alien vegetation in areas of high biodiversity will be easier facilitated if
these areas are placed within conservation regions.
The National Environmental: Biodiversity Act (No 10 of 2004) determines that a National
Biodiversity Framework must be established by roughly the end of 2007. The framework must
provide for an integrated, coordinated and uniform approach to biodiversity management and
identify priority areas for conservation and the establishment of protected areas. As such, the
proposed biodiversity corridors in this study, should be highlighted as priority areas for
conservation and should submit this as an input into the bioregional plans to be determined by
the MEC for Environmental Affairs as part of Bioregion and the Bioregional Plan. In order to
ensure the management of these biodiversity corridors, a detailed assessment thereof, in order
to determine what species could be protected, would be required. In addition thereto and
depending on the species composition of the corridors, a Biodiversity Management Plan must
be prepared and presented to the MEC in keeping with the requirements of the Act. In general,
the intension is to prevent further anthropogenic modification of the environment and to allow for
incentives for the corridors to be re-established as natural habitats. The British Farmland
Conservation Project is a good example of how it could be achieved, by attaching incentives for
land owners and farmers to contribute by biodiversity conservation as an activity for which they
91
are compensated, rather than by continued agricultural practices in order to generate an
income.
Protecting biodiversity does not merely involve setting aside land as reserves or conservation
areas. The ecosystem functioning including non-living and living interactions must be
maintained from regional to micro-habitat level and must include genetic conservation to avoid
inbreeding.
This would only be possible if the proclaimed nature reserves and conservation areas are large
enough and linked via corridors.
This consolidation of reserves will form a natural corridor which will maintain connectivity of the
natural habitat both within the respective vegetation types as well as between the vegetation
types. This would encourage many ecological processes that act across vegetation boundaries.
These corridors are important for maintaining natural systems which include species and
ecological processes that support ecosystem functioning. Plant-pollinator interactions, genetic
exchange, plant – herbivore processes, predator – prey relationships, etc. are examples of
ecological processes. (NBI – Cape Lowlands Renosterveld Project). Movement or migration of
plants and animals either seasonally or in response to climate change are also allowed through
habitat connectivity (Cape Action Plan for the Environment – September 2000).
Research
Primary research and education opportunities could exist in the expanding conservation areas
thereby assisting in future / long-term preservation of species. Research could help to determine
sustainability of an area and increase eco-tourism to an area by introducing volunteer-based
research projects. Local community involvement and active participation in the conservation of
the region will enhance the understanding for the need for preservation.
Eco-tourism
Eco-tourism or nature-based tourism attracts visitors to a region and in turn provide sustainable
benefits to communities, increased incentives for ongoing conservation, a contribution to the
costs of managing the natural resource area, motivation to the regional economy and a worldclass experience for tourists. It furthermore educates people on the value of nature.
Major Rivers
The three major rivers viz. Berg, Breed and Olifants River as well as the other rivers within the
CWDMA are considered to be important in maintaining environmental health as rivers and their
associated ecosystems are diverse and provide numerous ecological services.
Exchange between inland and coastal biota along river corridors is an important ecological
process. Not only does the Berg River have an important conservation role but a recreational
role as well. Increased eco-friendly recreational activities in and around the river will promote
conservation of the rivers.
Economic importance of Fynbos
Fynbos flowers stay fresh for a long period of time and this quality makes them excellent for
export. The dried flowers as well as restios are used for flower arrangements which are also
92
marketed and exported. Restios are also used for thatching of roofs. Buchu brandy is used as
a home remedy for various ailments. Honeybush tea, a popular refreshment internationally and
nationally has high economic value and is indigenous to the Fynbos Biome.
Stewardship options
Contractual agreements between land owners and the Western Cape Nature Conservation
Board secure areas for long-term protection. There are three levels of cooperation or options,
ranging from the joint management and control of land with a formal long-term lease agreement
(25 years and longer) to the advisory service for the management of private land where the
owners wishes to conserve some natural features.
5.12 GENERIC CONSTRAINTS
Some of the more generic constraints pertaining to the CWDMA include:

Loss of natural habitat

Fragmentation

Population growth
Loss of natural habitat
Losses occur as a result of urban and industrial development, agriculture, forestry plantations
and mining and ultimately irreversible loss of natural habitat in may cases. These activities
furthermore degrade adjacent natural ecosystems due to pollution and disturbance.
Many areas with high biodiversity also have good agricultural potential, resulting in the loss of
the natural systems to agriculture. Generally only areas that cannot be cultivated are left
uncultivated.
Fragmentation
The different local authority, public and provincial conservation areas are divided by roads,
power lines, developments (housing and industrial), forest plantations, etc. This fragmentation
increases the development potential of the area since it does not function and / or protected as
a whole. Specie richness of ecosystems is related to the unbroken / continuity of the surface
area. Continued land transformation reduces species numbers (Sustainability of Terrestrial
Ecosystems – State of the Environment Report).
Population growth
With rapid population growth is an ever increase in demand for resources such as food, water,
energy, etc. This ever-growing population places a demand on transformation of large areas of
land to either agriculture or urban and industrial developments and wastes (Sustainability of
Terrestrial Ecosystems – State of the Environment Report).
93
6 SPATIAL GUIDELINES
6.1 FORMULATION OF OVERARCHING MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
The objectives detailed below form the framework that underpins all of the management and
rehabilitation recommendations outlined in this document. They can be condensed into four
principal objectives viz. Objectives A to D.
6.2
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE A
This Management Objective requires that the CWDM redress the inadequate levels of
protection currently afforded to freshwater ecosystems, Core Areas and CBAs in the municipal
area, and protect the remaining biodiversity assets.
Rationale
Many of the freshwater ecosystems in the CWDMA and priority conservation areas are on a
trajectory of increasing degradation as a result of ever-expanding levels of impact. Few
freshwater ecosystems have protected status, particularly in low lying areas, and many of the
vegetation types are subject to intense development pressure. Thus any remnant, relatively
unimpacted systems are not only important from a biodiversity perspective, but in terms of
ensuring sustainable ecosystem processes in the long term, it is also essential that measures
are instated that allow for active rehabilitation of impacted systems.
Targets to achieve objective A
The following strategies are viewed as the cornerstones of achieving this management
objective, and need to be espoused at a catchment level:

No further loss of wetlands and endangered vegetation types, particularly CBAs. The
protection of wetlands is supported by DWAF‟s national policy statement on wetlands,
which includes the intention to “take all reasonable measures to prevent the degradation
and promote the improved management and rehabilitation of the water resource
[including wetlands]”. The protection of vulnerable vegetation types is supported by the
National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (No 10 of 2004)

Maintenance of existing buffers between wetlands and Core Areas (Category A) and the
surrounding land-use activities, where these are already in place and such that adequate
levels of protection are provided.

Progressive re-instatement of buffers / ecological setbacks to prevent ongoing
degradation of wetland systems and conservation areas.

Prevention of the continuous cycles of erosion that affect many naturally unchannelled
valley bottom wetlands and river channels, and lead to loss of wetland ecosystem
services at a catchment level.
94

6.3
A focus of rehabilitation efforts on identified, special focus sub-catchments and
conservation areas, where vegetation, and/or geomorphological characteristics and/or
fauna (fish, birds, invertebrates or mammals) are recognised as being of particular
importance.
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE B
The second key Management Objective is that the CWDMA brings about a measurable
improvement in water quality in the Berg River and the Breede River, specifically with regard to
salinity, bacterial contamination and nutrients.
Rationale
These water quality constituents have been identified as the most critical contributors to poor
water quality in the Berg River system, particularly within the Drakenstein Municipal area.
Water quality impacts in the Berg River have social, recreational, human health, ecological and
economic impacts, and are thus seen as a critical issue that needs to be addressed as a matter
of urgency.
Targets for the achievement of Management Objective B
Meeting the objective of improving water quality significantly in the Berg and Breede Rivers will
rely on the implementation of remedial measures at a catchment level. However, it is also
recognised that certain portions of the catchment may contribute a larger proportion of water
quality impacts to the Berg and Breede River systems as a whole.
The following targets are requirements that need to be met in order to achieve this Management
Objective B:

Implement pollution remediation practices that result in a measurable year on year
reduction in water quality pollutants in the target rivers – a reduction in nutrient loading,
particular in the vicinity of large human settlements where there are inadequate Waste
Water Treatment Works. The water quality should fall within the mesotrophic to
eutrophic range for phosphorus and nitrogen loading, as specified by DWAF (2002 and
1996a respectively), and such that it achieves DWAF (1996b)‟s target water quality
criteria for at least intermediate contact recreation (<1000 faecal coliform counts per
100ml) should be achieved by 2020.

Ensure that upstream users supply the required water quality and water quantity
Reserve for the Berg and Breede River.

Ensure adequate protection of all wetlands, particularly on privately owned land, and
ensure that there are adequate buffers around the wetlands to reduce degradation.

