NORTH WEST PROVINCE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT
OVERVIEW 2002
Compiled by: Danny Walmsley & Jay Walmsley
Mzuri Consultants, Pretoria.
Edited by: Stuart Mangold & Margaret Kalule-Sabiti
Directorate Environment & Conservation Management
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
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contents
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
LIST OF ACRONYMS
LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES and BOXES
THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE AT A GLANCE
1. BACKGROUND
2. DRIVING FORCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
3. PRESSURES ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH WEST
PROVINCE
4. CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NORTH WEST
PROVINCE
5. IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH WEST
PROVINCE
6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSES
7. ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS FOR THE NORTH WEST
PROVINCE
8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
10. Maps
11. Contact details
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South Africa
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Overview 2002
foreword
As part of the ongoing South African environmental reporting programme I am proud to
announce that the North West Province Department of Agriculture, Conservation and
Environment has produced this Overview of the Provincial State of the Environment
Report. This follows on from the 1995 North West Province preliminary State of the
Environmental Report, the first of its kind in South Africa. I believe that this Overview and
the full State of the Environment Report provide invaluable information on the
environment in the North West Province in line with our commitment to sustainable
development and principles of Agenda 21.
Credible environmental information is an essential ingredient for effective sustainable
development, policy-making and action planning. With sound information, the chances for
improved and integrated decisions are increased through improving society’s awareness
and understanding of key issues. The demand to establish and strengthen environmental
reporting is high and this State of the Environment Report provides an effective means of
highlighting key environmental issues for the Province to address. However, the report
itself does not guarantee a better state of the environment and the future challenge is for
the Province and its leaders to agree on what plans and actions should be supported and
implemented. This will require an ongoing process of debate and agreement followed by
the allocation of appropriate resources to strengthen sustainable development and
environmental management.
I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank the team of people who contributed to
the drafting and final compilation of this high quality report. The preparation of this report
has required substantial intellectual and practical endeavour and we are grateful for the
contributions that have been made.
B.E.E. Molewa, MPL.
Member of the Executive Council
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Overview was commissioned by the North West Province Department of Agriculture,
Conservation and Environment using information from the full State of the Environment
report (SOER). The following persons and organisations are gratefully acknowledged for
their roles and contributions in producing this Overview:
Mr Eugene Breytenbach of the Directorate of Information Services in the Office of the
Premier of the North West Province for his tireless commitment to the production of the
high quality maps appearing in this Overview and the full NWSoER.
Mr Christian Byrt of North West Communications Services for taking many of the
photographs appearing in this report and assistance with the selection of photographs.
Mr Garth Roberts of the NWDACE Media Unit and Ms Carla van der Vyver for providing
additional photographs.
Prof. Braam de Villiers of the Geography Dept., Potchefstroom University and Mr Richard
Newbery of the North West Parks and Tourism Board for kindly providing slides from their
personal collections for use in this publication.
Ms Lize Marais from the Consortium for Language and Dimensional Dynamics for her
patience, tireless dedication and creative inputs in the layout and design of this Overview.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism for making donor funding available
from the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD) to complete the drafting of the full
provincial SoER on which this Overview is based.
A comprehensive list of authors, contributors and reviewers appears in the full provincial
SoER which is on this CD as well as on the websites of the North West Province
(http://www.nwpg.org.za/soer) and the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism
(http://www.environment.gov.za/soer/reports/northwest).
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Alien species: Animals and plants invading and becoming established in areas where
they do not normally occur.
Aquifer: Underground accumulation of water in certain types of geological formation.
Basic sanitation: The prescribed minimum standard of services necessary for the safe,
hygienic and adequate collection, removal, disposal and purification of human excreta,
domestic waste water and sewage from households including informal households.
Basic water supply: The prescribed minimum standard of water supply services
necessary for a reliable supply of sufficient quantity and quality of water to households,
including informal households, to support life and personal hygiene.
Biodiversity: A measure of the number and relative abundance of biological species. The
variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine,
and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this
includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
Biome: A major biotic unit consisting of plant and animal communities having similarities
in form and environmental conditions, but not including the abiotic portion of the
environment.
Bush encroachment: Conversion of a grassland-dominated vegetation type to one that
is dominated by woody species, as well as increasing woody plant density.
Catchment: The land area from which a river or reservoir is fed, also known as a
drainage basin or watershed.
Climate change: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) defines climate change as a change which is attributed directly or indirectly to
human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in
addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.
Communal areas:
Areas where the land is owned and managed communally.
Individuals in the communal areas generally have few rights to own and sell land,
especially large parcels of rural land.
Desertification: The process by which an area or region becomes more arid through loss
of soil and vegetation cover.
Dolomitic springs or eyes: Sources where underground water emanates from dolomite.
Effluent: That water which flows out of a man-made system into a river, usually waste
water.
Eutrophication: The process whereby nutrients accumulate in a body of water.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Exotic: Imported from outside South Africa.
Global warming: Increase in mean global temperature as a result of an increase in the
concentration of atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour.
Gross domestic product (GDP): Total value of final production of goods and services
within a specific time frame, usually a calendar year.
Gross geographic product (GGP): The sum of all economic activity in a defined
geographic area.
Habitat: The normal abode or locality of a living organism defined by the set of physical,
chemical and biological features.
Human development index (HDI): HDI measures the overall achievements in a
country in three dimensions of human development, namely: longevity; knowledge; and
standard of living.
Igneous: Volcanic.
Indigenous: Born, growing, or produced naturally (native) in an area, region, or country.
Informal settlement: Houses (often of a temporary nature) erected on land of which
the majority have not formally been proclaimed and serviced for residential use.
Land degradation: Reduction in capacity of the soil or vegetation to support life,
through the damage to physical, chemical or biological properties, contributing to an
unsustainable ecological system (see degradation).
Land transformation: The conversion of land usually from natural habitat to human
uses such as agriculture or settlements.
Natural heritage: Natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or
groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or
scientific point of view.
Natural resource: A physical or biological resource available in the natural environment.
Non-perennial: Temporary or not flowing throughout the year.
Nutrient: Any food constituent or ingredient that is required for or aids in the support of
life. In aquatic biology, usually a limiting nutrient, an element whose scarcity can limit
plant growth (e.g. phosphorus, nitrogen and sulphates).
Pan: A small closed basin temporarily filled with water, generally a feature of semi-arid
areas of low relief.
Perennial: Flowing or occurring throughout the year.
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Pollution: Defilement or unfavourable alteration of the surroundings, normally as a result
of human actions. In the water environment, any foreign substance that impairs the
usefulness of water.
Poverty: A certain level of material deprivation below which an individual suffers
physically, emotionally and socially. There are a number of methods of determining this
level of deprivation.
Productivity (economic): The output of an organisation or individual in relation to the
materials, labour, etc. it employs or consumes.
Radioactivity: The spontaneous decay of an atomic nucleus (especially of elements with
a high number of protons in it) by emitting either electromagnetic radiation (gammaradiation) or high energy particles (protons: alpha radiation, electrons: beta radiation).
Rare and endangered species: Species that have naturally small populations, and
species which have been reduced to small (often unstable) populations by man’s activities.
Riparian: Referring to or relating to areas adjacent to water or influenced by free water
associated with streams or rivers on geologic surfaces occupying the lowest position on a
watershed.
Salinisation: Increase in the amount of salts or dissolved solids in the water or the
process by which salts accumulate in soils, to the detriment of cultivated plants.
Species diversity: A measure of the number and relative abundance of species (see
biodiversity).
Subsistence: In the context of resource use, this suggests harvesting and use of marine
resource(s) strictly for household consumption.
Toxicity: Capacity to cause injury to a living system, such as a human body, or parts of
the body (such as the lungs or the respiratory system); or an ecosystem. Toxicity
represents the kind and extent of damage that can be done by a chemical. Toxicity in the
environment may be chronic or acute, with the latter being more detectable and
noticeable by people.
Urbanisation: The process by which an increasing proportion of an area’s population
becomes concentrated in (legally or statistically defined) urban areas.
Veld: Southern African term for natural vegetation, usually grassland or wooded
grassland, typically containing scattered shrubs or trees.
Water quality: The value or usefulness of water, determined by the combined effects of
its physical attributes and its chemical constituents, and varying from user to user.
Wetland: Area 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 tide does not exceed six metres.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
AIDS
CD
CITES
CMA
CSD
CONNEPP
DACE
DEAT
DWAF
DPSIR
ECA
EIA
EIP
EMP
EMPR
FAO
GDP
GGP
GHU
GIS
HIV
IEM
IDP
LDO
LED
MAR
MEC
NEMA
NEEP-GET
NORAD
NGO
NW
NWA
NWDACE
NWPTB
POP
RDA
SDI
SEA
SMME
SoE
SoER
UN
UNCED
UNEP
UV
WHO
WCED
WMA
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Compact Disc
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora
Catchment Management Agency
Commission for Sustainable Development
Consultative National Environmental Policy Process
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Model
Environment Conservation Act (Act No. 73 of 1989)
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Implementation Plan
Environmental Management Programme
Environmental Management Programme Report
Food and Agriculture Organisation
Gross Domestic Product
Gross Geographical Product
Geo-hydrological Unit
Geographical Information System
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Integrated Environmental Management
Integrated Development Plan
Local Development Objective
Local Economic Development
Mean Annual Runoff
Member of the Executive Council
National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998)
National Environmental Education Project for General Education and Training
Norwegian Agency for Development
Non-governmental Organisation
North West
National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998)
North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
North West Parks and Tourism Board
Persistent Organic Pollutant
Recommended Daily Allowance
Spatial Development Initiative
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Small Micro and Medium-sized Enterprise
State of the Environment
State of the Environment Report
United Nations
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
United Nations Environment Programme
Ultra-violet
World Health Organisation
World Commission on Environment and Development
Water Management Area
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LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES and BOXES
Figure Headings
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Geographical location of the North West Province.
Map of the North West Province.
Population and demographic distribution for the District Municipalities of the
North West Province.
Population density (persons/km2) for each District Municipality is also given.
Figure 4:
Sectoral economic growth in the North West Province (actual versus targeted
growth).
Figure 5:
Agricultural land use in the North West Province by type of enterprise.
Figure 6:
Sources of energy for cooking in (A) urban areas and (B) rural areas in the
North West Province.
Figure 7:
Number of cultural heritage sites in the North West Province.
Figure 8:
Percent reduction in MAR in specific catchments as a result of alien
vegetation.
Figure 9:
The main different types of environmental management responses.
Figure 10: A graphical representation of an Environmental Decision Support System.
Table Headings
Table 1:
Table 2:
Table 3:
Table 4:
Table 5:
Table 6:
Economic growth rate, unemployment, water and sanitation needs in the
North West Province for 1998.
Comparative characteristics of communal and commercial districts in the
North West Province.
The number of known species of terrestrial biodiversity (excluding
invertebrates) in North West Province.
Permits issued by North West DACE permit office for the trade in live wildlife.
Percentage of households living in sub-standard conditions in the North West
Province by region in 1996.
A provisional set of environmental indicators for the North West Province.
Boxes
What is meant by the Environment?
What is Sustainable Development?
What is the DPSIR Framework?
Constitution of South Africa
Potential sources of air pollution
Potential causes of toxicity in the Province
Criteria for selecting indicators
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE AT A GLANCE
The North West Province of South Africa is bordered by the provinces of Gauteng,
Limpopo (formerly Northern) Province, the Northern Cape and the Free State, and the
Republic of Botswana (Figure 1). It is the sixth largest of the nine provinces in South
Africa covering a total area of 116 320 km² (approximately 9,5% of South Africa).
Figure 1: Geographical location of the North West Province.
Most of the Province (71%) falls within the Savanna Biome, while the remainder falls
within the Grassland Biome. There are four major ecological zones in the Province: (i) the
Highveld in the South-east, (ii) the Bushveld in the north-east, (iii) the Middleveld as a
narrow zone between the Highveld and the Bushveld, and (iv) the Kalahari desert in the
west.
The climate of the Province is characterised by well-defined seasons with hot summers
and cool sunny winters. The climate and rainfall varies from the more mountainous and
wetter eastern region to the drier, semi-desert plains of the Kalahari in the west. The rainy
season usually occurs from October to March. The Province is almost malaria-free with
only isolated cases being reported.
The North West Province has a total population of approximately 3,4 million (8% of the
national total) with some 65% of the population living in rural areas. The more populated
industrial centres include Rustenburg, Brits and Ga-Rankuwa in the eastern region of the
Province. Mafikeng is the provincial capital and was the administrative centre of the
Bophuthatswana homeland (from 1978 to 1994). It was also the governing centre of the
British Bechuanaland Protectorate prior to 1960. Other major towns include
Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Lichtenburg, Ventersdorp and Vryburg.
The North West Province currently comprises four district municipalities and 21 local
municipalities. A recent local government restructuring has reduced the number of districts
and local municipalities by amalgamating predominantly White municipalities with
surrounding poor predominantly Black areas.
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The Province is one of the poorest in South Africa with a provincial gross geographic
product (GGP) of R 3 964 per person, which is well below the national average of R 6 498.
The Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, is above 0,6 in the Province, placing
it amongst the most unequal regions in the world. Rural poverty and rural-urban income
differences exacerbate social problems such as violence, crime and HIV infection.
The estimated unemployment rate is 38%, slightly higher than the average in South
Africa. Unemployment rates amongst women is above 50%. Some 30% of the adult
population is illiterate, the highest figure among all provinces in South Africa.
Mining forms the back-bone of the provincial economy, contributing 42% to the GGP and
39% to the employment. The mining sector is dominated by large platinum mines and
smelters in the Rustenburg area, as well as the gold mines of the Orkney and Klerksdorp
areas. Agriculture is the second-most important sector, with 13% of the GGP and 18% of
employment. Maize and sunflowers are the most important crops grown, while cattle and
game farming are also well-established. Tourism is widely considered to have a major
growth potential as the Province is located adjacent to Gauteng, the socio-economic hub
of South Africa.
The present status of land tenure is complex with the majority of land being privately
owned. Approximately 10% is state-owned, and large areas are under tribal
administration, particularly in the former Bophuthatswana homeland areas of Eastern,
Central and Bophirima regions.
Figure 2: Map of the North West Province
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1. BACKGROUND
The Environment and Sustainable Development
There is currently a growing concern about the state of the world’s environment. During
the last century, human activities have caused impacts that have dramatically altered the
Earth’s environment. During this period, global population has risen from an estimated
1,65 billion in 1900 to 6 billion in 1999. This coupled with twentieth century technological
and industrial advancements, has led to unprecedented consumption of the Earth’s natural
resources without adequate replenishment or cognisance of the environment’s capacity to
absorb the large volumes of wastes generated. The extent of modern Man’s impact on the
planet has been so great that the long-term survival of the Earth’s ecosystems and
integrity of its natural resources (on which human life depends) has become a major
international issue.
Some environmental issues of global concern are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Global warming and climate change;
A decrease in the UV protective ozone layer surrounding the Earth;
Desertification;
Biodiversity loss;
Deforestation;
Loss of wetlands and degradation of freshwater systems;
Depletion of numerous non-renewable resources (oil, minerals), and
Pollution of several major marine resources (particularly the Mediterranean Sea,
the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, the North Sea).
Over the last 30 years, the United Nations (UN) has focused considerable attention to the
international management of the Earth’s environment (e.g. World Commission for
Environment and Development, WCED; United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP;
Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO; World Health Organisation, WHO, and numerous
International Conventions and their Secretariats).
In the 1980s, the UN highlighted that there was a need for all countries to find a balance
between economic and social demands that were being placed on the world’s natural
resources. It was believed that this would ensure the preservation of ecosystems and the
conservation of the natural resources on which economic and social systems depend. This
balanced approach was termed “sustainable development”.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE ”ENVIRONMENT”?
”the surroundings within which humans exist….that are
made up of the land, water and atmosphere of the earth;
micro-organisms, plant and animal life; any
…interrelationships among and between them and the
physical, chemical aesthetic and cultural properties and
conditions that influence human health and well-being”.
National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Act No. 107 of 1998
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How can Sustainable Development be achieved?
An approach to sustainable development, known as Agenda 21, was developed at the
1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (UNCED).
South Africa, as a signatory of Agenda 21, is committed to following this approach, at
national and local levels. In accordance with South Africa’s commitment, the North West
Province has also responded by embarking on a number of sustainable development
orientated programmes, such as North West 2010.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
The WCED defines sustainable development as: ”development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future
generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainable development refers to development that aims for equity
within and between generations, and adopts an approach where the
economic, social and environmental aspects of development are
considered in a holistic fashion.
State of the Environment Reporting
Agenda 21 calls for regular monitoring and reporting on the state of the Earth’s
environment. Formal state of the environment (SOE) reporting is advocated as a means of
providing decision-makers and society at large with a regular description about:
• The current state of the environment and trends of change;
• What is causing environmental change;
• Progress on the previous activities and programmes that have been put in place to
address environmental change; and
• Recommended future activities that need to be implemented in order to improve
the state of the environment.
The South African Government and its provinces have numerous environmental reporting
obligations. These apply to:
•
•
•
The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA; Act No. 107 of 1998) states that
“every person is entitled to have access to information held by the State relating to the
state of the environment, and actual and future threats to the environment.” Access to
environmental information at a national, provincial and local level is essential to
upholding these rights.
NEMA also stipulates that the Minister must compile an Annual Performance Report,
whose purpose is to provide an audit of the government’s performance in respect of
implementing Agenda 21 to the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD).
South Africa is obliged to report to the UN on implementation of Agenda 21
programmes.
South Africa is also party to several Multilateral Environmental Agreements (such as
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Convention to Combat
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Desertification etc) that highlight monitoring and reporting obligations of the country.
Under the auspices of DEAT, there have been several initiatives to promote SOE reporting
at national, provincial and local government levels. Most provinces and many local
authorities have developed, or are in the process of developing, their own programmes of
SOE reporting. In 1999, DEAT launched the first National State of the Environment Report
on the Internet for South Africa, together with reports for four South African cities (Cape
Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria). As part of South Africa’s ongoing
environmental reporting programme, the North West Province has developed this current
provincial SOER, which builds on from a preliminary SOER compiled by the Province in
1995 (the first of its kind in South Africa).