Ensure that all residential areas are fully serviced with respect to sewage and
stormwater disposal and that all WWTWs in the municipal area are fully compliant with
their DWAF licence standards by 2020.
95
6.4
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE C
The third key Management Objective is that the CWDMA provides adequate protection for the
natural vegetation in the buffer areas surrounding Core Areas and rehabilitate inadequate buffer
areas.
Rationale
Many of the Core Areas and larger conservation areas and CBAs do not have adequate buffer
areas to protect them from degradation emanating from the surrounding land use. In many
instances farming operation encroach against Core Areas and CBAs.
Targets for the achievement of Management Objective C
The targets to achieve Management Objective C are concerned mainly with encouraging land
owners within areas that should be managed as buffer zones to practice environmentally
friendly activities to protect the adjacent Core Areas from environmental degradation
The following targets are requirements that need to be met in order to achieve this Management
Objective C:

Farms where there is intensive and extensive agricultural practices could develop buffer
zones on their border with the Core Areas

Encourage the conservation of remaining natural vegetation on the farm and
rehabilitating unproductive areas.

Improve and maintain ecological corridors across the farm to allow for fauna and flora
migration.

Discourage the introduction of exotic species as outlined in the Biodiversity Act.

Farms could use environmentally friendly practices, particularly with regard to crop
spraying, excessive and untimely irrigation, invasive alien control, animal husbandry,
ploughing, burning and waste management.

Encourage the planting drought tolerant crop species that do not rely on irrigation as
opposed to irrigation intensive crops that require a lot of water.
6.5
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE D
Management Objective is that the CWDM ensures that no rivers in the municipal area have
water of a quality that would be rated below Class D in terms of DWAF‟s Resource Directed
Measures criteria.
Rationale
Class D has been determined by DWAF as the minimum level of water quality that is acceptable
in any system. Management of a system to levels below Class D therefore contravenes this
basic national principle. Implementation of this objective has a strong spatial element, and
96
draws on the results of the situation assessment in determining areas in which rehabilitation and
management efforts should be focused.
Targets for the achievement of Management Objective D
Meeting this management objective revolves around implementation of Best Practice measures
across the CWDMA, particularly with regard to the management of point source runoff, the
provision of protective setback areas for rivers and other wetlands from developed portions of
the catchment and the actual land-use activities taking place within the catchments of individual
river systems.
The following targets are milestones that need to be met in order to achieve Management
Objective D:

Reduce pollution levels measurably in all rivers that have a Class D or lower index for
water quality.

Identify / develop sub-catchments that can be improved to act as reference models for
water quality management, that is all rivers with a Class A – C condition.
97
7 INDICATORS TO
AND OUTCOMES
7.1
MEASURE
IMPLEMENTATION
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

Identify Core Areas that require better Buffer Area protection and identify land that would
provide potential adequate buffer protection. Monitor the increase in the buffer area and
integrity of the buffer area with regard to the identified potential buffer areas.

Monitor the increase in ecological corridors that link Core Areas and other large
conservation areas. This could be monitored in terms of the increase in the number of
corridors as well as the increase in area and improved integrity of existing corridors.

Monitor the increase in Private Conservation Areas and conservation initiatives on
private land, particularly those that fall within the Buffer Areas.

Map the extent of alien vegetation and monitor the reduction in area of the invaded land
as well as the quality of alien removal, particularly in Core Areas, CBAs, Buffer Areas
and Transitional Areas.

Monitor the increase in natural areas that are being developed, particularly in Core
Areas, CBAs and Buffer Areas.

Identify and monitor indicator fauna and flora species that are sensitive to environmental
change, particularly threatened and vulnerable species as they are often on the
threshold of their tolerable environmental limits.

Encourage the collection of litter and monitor the amount of litter collected.
7.2
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Rivers meet the DWAF standards for water quality as a minimum, particularly
downstream of areas that are intensively farmed and where there human settlements
that could impact on the water quality

Identify and map buffer areas along river channels that require improvement. Monitor
the increase in area of these buffer areas as well as the integrity of the buffer areas

Map the wetlands and monitor the state of these wetlands, particularly those on private
land with regard to land use.

Identify and map the extent and density of aquatic invasive aliens in river courses and
other wetlands and monitor the decrease in the extent and density of these invasive
aliens.

Map and monitor the number and size of water impoundments along a river course.

Monitor the river biodiversity using Habitat Integrity Indicators (as adopted by the River
Health Programme) of the main rivers and tributaries to start with.
98

Identify and monitor indicator fauna species that area sensitive to environmental change.