What are the objectives of the North West Province SOER?
The main objective of the North West SOER is to provide valuable environmental
information to support sustainable development in the Province. Other objectives of this
report are to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Inform decision-makers of the current state of our knowledge of the North West
Province’s environment;
Establish the provincial information base with regard to current and future
environmental trends;
Indicate trends in the environment of the North West Province (including transboundary issues);
Identify gaps in knowledge of the North West Province’s environment and what
needs to be done to address these;
Support management decisions for environmental protection and sustainability;
Serve as a baseline for future environmental management decisions;
Complement and provide information for the next
edition of the national SOER;
Benchmark the Province’s environmental management practices against
international trends; and
Provide information for environmental education and training for decision-makers
and the general public.
The North West Province SoE reporting framework
Both this Overview and the full version of the North West Province SOER, use the Driving
Forces-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) reporting framework advocated by both
the UN and DEAT. According to this framework, the biophysical environment, and social
and economic developments (driving forces) exert pressure on the environment and, as a
consequence, the state of the environment changes. This leads to impacts on human
health, ecosystems and natural resources that may elicit a societal response that feeds
back on all the other elements of the framework. This Overview is, therefore, arranged in
sections that describe the driving forces, pressures, state, impacts and responses relating
to the environment of the North West Province.
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2. DRIVING FORCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
What are Driving Forces?
The main driving forces that have been identified in the North West Province include
physical characteristics of the environment (e.g. geology and water resources), climate,
human population and its distribution, economic activity, and policy and legislation.
Physical characteristics
Physical characteristics such as geology, topography and soils are the main components of
the physical environment of the North West Province. Natural features of interest include:
•
•
•
•
The Province has one of the most uniform terrains of all the South African provinces,
with altitudes ranging from 920-1782 metres above mean sea level.
The central and western parts are characterised by gently undulating plains, while
the eastern section is more mountainous and includes the scenic Magaliesberg.
The north-eastern and north-central areas of the Province are largely dominated by
ancient igneous rock formations. The Gatsrand between Potchefstroom and
Carletonville is considered to be one of the most ancient landscapes preserved
anywhere in the world.
The geology of the Province (see Map 1), is significant because of its mineral
resources which are rich in exploitable platinum, gold, uranium, iron, chrome,
manganese and diamonds.
Climate
Climate plays an important role in determining the availability of water resources, the
nature of the natural landscape and vegetation types. There is a wide variation in climate
throughout the Province as illustrated below:
•
•
•
•
•
On average, the western part of the Province receives less than 300mm per annum,
the central part around 550mm, while the eastern and south-eastern parts receives
over 600mm (see Map 2). Rainfall is highly variable both in time and regionally.
Droughts and floods occur regularly at both provincial and local scales. They play a
significant role in almost every aspect of the social, economic and ecological
environment within the Province.
Evaporation exceeds rainfall in most parts of the Province.
There are wide seasonal and daily variations in temperature, being very hot in summer
(daily average high temperatures of 32ºC in January) and mild to cold in winter
(average daily minimum in July is 0,9ºC).
The far western part is arid, encompassing the eastern portion of the Kalahari Desert.
The central part of the Province is typically semi-arid, with the eastern part region
being predominantly temperate.
Administrative characteristics
The North West Province, with an area of 116 320 km2 is the sixth largest province in
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South Africa. The Province is currently divided into four district municipalities (the
Bophirima, Central, Southern and Bojanala Platinum) and 21 local municipalities (see
Map 3). The former Eastern District Municipality has recently been incorporated into the
Bojanala District Municipality.
Human population and its distribution
Population is a key Driving Force because human activities can be linked to almost every
aspect of environmental change. Human activity is responsible for the creation of cities,
settlements, infrastructure, economic developments. Key population features of the
Province are:
•
•
•
•
There are approximately 3,4 million people in the Province which is the sixth most
populated province in South Africa. The majority of the people are found in the Eastern
District Region (see Figure 3) which also has the most dense demographic distribution
(208 people/km2). Bophirima District Region has the least population with the least
demographic density (10,43 people/km2).
The population is currently growing at a rate of 3,1% per annum, thus increasing the
need to meet the food and energy requirements of the people.
About 3,1 million people are of African descent (91,2%), while Whites make up 6,6%,
Coloureds 1,4% and Asians 0,3%. The male-female ratios are 49,2% and 50,8%
respectively. The population is relatively young, with a high percentage of teenagers,
and more than 33% of the total population is younger than 14 years old.
The Province is predominantly rural, with 65,1% of the population living in rural areas
and 34,9% in urban areas. However, the rate of urbanisation is increasing, largely due
to the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas.
Figure 3: Population and demographic distribution for the District Municipalities of the North
West Province in 1996. Population density (persons/km2) for each District Municipality is also
given.
Economic activities
Economic activities have a major influence on the environment because of their reliance
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
on natural resources (e.g. water, land, energy, vegetation, animals) to create wealth and
employment. Resources are depleted or degraded, and wastes are produced that are
detrimental to the environment. In general, areas of high economic activity experience
the most severe environmental problems (e.g. Rustenburg and Brits).
The economy of the Province is relatively small, with a 4,9% contribution to the South
African national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is mainly natural resource based, with
main contributors being the mining (35.5%) and agricultural (35%) sectors . Over the past
decade there has been a decline in economic growth within the Province (0,6%) with
numerous jobs being shed. Recently an increase in the manufacturing, retail and tourism
sectors (see Figure 4) has led to diversification and upswing in the economy, with a 2%
growth rate being reported in 2001.
Figure 4: Sectoral economic growth in the North West Province in 2001 (actual versus targeted
growth).
Policy and legislation
The evolution of environmental policy and legislation generally follows a continual iterative
process in which present laws reflect what society believes should be done to solve a
historical situation that has become unacceptable. Current environmental policy and
legislation should, therefore, embody environmental management practices intended to
attain the desired present and future state of the environment. Both past and present
policies and legislation are powerful driving forces in shaping the state of the environment.
Like the rest of South Africa, the environment of the North West Province has been
affected by historical policies and legislation of the colonial and apartheid eras. Post-1994
national policies and legislation introduced during the last 5 years are currently being
implemented. Environmental management in the North West Province is mainly driven by
national and international priorities and requirements (e.g. CITES, Agenda 21, Convention
of Desertification). Outdated provincial ordinances such as the Cape and Transvaal Nature
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
16
Overview 2002
Conservation Ordinances and Bophuthatswana Acts are still being used in the Province.
If implemented effectively the post-1994 national legislation should form one of the major
driving forces by which the state of the North West Province’s environment can be improved.
Management of the environment is considered to be a provincial competency under the
Constitution of South Africa. The North West Provincial Government has not fully exercised
its Constitutional powers, as it has not yet promulgated its own province-specific
environmental legislation.
Some key national legislation, which impacts on environmental policy and management in
the Province, includes the:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996);
National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998);
Environment Conservation Act (Act No. 73 of 1989);
National Water Act (Act No. 36 of 1998);
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act No. 45 of 1965);
Minerals Act (Act No. 50 of 1991), and
Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act No. 43 of 1983).
CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH AFRICA
“Everyone has the right -
(a)
(b)
to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future
generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that (i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
(ii) promote conservation, and
(iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources
while promoting justifiable economic and social development.”
Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No 108 of 1996)
3. PRESSURES ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE
What are Pressures?
Pressures are those direct or indirect stresses that affect the functioning and quality of
the environment. The main pressures on the environment of the North West Province are
from land-uses such as settlements, agriculture, mining, industry and other economic
activities (see Map 4).
Human settlements
Most of the human settlements in the North West Province have been developed due to
specific economic activities (e.g. mining, tourism, agriculture) and the availability of
natural resources (such as water) to support them. The larger the settlement, the greater
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
17
Overview 2002
the variety of pressures that are associated with it. All human settlements having impacts
far beyond their boundaries because of the need to import resources and to dispose of
wastes.
The settlement patterns in the North West Province may be characterised as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There are no large cities (> 1 million people) within the Province.
Distribution of settlements, particularly the smaller ones, has been highly influenced by
policies of colonialism and apartheid. Very few are self-sustaining and therefore rely on
external resources for their existence (Table 1).
Generally the rural settlements, informal settlements and traditional villages are on
state or tribal land have poorly developed or few basic services. Most of the land in the
Province is privately owned (see Map 5).
There are numerous industrialised towns found in the eastern part where platinum and
gold mining have stimulated development.
The central part of the Province has many small towns that have developed to cater for
agricultural activity in surrounding areas. The western part of the Province has fewer
towns because of the arid climate and lack of water.
Almost 23% of the population live in formal urban areas.
There is currently a high migration rate of rural males to the urban areas.
Commercial, industrial, and residential land uses, and the development of
infrastructure are estimated to contribute about 15% to total land use.
Table 1: Economic growth rate, unemployment, water and sanitation needs in the North West
Province for 1998.
Mining
Mining is one of the key sectors of the North West Province which produces 70% of the
world’s platinum from the mines in the Rustenburg Region, and about 25% of South
Africa’s gold. Other minerals mined in the Province include diamonds, chrome,
manganese, vanadium, nickel, silver, gabbro, dolerite, norite, shale, slate, bandedironstone, crocodolite, travertine, limestone, dolomite, salt, wonderstone, fluorspar, and
andalusite (see Map 6). Key features include:
•
•
•
Mining employs 18.5% of the active provincial labour force (approximately 100 000
workers).
There are 87 large active mines in the Province, which is 10% of the national total.
Most of the mining activity is in the Eastern, Southern and Bojanala Platinum Regions.
There is very little mining activity in the Bophirima Region.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
•
Alluvial diamond mining still occurs in ancient river beds within
catchment and some rivers in the central and southern regions.
the
Harts
River
Agriculture
Agricultural activities exert pressure on the environment because of the use and
modifications that are made to land, soils and vegetation. The North West Province has a
dualistic agricultural economy, which is comprised of a well-developed commercial sector
and a predominantly subsistence sector in communal areas (Table 2). Additional features
of agriculture in the North West Province include:
•
•
•
Agriculture in the eastern, wetter parts of the Province largely comprises livestock and
crop farming, the central and southern regions are dominated by wheat and maize
farming, while livestock and wildlife farming occurs in the semi-arid western region of
the Province (see Map 4 and Figure 5). Approximately 54% of the surface area of the
Province has been transformed by agriculture.
There are approximately 7 600 commercial farms. The number of small-scale farmers
in the former Bophuthatswana amounts to approximately 147 000.
There are three major irrigation schemes on the Crocodile, Vaal and Harts Rivers. The
Vaal-Harts irrigation area covers a total area of about 43 700 ha with wheat, maize and
groundnuts taking 36%, 23% and 22% respectively of the total irrigated fields.
Figure 5: Agricultural land-use in the North West Province by type of enterprise.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
19
Overview 2002
Table 2: Comparative characteristics of communal and commercial districts in the North West
Province.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is an economic process that converts primary products into secondary
commodities. Some important facts about the North West Province include:
•
•
The manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products (24.9%), metal products,
machinery and household appliances (18.3%), and food, beverages and tobacco
products (19.5%) account for the majority of manufacturing production.
Brits, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom are the major contributors to
manufacturing production, contributing between them more than 50%
of
total
manufacturing production.
Retail and wholesale
The wholesale and retail sector is the third largest economic sector in the North West
Province and has increased in importance since 1990, growing to an output of R 4,7 billion
in 1999 (5% growth per annum). The contribution to the provincial economy was 11,2%
in 1999.
Tourism
The North West Province, with its favourable geographical location close to the main hubs
of Gauteng, as well as its eco-tourism potential and the mining industry is one of South
Africa’s most visited provinces. Features of tourism include:
•
Preferred tourist destinations include: the Sun City/Pilanesberg complex, Magaliesberg,
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
20
Overview 2002
•
•
•
and Hartbeespoort. Recommended new nodes include: Borakalalo Game Reserve,
Vredefort Dome, Vaalkop Dam, and Ganyesa /Kalahari.
Both foreign and local tourists visit the North West Province, with international tourism
generating R1,4 billion in 1999.
The Ga-Rankuwa, Brits, Hartebeespoort and Rustenburg area is under severe pressure
from industrial mining and other developments. This area is also one of the tourism
nodes in the Province that needs to be sustained.
The main corridors for tourism are: Hartebeespoort-Rustenburg-Sun City-Madikwe
Game
Reserve;
Hartebeespoort-Rustenburg-Zeerust-Mafikeng-Lehurutshe,
and
Gauteng-Potchefstroom-Klerksdorp-Wolmaransstad-Bloemhof.
Infrastructure development
The North West Province has relatively good general infrastructure, including a road and
rail network, air transport, post and telecommunication, electricity and bulk water supply.
This is a historical status and the
major issue of concern in the Province is the development and delivery of infrastructure
services to areas that did not receive such infrastructure in the past. In virtually every
sector the North West Province has inherited considerable backlogs in meeting basic
infrastructure delivery standards.
Infrastructure development has exerted pressure on the environment through its
association with the main towns of the Province and the transport/communication routes
between them. This applies particularly to the southern and eastern parts of the Province
(see Map 7). The current development of the Platinum Spatial Development Initiative
(SDI) from Pretoria in the east to Lobatse in the north is another example.
Infrastructure also has a positive effect through the establishment of numerous services
that increase the quality of life throughout the Province. This includes:
•
•
The establishment and operation of water service providers (e.g. Goldfields Water
Board, Magalies Water Board, North West Supply Authority, Rand Water Board and the
Western Transvaal Water Supply Company).
The establishment of medical facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, health centres,
mobile clinics and mobile vans, all of which serve rural and urban areas.
Energy
The consumption of energy provides a useful measure of the economic and social status
in an area. Although the Province does not generate any electricity, it is rated as the third
largest Province in terms of electricity consumption (15%) in South Africa. The total
electricity consumption has steadily increasing between 1994 and 1998 to a total of 27
920 Gwh (GigaWatt hours). This is mainly a reflection of increased energy-intensive
industrial activities such as mining. Urban areas rely on predominantly on electricity to
meet most of their energy needs (Figure 6A).
The majority of households in non-urban areas use wood and paraffin, as an alternative to
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
21
Overview 2002
electricity, for cooking purposes, and candles for lighting ( Figure 6B). However, the
reliance of rural communities on fuel-wood, exerts pressure on the environment to meet
demand. This is particularly evident in the immediate vicinity of settlements, where
deforestation can occur.
Figure 6: Sources of energy for cooking in (A) urban areas and (B) rural areas in the North
West Province.
Waste and pollution
One of the major pressures in modern society is the generation of wastes (both solid and
liquid) and their disposal. Waste generators in the Province consist of municipalities,
informal settlements, industries, hospitals, agriculture and mines (see Map 8). Some of the
main waste management features in the Province are:
•
•
•
There are 63 landfill sites in the Province, all of which accept general waste. Almost
355 000 tons of general waste is processed each year by municipalities.
The total remaining airspace in landfill sites is approximately 5 million m3, of which
only 17% meets minimum requirements. None of the regions, therefore, have more
than 3,5 years of acceptable landfill sites.
There is no hazardous waste site in the Province. Most of the hazardous waste is
generated in the eastern and southern areas, but the amounts are less than 14000 m3
per annum and these areas are close to Gauteng where there are hazardous waste
sites.
4. CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE
What do we mean by State?
Pressures have an impact on the environment resulting in a state that can be described by
means of measuring and monitoring particular characteristics. The state of the
environment reflects its condition over time or at a specific point in time. The ”state”
refers to the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. At the provincial scale,
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
22
Overview 2002
these “spheres” are represented by air quality, land and soil quality, water quantity and
quality, biological diversity, human health and well-being and natural and cultural
heritage.
Air quality
Although there is little information available on the state of air quality, atmospheric air
quality is not considered to be a major problem in most areas in the Province. However,
air quality in some urban and industrialised areas such as Rustenburg, Brits and
Potchefstroom shows deterioration due to industrial and vehicular emissions. Air quality in
settlements and houses that use coal and wood as a source of fuel for heating and
cooking is also a cause of concern.
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION
• Industry (including mineral processing): sulphur dioxide; nitrogen dioxide; carbon monoxide; carbon
dioxide; volatile organic compounds; heavy metals; total suspended particulates, and odours and noise.
• Mining activities: particulate matter; asbestos fibres; heavy metals (e.g. vanadium, chrome), and odours
and noise.
• Agriculture: methane; fungal spores and pollen, and odours and noise.
• Transport: particulate matter; volatile organic compounds; lead; noise; nitrogen oxides, and carbon
oxides.
• Human settlements: particulate matter; sulphur dioxide; smoke; carbon oxides, and fungal spores and
pollen.
• Regional air movements between provinces: sulphur dioxide; nitrogen dioxide; carbon dioxide; methane;
volatile organic compounds, and fungal spores and pollen.
Land and soil quality
In general, the North West Province is showing signs of increased land and soil
degradation (see Map 9). All magisterial districts show signs of degradation and
desertification. The most severely affected are those that are communally managed. The
Province, with a degradation index of 270, is ranked as the fourth worst affected province
in South Africa. This has numerous negative consequences for agriculture in the Province
such as decreased productivity of the croplands.
Soil degradation through water and wind erosion is considered to be a major problem in
the North West Province. The Province has a soil degradation index of 149 making it the
fourth most degraded province in the country (see Map 10).
A comparison between commercial districts and communal districts, has shown that the
average degree of soil degradation in commercial districts is at least 30% lower than in
communal districts. Solid wastes and effluents from industry, manufacturing and
households, as well as ammonium-based fertilisers and chemicals are the most important
soil pollutants in the Province.
The Province is the third highest province in South Africa in terms of the severity of veld
degradation. The increase in the rate of degradation is a major concern. As with soil, veld
degradation in the communal districts of the Province exceeds the veld degradation in the
commercial districts.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
Bush encroachment remains a serious problem in the North West Province (see Map 11).