Encourage the collection of litter and monitor the amount of litter collected.
7.3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to acknowledge Anneke de Kok from Anekke de Kok Environmental Consultancy
for her contribution to the legislative and programme section amongst other sections of this
report.
99
8 REFERENCES
Beck, J.S., S.C. van der Walt and G. R. Basson. 2006. Berg River Baseline Monitoring Project.
Hydraulics and fluvial morphology of the Berg River. Draft Final Report on the Berg
River Baseline Monitoring Programme. Report to Anchor Environmental.
Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM). 2008. Area Based Land Sector Plan:
Cape Winelands District.
Cowan GI. 1995 (ed.) Wetlands of South Africa. SA Wetlands Conservation Programme Series.
Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism. Pretoria.
D:EA&DP. 2007. Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan for the Western Cape
Davies BR & Day JA. 1998. Vanishing Waters. University of Cape Town Press. Cape Town.
Davies, B.R. and Day, J.A. 1998. Vanishing Waters. University of Cape Town Press. Cape
Town.
Desmet P. and R Cowling. 2004. Using the species–area relationship to set baseline targets for
conservation. Ecology and Society 9(2): 11
Job N & Driver M. 2006. Biodiversity priority areas in Swartland Municipality. South African
National Biodiversity Institute. Pretoria.
Matthews et al, 2003 in I Kotze, G. Forsyth and P.J. O‟Farrel, 2007: Specialist Report, Cape
Winelands District Municipality SEA: Biodiversity.
Midgley GF, Rutherford MC, Bond WJ & Barnard P. 2008. The heat is on: Impacts of climate
change on plant diversity in South Africa. SANBI, Cape Town
River Health Programme (RHP). 2005. State of the Rivers Report. Department of Water Affairs
and Forestry. Pretoria
Woodward FI & Kelly CK. 2008. Responses of global plant diversity capacity to changes in
carbon dioxide concentration and climate. Ecology Letters 11: 1-9.
100
Annexure A: List of Conservation areas and their size
NATIONAL PARKS
The Tankwa Karoo National Park is the only national park situated within the CWDMA. It
consists of two separate cadastral units in total covering 39 022 ha and is situated at the northeastern boundary of the CWDM. This park is situated in an extremely dry area where annual
rainfall differs between 40 and 111 mm depending on the topography. Vegetation can be
described as sparse and of a succulent nature.
PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVES
(Note: Some of these cover a total area larger than indicated, but only the size of the portion
falling within the CWDM is given in brackets.)
Anysberg Nature Reserve (24143 ha)
Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve (198 ha)
Ben-Etive Nature Reserve (5095 ha)
Bokkeriviere Nature Reserve (11951 ha)
Boosmansbos Wilderness Area (10977 ha)
Brandvlei Nature Reserve (2531 ha)
Cederberg Wilderness Area (30 ha)
Fonteintjiesberg Nature Reserve (3997 ha)
Groenberg Nature Reserve (129 ha)
Grootwinterhoek Nature Reserves (11305 ha)
Haweqwa Nature Reserve (42155 ha)
Helderberg Nature Reserve (116 ha)
Hexberg Nature Reserve (0 ha)
Hottentots-Holland Nature Reserve (1305 ha)
JN Briers Louw Nature Reserve (29 ha)
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve (13843 ha)
Marloth Nature Reserve (2244 ha)
Riviersonderend Nature Reserve (9459 ha)
Simonsberg Nature Reserve (463 ha)
Theewaters Nature Reserve (4198 ha)
Twistniet Nature Reserve (1183 ha)
101
Voëlvlei Nature Reserve (877 ha)
Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve
(1963 ha)
Warmwaterberg Nature Reserve (6 ha)
Waterval Nature Reserve (6834 ha)
Witbosrivier Nature Reserve (503 ha)
Wittebrug Nature Reserve (1601 ha)