In nine of the districts there are areas where bush encroachment is so severe that the
land is not reclaimable by farmers. The most important bush encroachment and alien
invader species are Acacia, Mesquite, Syringa and Eucalyptus species. The Province is
relatively lightly invaded by alien plant species. The extent to which of alien vegetation has
invaded river catchments in the Province varies from less than 5% to greater than 10% of
the surface area of tertiary catchments (see Map 12). Deforestation seems to be less of a
problem in the Province than elsewhere in South Africa, mainly because there is currently
an annual surplus of fuel wood of approximately 500 000 tons.
Water resources
Water is considered to be the key limiting factor for development
in the North West Province.
The surface waters in the Province are in the form of rivers, dams, pans, wetlands and
dolomitic eyes fed by aquifers. Perennial surface water resources are generally scarce,
particularly in the semi-arid western portion of the Province. Runoff as a percentage of the
precipitation ranges from less than 1% in the west to approximately 7% in the eastern
region, with the average runoff (6%) being below the national average of 9%. The main
rivers are the Crocodile, Groot Marico, Hex, Elands, Vaal, Mooi, Harts and Molopo rivers.
(see Map 13). The Province has over 40 wetlands and one Ramsar site, Barbers Pan,
which is recognized as a wetland of international importance.
The Province has a large reservoir of subterranean water in the form of fractured aquifers
and dolomitic compartments. However, recharge to this precious resource is considered to
be one of the lowest in South Africa with an average of less than 10 mm per year in the
western region of the Province (see Map 14). The North West Province relies heavily on
ground water resources to meet its needs. Sources of pollution of groundwater resources
include mining and industrial activities, agriculture and domestic use. Main groundwater
water quality issues in the Province include high levels of dissolved mineral levels (see
Map 15), nitrates (see Map 16) and fluoride concentrations (see Map 17) in certain areas,
due to both natural and human-induced factors.
Vegetation of the North West Province
Most of the Province (71%) falls within the Savannah Biome with its associated Bushveld
vegetation. The remainder falls within the Grassland Biome, which contains a wide variety
of grasses typical of arid areas. Ten different vegetation types are recognised, mostly
belonging to the thornveld, bushveld or savannah grassland categories (see Map 18). With
the east-west variation in climate and rainfall, there is a corresponding gradation in the
vegetation types. The vegetation of the arid and semi-arid western region largely
comprises Kalahari thornveld and shrub bushveld, while the central region is dominated by
dry cymbopogon-themeda veld and the eastern region is characterised by a number of
mixed bushveld types.
Biological diversity
The North West Province has wide array of species, ecosystem and habitats (see Table 3).
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
This is largely due to the diverse nature of the Province’s landscapes and variation in
climate. The Province has several endemic species (such as the Aloe peglerae in the
Magaliesberg), as well as rare and threatened species (e.g. wild dog). The indigenous
fauna and flora inhabiting the numerous dolomitic eyes (particularly the aquatic
invertebrates and fish) are also considered to be unique. The numerous non-perennial
pans occurring in the Province provide important breeding and feeding habitat for
waterfowl, amphibians and invertebrates which are adapted to the seasonal nature of
these waterbodies.
Table 3: The number of known species of terrestrial biodiversity (excluding invertebrates) in
North West Province.
Taxonomic group
Plants
Reptiles
Amphibians
Birds
Mammals
No. species
3025
95
25
395
138
Conservation
The Province has a total of 14 national parks and provincial reserves within its borders.
The most well known are the Pilanesberg and Madikwe National Parks, which are
administered by the North West Parks and Tourism Board. The Province also shares the
Magaliesberg Protected Natural Environment with Gauteng (see Map 19).
The total size of formally protected areas is 283 308 ha which amounts to approximately
2,4 % of the Province. This includes national parks, provincial nature reserves, private
nature reserves and protected natural environments (e.g. Magaliesberg). This falls below
the 10% of each vegetation type suggested by the 1992 UNCED Convention.
There are 10 registered conservancies and several game farms or ranches in the Province.
Of the total area of about 160 000ha of land committed to game farming, about 6% can
be classified as true game farms. The remainder comprises game camps (fenced off
portions of farms) that vary in size. The species being conserved on these farms are
predominantly antelope such as kudu, duiker and steenbok. Other animals such as sable,
Cape buffalo, gemsbok, eland, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest and even black rhinoceros
also occur in the Province.
The North West Province has some of the largest traders of wildlife in South Africa, who
trade both nationally and internationally, bringing much-valued foreign exchange to the
Province (Table 4). Several exotic species such as parrots and ornamental fish imported
from elsewhere in the world are important for the well-established pet trade in the
Province. Trade in indigenous medicinal plants (e.g. devil’s claw Harpagophytum
procumbens) occurs in the Province, which requires regulation to ensure that sustainable
harvesting is practiced. Provincial trade in biodiversity resources is difficult to quantify due
to its multi-faceted scope.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
Table 4: Permits issued by North West DACE permit office for the trade in live wildlife
Fishing and fishery resources
Fishing and fishery resources in the North West Province largely occur in the Province’s
impoundments. Fishing in these dams is mostly by recreational and sport fishermen. The
main species being targeted for recreational angling are barbel, bass, carp, kurper,
mudfish and yellowfish. For many rural communities in the Province, where food security
is a major problem, fishing provides a source of protein. The development of communitybased small-scale commercial fisheries on several dams in the Province is currently
underway.
Natural and cultural heritage
There are many important cultural heritage sites within the Province (Figure 7). Stone Age
and Iron Age sites are well represented, including Kruger Cave; the Bosworth Rock
Engraving site; Thaba Sione near Mafikeng and the stone-walled settlement of
Kaditshwene in the Madikwe area. South Africa’s past is also represented in the Province,
including battlefields from the South African War such as the Battle of Silikaatsnek (1900).
Numerous forts, graves and blockhouses from this period, are also abundant. The Cradle
of Humankind World Heritage Site and its associated tourism development is also partly
located in the North West Province. The condition of the known cultural heritage resources
found within North West Province is still relatively good.
Several natural heritage sites and landscapes are situated within the national parks and
nature reserves (see Map 19). Due to management initiatives and conservation by the
North West Parks and Tourism Board these areas are well protected and development of
these heritage sites is to some extent underway in the existing fourteen parks and
reserves in the Province.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Figure 7: Number of cultural heritage sites in the North West Province.
Human health and well-being
Human health and well-being depend largely on the availability of employment, land,
adequate housing, basic services, water supply and sanitation and an environment which
is not harmful. The state of human health and well-being in the Province can be
summarised as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is a housing backlog (146 000 units in 2000). Approximately 30% of people in
the North West Province are living in substandard dwellings (Table 5). Because many
of these settlements are unplanned, they are often situated on marginal land
and
impact negatively on the environment.
In the rural areas, one in three children displays marginal vitamin A status, 20% are
anaemic and 10% are iron-deficient.
Almost all White households (more than 99%) have access to tap water in their
dwellings as opposed to 27% of Black households.
The cost of supplying services to rural areas is very high, with insufficient government
budget currently available.
Only 26% of the population has access to private phones, 35% have communal
access and 39% have no access at all to telephones.
In rural areas only 21% of the people have access to electricity for lighting.
There is a high illiteracy rate (30 %) making environmental awareness very difficult to
address.
Twenty-three percent of antenatal females registered as HIV positive in 2000. AIDS
and its debilitating health and economic impacts is therefore a highly significant factor
in the Province.
Based on the UN Human Development Index, the Province is the 3rd lowest of South
Africa’s provinces in terms of quality of life.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Table 4: Percent of households living in sub-standard conditions in North West Province by
region in 1996.
Region
Percentage
Eastern
Bojanala Platinum
Central
Southern
Bophirima
Provincial Average
29.3
33.6
16.7
38.3
26.5
29.3
Toxicity in the environment
There is a paucity of information on the extent and concentration of toxic substances (e.g.
Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs) in the environment of the North West Province, and
their impact on human health and well-being. However, radiation and radioactivity are
recognised as threats to human well-being in the North West Province. The main sources
of radioactivity in the environment are gold and uranium mining. Uranium deposits,
associated with gold-bearing reefs, are found in the south-east of the Province in the
Orkney, Potchefstroom, Stilfontein and Klerksdorp areas. The most important radioactive
compounds in the Province are Uranium-238, Thorium-230, Radium-226 and Radon-222.
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF TOXICITY IN THE PROVINCE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Incineration of medical waste from hospitals (tissue, blood, swabs, needles);
Application of herbicides and pesticides in the communal and commercial crop farms;
Different forms of pollution from mines and other industries;
Emergence and growing number of informal settlements;
Disposal of household waste classified as hazardous;
Burning of plastics, and
Poor sanitary conditions and facilities.
5. IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE
What are Impacts?
Impacts are the direct or indirect results of pressures exerted on the environment and
can be in the form of primary impacts (e.g. change in water quality) or secondary impacts
(e.g. water treatment costs). Based on the DPSIR framework they can also be related to
impacts on the state of specific natural resources. There is little monitoring of impacts in
the Province and few statistics are available. The impacts mentioned below are the
probable result of pressures on the environment mentioned previously in Section 3.
Air quality
Impacts of pressures on air quality include:
•
Increases in the concentration of pollutants (e.g. due to sulphur dioxide being
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
•
•
•
transformed into sulphuric acid and nitrous oxide into nitric acid in the atmosphere) in
ambient air that cause changes such as reduced visibility (e.g. dust), climate change,
reduced ozone layer etc.
Ecological impacts caused by fallout of such material (e.g. acid rain, changes in soil
and water chemistry, loss of habitats and biodiversity).
Human health impacts such as eye irritations, cardiovascular diseases and pulmonary
problems.
Infrastructure impacts such as deposition of material and corrosion of surfaces.
Land and soil quality
Impacts of land transformation and soil degradation can include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Marginal and degraded lands becoming ecologically unsustainable.
Habitat transformation, impaired ecosystem functioning and loss of biodiversity.
Reduced crop, and rangeland productivity and reduced livestock carrying capacity.
Increased soil erosion and increased air pollution due to dust.
Desertification due to overgrazing and erosion.
Increased susceptibility of degraded landscapes to alien plant invasions.
Degradation of landscape quality and reduced tourism.
Increased prices for farming commodities, and decreased economic viability.
Water resources
Impacts on water resources include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
A decrease in water availability from excessive abstraction and effects of alien plants
(e.g. blue gums and poplars) in river catchments (Figure 8).
Declining water quality from salinisation, acid mine drainage, industrial effluents and
stormwater runoff in urban areas.
Degradation of aquatic ecosystems and their functioning, due to pollution,
eutrophication and the proliferation of alien plants species (e.g. water hyacinth).
Loss of habitats and biodiversity, due to sedimentation and invasion by alien plants and
fish (such as largemouth bass).
Increase in costs to provide water of acceptable quality.
Decrease in access to aquatic resources for recreation and tourism.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Figure 8: Percent reduction in MAR in specific catchments as a result of alien vegetation.
Biodiversity
Impacts on biodiversity include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Loss of sensitive species and habitats leading to non-viability of biotic populations.
Proliferation of “weedy” species altering the ecosystem composition.
Invasion of ecosystems by alien plant and animal species.
Loss of carrying capacity and ecosystems becoming unable to support human and
animal requirements.
Ecosystems becoming severely compromised (ecosystems unable to purify wastes).
Loss of income from trade on flora and fauna.
Natural and cultural heritage
Impacts on natural and cultural heritage resources include:
•
•
•
•
•
Loss of heritage resources and tourism value due to development.
Neglect of heritage resources due to insufficient funding and personnel.
Loss of cultural knowledge and traditions due to the fact that this information is not
being passed down from one generation to the next, as well as the adoption of
western culture.
Damage from natural events and processes such as desertification, soil erosion,
weathering and flooding.
Loss of aesthetic appeal of natural areas due to tourism developments.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Human health and well-being
Impacts on human health and well-being include:
•
•
•
•
•
Poverty and lack of employment.
Lack of access to resources and services.
Increased exposure to disease and toxic conditions.
Increased vulnerability to change.
Sub-standard and unaesthetic environmental conditions.
6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT RESPONSES
What are Responses?
Responses refer to actions that society carries out in order to rectify or improve a specific
situation. Implementation of these responses is intended to have a feedback on Driving
Forces and Pressures, ultimately to reduce negative impacts and thereby improving the
State of the Environment. Responses fall into several categories (see Figure. 9).
This section describes some of the key responses that the Province has put into place
within the respective categories as shown in the box below.
Policy
Policy development may be defined as “the process by which the wishes of society are
established and documented” Development of policy forms an important response activity
as it dictates which responses are acceptable to the community. Over the last eight years
the Province has participated in the development of both national and provincial policy on
environmental management. These have included participation in, or organisation of,
numerous policy-making exercises, including:
•
•
•
•
•
The consultative CONNEPP process that has developed national policy for
environmental management;
The Integrated Pollution Control process that has developed a national waste
management policy;
Development of national Agenda 21 and Local Agenda 21 policies and programmes;
The development of numerous national IEM policies and procedures, and.
White Papers on Biodiversity, Energy and Minerals.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
31
Overview 2002
Figure 9: The main different types of environmental management responses.
Legislation
Legislation forms a key response because it provides a means by which policies are
enforced by defining responsibilities and methods of ensuring that actions take place. The
Province has played a strong participatory role in the development of all new national
legislation that has related to environmental and natural resource management. This has
included, amongst others:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
National Environmental Management Act (1998);
Environment Conservation Act (1989) and related EIA regulations;
National Water Act (1998);
National Forests Act (1998);
National Heritage Council Act (1999);
National Heritage Resources Act (1999);
National Nuclear Energy Act (1999), and
Water Services Act (1997).
Governance
Sustainable development is dependent on good governance at the provincial and local
levels, as well as the integration of social and economic considerations in environmental
management.
There are several facets to governance that include: roles and
responsibilities, planning, implementation and information management.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
32
Overview 2002
Role and responsibilities of Provincial Government
An understanding of the role of the Provincial Government forms an important part of how
responses will be dealt with and managed. The South African Constitution defines the
environment as a “functional area of concurrent national and provincial legislative
competence”. This means that the provincial government has responsibility for
environmental governance issues and has significant powers of authority.
The North West Provincial Government has defined its role in environmental governance
as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Remaining informed on, and participating in the development of, all national
environmental policies and legislation;
Communicating and negotiating with stakeholders;
Promoting environmental awareness;
Co-ordinating and integrating policy directives into implementation by all
provincial government departments;
Monitoring and reporting on the status of the Province’s natural resources;
Assessing the environmental impacts of policy and development initiatives;
Leading and supporting local authorities;
Providing capacity building in environmental management for local authorities,
and
Taking responsibility for the management of natural resources as designated by
provincial and national legislation.
Catchment Management Agencies
Co-operative governance forms the foundation of national environmental legislation, (e.g.
NEMA and NWA). The NWA advocates the establishment of Catchment Management
Agencies within designated water management areas (WMA’s), of which there are four in
the Province (see Map 20). The Marico/Crocodile West CMA is one of three pilot CMA’s
currently being established in South Africa, bringing water resource management closer to
the people living within the WMA.
Environmental planning
Planning provides a means by which outcomes can be better assessed and managed.
There have been numerous planning initiatives within the Province, including:
•
The Integrated Development Planning Framework which considers the following to be
essential to achieving sustainable development in the Province:
! Provincial law, which regulates the sustainable development decision-making
process and guides the districts and local municipalities;
! A spatial zonation plan covering provincial, district and local municipal levels;
! Operational capacity of the integrated environment-related service delivery
systems at provincial, district and local municipal levels, and
! Increased implementation capacity of integrated sustainable development at
district, local municipal and grassroots levels in selected pilot districts and
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
33
Overview 2002
•
•
municipalities.
Environmental Implementation Plans (EIPs), which are statutory instruments for the
promotion of co-operative governance for environmental management between
different spheres of government. The North West Province produced its first EIP in
2001.
Local government is also required to facilitate several legislative planning and
development processes which impact on the environment. The legislative development
and planning processes at local level include:
! Local Development Objectives (LDOs) as required by the Development Facilitation
Act (Act No. 67 of 1995);
! Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), which are strategic plans compiled by local
authorities to guide all their development and budgeting processes. These plans
are required to cover physical, social, economic and institutional environments.
The IDP is a five-year plan (up- dated, however, on a yearly basis) aimed at the
integrated development and management of the area of jurisdiction of the local
authority in terms of its powers and duties;
! Local Agenda 21 programmes that require various planning and development
processes facilitating sustainable development.
Implementation of policies, plans and programmes
Policy, legislation and planning are all responses that set the scene for specific actions
necessary for effective implementation. Without implementation of policies, plans and
programmes there can be no effective environmental management or reversal of negative
environmental trends. Three key areas of implementation are outlined below.
Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) - IEM is a code of practice to ensure
that environmental considerations are integrated in the development and management of
all activities. It is one of the cornerstones of NEMA and is based on principles of
sustainable development. Tools for IEM include Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs). IEM and its recommended procedures
has been practiced by the Province for several years. Some examples of developments
that have undergone EIAs in the Province include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mining operations;
Smelting operations in Rustenburg;
Parks and resorts on nature reserves and farms;
Estate developments adjacent to Hartebeespoort Dam;
Township developments;
Filling stations;
Power stations;
Telecommunication structures;
Establishment of landfills, and
Road development for the N4 Platinum SDI.
The mining activities, heavy industry, medium and small-scale industries, some agricultural
activities, township developments and service infrastructure in the formal housing areas in
the North West Province are not being adequately regulated at present. Suitable
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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34
Overview 2002
environmental standards, respective licensing and permit systems, compliance monitoring
and control are crucial in ensuring that development takes place sustainably in the North
West Province.
Challenges experienced by North West DACE regarding applications in terms of the EIA
regulations include:
•
•
•
Insufficient financial and human capacity;
Lack of interaction between government departments regarding environmental
management;
Insufficient monitoring of compliance to conditions laid out in permits.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an instrument used for integrating
environmental issues into the formulation of plans and programmes. However, the
application of SEA as an environmental management tool, is not legally binding.