Witzenberg Nature Reserve (1635 ha)
LOCAL NATURE RESERVES
Ceres Mountain Fynbos Nature Reserve (6840 ha)
Dassieshoek Local Nature Reserve (753 ha)
Greyton Local Nature Reserve (0 ha)
Jan Marais Local Nature Reserve (24 ha)
Mont Rochelle (1681 ha)
Montagu Eeufees Nature Reserve (15 ha)
Montagu Mountain Local Nature Reserve (1188 ha)
Paardenberg (0 ha)
Paarl Mountain Local Nature Reserve (2038 ha)
Touw Local Authority Nature Reserve (1713 ha)
Tulbagh Local Nature Reserve (76 ha)
PRIVATE NATURE RESERVES
Bergwater Private Nature Reserve (305 ha)
Boontjiesrivier Private Nature Reserve (74 ha)
Doornkloof Private Nature Reserve (564 ha)
Farm 32 (north of Montagu and south of Touwsrivier) (2440 ha)
Farm 33/1 (north of Montagu and south of Touwsrivier) (1066 ha)
Drooge Riviers Berg Private Nature Reserve (956 ha)
Elandsberg Private Nature Reserve (2767 ha)
Elim Private Nature Reserve (1842 ha)
Eyerpoort No 4 (3602 ha)
102
Groenfontein Private Nature Reserve (1646 ha)
Buitendagskraal 235/0 (2292 ha)
Fonteinkop 236/1 (318 ha)
Klipgat 233/1 (4282 ha)
Zwartkop 267 (1988 ha)
Fonteinkop 263/2 (111 ha)
Joostenberg (60 ha)
Farm 350 (1368 ha)
Karindal Private Nature Reserve (5 ha)
Klein Cedarberg Private Nature Reserve (989 ha)
Koopmanskloof Private Nature Reserve (120 ha)
Langerug 173/6 (115 ha)
Mooiplaas Private Nature Reserve (33 ha)
Patrys Kloof (1638 ha)
Quaggas Berg Private Nature Reserve (580 ha)
Uintjieskraal No 21 (1807 ha)
Rooikrans Private Nature Reserve (3455 ha)
Sangebethu Private Nature Reserve (1880 ha)
Skuilkrans Private Nature Reserve (1853 ha)
Tankwa Private Nature Reserve (1477 ha)
Vaalkloof Private Nature Reserve
(5480 ha)
Wakkerstroom Private Nature Reserve (1637 ha)
Whispering Hills Private Nature Reserve (260 ha)
Natte Valleij (175 ha)
Zwartbosch Private Nature Reserve (62 ha)
Zwartbosch Farm 36 (5060 ha)
Opdrag Private Nature Reserve (11 ha)
Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve (1148 ha)
Gannaleegte 137/0 (remaining extent) (1638 ha)
Driefontein 136/0 (remaining extent) (2467 ha)
Driefontein 136/1 (remaining extent) (256 ha)
103
Die Eiland Private Nature Reserve (0 ha)
CONSERVANCIES
Badsberg Conservancy (6329 ha)
Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy (564 ha)
Cederberg Conservancy (17931 ha)
Donkerhoek Conservancy (1034 ha)
Grootvadersbosch Conservancy (4 ha)
Jonkershoek Conservancy (1645 ha)
Klapmutskop Renosterveld (166 ha)
Paardenberg Conservancy (1405 ha)
Sneeuberg Conservancy (2 ha)
Swartruggens Conservancy (70384 ha)
Voelvlei Conservancy (26544 ha)
Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy (261 ha)
Donkerhoek Conservancy (4451 ha)
Theewaters Conservancy (8167 ha)
PROCLAIMED MOUNTAIN CATCHMENT AREAS
Anysberg (216 ha)
Cederberg (23807 ha)
Hawequas (46412 ha)
Hottentots-Holland (3011 ha)
Koue Bokkeveld (96751 ha)
Langeberg – East (11614 ha)
Langeberg –West (52447 ha)
Matroosberg (82251 ha)
Riviersonderend (27457 ha)
Winterhoek (9737 ha)
HERITAGE SITES
104
Bo-Boschkloof (A) (141 ha)
Bo-Boschkloof (B) (129 ha)
Duthie Reservaat (30 ha)
Elandsberg (2772 ha)
Groenfontein PNR (1646 ha)
MuldersvleiI (24 ha)
Paardenberg Bewarea
(1722 ha)
Perdefontein (59 ha)
Purgatory Outspan Gedeelte 1 (120 ha)
Visgat Natural Heritage Site (2159 ha)

Annexure 6.Env. Situation Analysis August 2010

Transcription

Similar documents

PowerPoint presentation

AVS24 2.4 GHZ Wireless Audio/Video Sender

In Kind - Venture for Fund Raising

17th CAPE TOWN Jazz-fest-2016-JHB

New Study Shows ʺCollapseʺ of Worldʹs Largest

Ptolemy`s World Map 1467 (pp 152-153)

México 2006 IV Foro Mundial Del Agua

A Framework for Integrating Regional Natural Resource Knowledge

Water, Biodiversity and health

Clicks Clubcard - Picture Hanging Services