Programmes of action - Programmes of action are projects or programmes that
address specific environmental issues or problems. Some key programmes and projects
include:
•
•
•
South African LandCare Initiative, which is based on the ideal of sustainable
agricultural resource utilisation as the foundation for establishing a conservation ethic.
The National LandCare Programme is a community based and Government supported
land management programme. It offers financial support to LandCare community
groups who identify, implement and monitor the conservation activities needed to
address their land degradation problems. LandCare projects are funded and coordinated on national level and carried out on Provincial and local level. Several
LandCare projects have been undertaken in the North West Province, including:
Watervoorsien, Tseoge communal veld improvement project, Ba-Ga Phetlho Morafe
Ranch, Heuningvlei Morafe Ranch II, Slough communal veld improvement project,
Kiang Kop veld utilization and Bona-Bona Bush Control project.
The Primary Schools Nutrition Programme that aims to make a 25% contribution
towards the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for primary school pupils; feed
345 721 rural primary school pupils and feed 30 234 urban primary school pupils per
year.
The Working for Water Programme focuses on eradicating invasive alien plants and on
rehabilitating wetlands (through the Working for Wetlands programme). The
programme was launched in 1995 and provides employment and improves the lifeskills and quality of life of rural and urban communities. There are currently several
provincial wetland rehabilitation projects underway (Soshunguwe-Tswaing, BoitekongRustenburg, and Molopo).
Environmental rehabilitation - Rehabilitation of degraded areas and sites is an
important component of effective environmental management. Unless this is carried out
such areas remain unable to fulfil their potential in terms of contributing to sustainable
development. Rehabilitation of the environment is required after activities such as mining,
construction, agricultural development and waste disposal. Rehabilitation includes the
development of management strategies to restore and maintain physical, chemical and
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
35
Overview 2002
biological ecosystem processes in degraded environments. The main rehabilitation
initiatives have been in mining, landfills, agricultural lands and wetlands.
Environmental rehabilitation activities in the Province include:
•
•
•
•
•
Environmental Management Programme Reports (EMPRs) - The Minerals Act (Act No.
50 of 1991) requires that EMPRs, containing rehabilitation plans, be submitted and
approved by the authorities before any mining activity can start. During 1998, 493
Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) were approved in the Province.
The several abandoned asbestos mines in the western region of the Province urgently
require rehabilitation as they are a major health threat to nearby communities.
Not much rehabilitation of landfills has been achieved to date.
To address the issue of the rehabilitation of degraded agricultural land, the South
African LandCare Initiative was launched in 1998. LandCare projects are funded and
co-ordinated on national level and carried out on Provincial and local level. Local
communities are considered to be the stakeholders of LandCare projects.
Wetlands currently being rehabilitated in the North West include the Molopo Eye,
Malmane Eye, Boitekong wetland and Boekenhout wetland.
Ambient environmental monitoring
An important aspect of environmental management is the assessment of environmental
impacts through ambient environmental monitoring, compliance monitoring and auditing.
Ambient environmental monitoring is important to track both long- and short-term
changes. It includes the collection of pertinent environmental data and information in a
regular and standardised manner, and compiling successive audit or analysis results.
Current monitoring initiatives within the North West Province include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Air quality monitoring by government and industry;
The River Health Programme, which monitors biological changes in the river
systems;
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry surface and groundwater monitoring of
physical and chemical parameters;
Water quality monitoring by various river forums on important rivers and
streams;
Borehole water quality monitoring by NWDACE;
Local water quality monitoring of effluents and water supplies by municipalities
and industry;
Monitoring of landfills and hazardous waste disposal sites by DWAF and
NWDACE;
Soil quality monitoring by the Agricultural Research Council;
Harvesting of wild populations of medicinal plants such as devil’s claw by
NWDACE;
Hunting and adherence to quotas on tribal lands by NWDACE.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Information management and reporting
Good governance and sound environmental management depends on the ability to make
informed decisions, based on good quality environmental information. Information
systems are reliant on the collection of data through monitoring programmes,
warehousing of electronic information which underpins decision support systems, for the
purpose of SOER reporting (See Figure 10).
Environmental information at North West DACE is currently being warehoused under one
electronically-accessible system. It consists of a repository of environmental information
together with software for spatial representation (GIS) and modelling. This is the basis of
the Environmental Decision Support System at North West DACE.
Figure 10: A graphical representation of an Environmental Decision Support System
Environmental education and capacity building
One of the key responses by which society can achieve action is that of developing human
resource capacity. Capacity building measures within the North West Province include
environmental awareness programmes and environmental management capacity building.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
Environmental education programmes are becoming increasingly important in the North
West Province. The Province is in the process of implementing Curriculum 2005 and the
environment has been integrated into all learning programmes.
Environmental education has been introduced as an ancillary course at colleges of
education and at the University of the North West to improve environmental awareness at
the tertiary level.
Four community-based environmental resource centres have been established in North
West Province, at Pilanesberg, Buxton, Ga-Rankuwa and Lotlamoreng. These centres proactively create a culture of environmental awareness and sustainable development
amongst the citizens of the Province.
The national environmental education project (NEEP-GET) has been established in the
North West Province. The main aim of the project is to integrate environmental learning
in the training of teachers. NEEP-GET is currently operating in six districts in the Province,
vis. Mafikeng, Zeerust, Potchefstroom, Klerksdorp, Rustenburg and Vryburg.
Community environmental awareness is being promoted through the Capacity Building
Sub-Directorate of the North West DACE has initiated several projects, including:
•
•
•
•
Establishing conservation clubs, which spread knowledge and understanding of
conservation and environment, and create awareness in communities of sustainable
resource utilisation.
Developing and presenting resource utilisation courses, such as the Trackers Course
(March and April 2000) and the Tribal Clerks Course (October 2000).
Undertaking environment and conservation awareness campaigns such as the Enviro
2000 road show.
Developing and managing conservancies.
7. ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS FOR THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE
What are Environmental Indicators?
For State of the Environment Reporting to be useful it is important that relevant
information is collected and presented to decision-makers in a user-friendly and
standardised format. This information must cover the important issues that affect the
social, economic and ecological environment. Environmental indicators measure features
of the environment and describe the situation so as to highlight changes in and the extent
of driving forces, pressures, state, impacts and responses.
A provisional set of Environmental Indicators
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is currently developing a set of
national indicators that can be used to describe the State of the Environment in South
Africa. This initiative is in line with the international approach to implementing Agenda 21
through monitoring and reporting on sustainable development.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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38
Overview 2002
This national indicator initiative cannot succeed without the involvement and co-operation
of the provinces because it depends on the gathering of information at a provincial and
local level.
It is, therefore, important that each province should develop its own set of indicators that,
apart from monitoring and describing the provincial state of the environment, also
contributes to the national assessment of the state of the environment. The North West
Province has participated in the national indicator programme, but still has to select which
indicators are most relevant for the Province. A set of proposed indicators, derived from
this participatory process is presented in Table 6.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING INDICATORS
For indicators to be useful, they must meet certain criteria:
•
•
•
•
The indicator, or the information it is calculated from should be readily available;
An indicator should be easy to understand, and must be about something measurable;
An indicator should measure something believed to be important or significant in its own right;
An indicator should be based on information that can be used to compare different geographical areas,
social groups etc, so that a picture of distribution - and not just totals and averages can be built up.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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39
Overview 2002
Table 6: A proposed set of environmental and sustainable development indicators (Source
DEAT, 2001).
Issue
Climate
Change
Stratospheric
Ozone
Air Quality
Freshwater
Resources
Freshwater
Quality
Freshwater
Ecosystem
Integrity
Land
Condition
Land Use
Habitat
Change
Species
Diversity
Resource
Value
Natural
Heritage
Resources
Indicator
Emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide and methane)
Energy use (fossil fuels vs. non-fossil fuels)
Energy intensity
Mean annual temperature deviations
Annual rainfall deviations
Emissions of ozone depleting substances
UVB trends
Ambient sulphur dioxide concentration
Ambient nitrogen dioxide concentration
Environmental flow requirements
Surface water resources per capita
Surface water demand versus available resources
Water use (sectoral requirements)
People supported by groundwater
Groundwater withdrawals as % of annual recharge
Surface water toxicity
Surface water nutrients
Surface and groundwater salinity
Surface and groundwater microbiology
Groundwater nitrate
Aquatic habitat integrity
Wetland alteration
Aquatic biodiversity
Alien invasive organisms
Riparian vegetation
Desertification
Soil loss
Soil acidification
Soil salinisation
Land degradation
Persistent organic pollutants
Land cover
Land productivity versus potential
Extent of conserved areas
Extent of natural areas remaining
Disturbance regimes: fire frequency
Disturbance regimes: flood and drought
Threatened and extinct species per taxonomic group
Endemic species per taxonomic group
Population trends of selected species
Alien (non-indigenous) species per taxonomic group
Distribution and abundance of selected alien species
Contribution to job creation: conservation areas
Contribution to job creation: eradication of alien species
Economic contribution of commercially utilized
indigenous/terrestrial/freshwater species
Status of natural heritage resources
Investment into natural heritage resources
Visitors to natural heritage resources
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
Frequency
Scale
5 Yearly
National
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
5 Yearly
Annually
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
Annually
National
National
Provincial
Provincial
National
Local
Urban Area
Urban Area
Catchment
National
Catchment
National
National
GHU
WMA
WMA
WMA/GHU
WMA/GHU
GHU
WMA
Catchment
WMA
WMA
WMA
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
National
Provincial
National
National
National
National
National
Annually
National
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
Regional
National
National
40
Overview 2002
Issue
Human
Settlements
Socioeconomic
Waste
Generation
Waste
Reduction
General
Environmental
Management
Indicator
Urban/rural population
Size of urban area
Housing density
Green space per settlement
Contaminated land per settlement
Population growth rate
GDP/capita
Life expectancy
Adult literacy rate
Employment rate
HIV/AIDS incidence
Household energy use
Access to water
Access to sanitation
General waste produced per capita per year
Hazardous waste produced per sector per year
Available landfill lifespan
General waste correctly disposed
Hazardous waste correctly disposed
Municipal waste management expenditure
Municipal kerb-side collection capacity
Waste recycling
Value of waste recycled
Government capacity for environmental management
Budgetary allocation to natural resource management
Budgetary allocation to environmental education
Budgetary allocation to environmental research
Inclusion of integrated environmental management (IEM)
into IDPs &SDIs
Conciliation cases
Voluntary adoption of environmental management systems
Voluntary use of environmental accounting & reporting
Environmental reporting by government departments
Frequency
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
5 Yearly
Annually
Annually
5 Yearly
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
Local
Local
Local
Local
Local
National
National
National
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Provincial
Local
Local
Provincial
Provincial
National
National
National
National
Annually
Provincial
Annually
Annually
Annually
Annually
National
National
National
National
Scale
8. RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
The full SOER contains an extensive list of recommended approaches and actions to
promote sustainable development and improve the status of the Province’s environment
and its management. This Overview presents some of the key recommendations that are
considered to be of high priority. They relate to environmental management deficiencies
within the categories of social, economic, policy/legislation, biophysical, heritage resources
and integrated issues.
Social:
•
As inequality and associated poverty is one of the biggest challenges to achieving
sustainable development, there is an urgent need for the economic upliftment of rural
areas, which have become degraded and unproductive because of poverty,
unemployment, urban migration, and inefficient use of natural resources.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
41
Overview 2002
•
•
•
•
There is a need for a Provincial programme to mitigate the social and economic impact
of HIV/AIDS.
Appropriate welfare support for unemployed and disadvantaged persons should remain
a high priority. A programme that promotes sustainable alternative livelihoods for
unemployed persons is advocated.
A provincial environmental awareness programme is required.
The provincial programme of delivery of housing and basic services should be subject
to IEM procedures.
Economic:
•
•
•
•
The economy of the Province still requires further diversification to make use of the
Province’s rich natural resources. The North West Province Industrial and
development Plan should receive priority in terms of its implementation.
Government should create projects that create employment opportunities such as the
Working for Water Programme.
Integrated Environmental Management should form the basis of all further
development.
Creation of SMME’s with an environmental focus such as waste recycling.
Policy and legislation:
•
•
•
Consolidation of fragmented and outdated provincial environmental legislation is
required.
Development of a provincial strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources is
required.
There is a need to promote better coordination between local government and the
national and provincial departments involved in environmental management.
Biophysical:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
An air quality management programme should be established with one of its first tasks
to assess the state of air quality in the province, especially in urban and industrialised
areas (e.g. Rustenburg and Potchefstroom).
Control of alien and invasive plants (bush encroachment) should be accorded high
priority.
Rehabilitation of certain mining areas, landfills and degraded areas requires urgent
environmental management intervention (particularly the abandoned asbestos mines in
the Bophirima region).
Implementation of sustainable agricultural management practices is required.
The LandCare and Working for Water Programmes should be promoted and expanded
in the Province.
Water resource management requires attention, particularly the determination of
“Reserve” and resource quality objectives for important rivers such as the Marico,
Molopo an Mooi Rivers.
Pollution control of the water environment, particularly reservoirs and groundwater
requires special attention (particularly Hartebeespoort and Bospoort Dams and
dolomitic areas affected by mining in the southern, eastern and Bojanala regions).
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
•
•
•
Management plans for dolomitic ecosystems such as the Marico, Molopo, Malmane and
Gerhard Minnebron Eyes are required.
Management plans for the protection of wetlands of provincial and national importance
(particularly those which fall outside the boundaries of formally protected areas in the
Province) are required.
Improved control of the trade in fauna and flora is required, especially for rare and
endangered species (e.g. Aloe peglerae) and medicinal plants (e.g. devil’s claw
Harpagophytum procumbens).
Heritage resources:
•
•
•
There is a need to assess the current status and value of the Province’s cultural and
natural heritage resources.
There is a need to re-instate the Natural Heritage Programme, which could include
conservation and tourism, as well as according formal protection of important sites and
areas.
Management plans for important heritage sites and landscapes require development
(e.g. Taung Heritage Site).
Integrated issues:
•
•
•
•
•
•
There is a need to encourage businesses to become more involved in environmental
concerns and management (especially wastes and their management).
The provincial environmental information management base needs to be upgraded,
particularly to incorporate routine monitoring, auditing and reporting.
Environmental human resource capacity in the province requires development,
particularly in academic and governmental institutions.
The Province’s waste management strategy and management programme requires
review. There is a need to implement this comprehensive provincial waste
management strategy more effectively.
Provincial environmental awareness programmes are recommended in order to ensure
that the public at large is made aware of the importance of sustainable development
and wise natural resource use.
There is a need to select a set of indicators that can be monitored and used by the
Province for future SOER. There is currently a set of proposed national indicators that
have been advocated for this purpose.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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Overview 2002
9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
African National Congress (ANC). 1994. The Reconstruction and Development Programme.
Cape Town, South Africa.
Ballance, A. and N. King. 1999. State of the Environment in South Africa - An Overview.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria. www.ngo.grida.no/soesa.
Curruthers, V. 2000. The Magaliesberg. Protea Book House, Pretoria. 388 pp.
Davis, D.L. & P.H.N. Saldiva. 1999. World Resources Institute Environmental Health Notes.
WRI, Washington, 20pp.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 1998b. Guideline Document to the EIA
Regulations. DEAT, Pretoria.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 1999. National Environment Management
Act User Guide. DEAT, Pretoria. pp 5-14.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 2000. Consolidated Environmental
Implementation and Environmental Management Plan. DEAT, Pretoria.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 2001. National Core Set of Environmental
Indicators for the State of Environment Reporting in South Africa. Scoping Report.
DEAT, Pretoria. .
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 2001. Sustaining Development in South
Africa: An analytical review of progress towards sustainable development in South
Africa. DEAT, Pretoria. 107 pp.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 2000a. Guideline Document to Strategic
Environmental Assessment in South Africa. DEAT, Pretoria.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. 1998. Guide to Communities and their Groundwater
Supply (North West), Edition 1. Directorate Water Services Planning, DWAF, Pretoria.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. 1998a. North West Province Provincial Perspective:
Community Water Supply and Sanitation Strategy. DWAF, Pretoria.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. 1998b. North West Province, First Order Strategy.
DWAF, Pretoria.
Fuggle, R.F. and M.A. Rabie. 1992. Environmental Management in South Africa. Juta & Co Ltd,
Cape Town. 823 pp.
Low, A.B. and A.G. Rebelo (Eds). 1998. Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
DEAT, Pretoria. 85pp..
North West Province. 2001. North West 2010. An Agenda 21 Framework and Plan for
Integrated and Sustainable Development in the North West Province. NWDACE,
Mmabatho.
North West Province. 2001. Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP), 1st Edition. NW DACE,
Mmabatho.
North West Province. 2001. Economic Development and Industrialisation Plan for the North
West Province. North West Dept. of Economic Development and Tourism, Mmabatho.
127pp.
North West Province. 1998. A Tourism Masterplan for the North West Province of South Africa.
Dept. Tourism, Environment and Conservation, Mmabatho. 119pp.
Walmsley R.D. & J.P.R. Pretorius. 1996. Environmental Indicators. Report No.1. State of the
Environment Series. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria. 76pp.
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). 1987. Our Common Future.
Oxford University Press, New York. 383 pp.
World Health Organisation (WHO). 1990. Potential Health Effects of Climate Change. Geneva.
www.ciesin.org/docs/001-007/001-007.html.
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
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44
Overview 2002
10. Maps
Map 1
Map 2
Map 3
Map 4
Map 5
Map 6
Map 7
Map 8
Map 9
Map 10
Map 11
Map 12
Map 13
Map 14
Map 15
Map 16
Map 17
Map 18
Map 19
Map 20
North West Province geology
Mean annual rainfall in the North West Province
District and local municipalities in the North West Province
Main land uses in the North West Province
Land ownership in the North West Province
Mining in the North West Province
North West Province road and railway network
General waste volumes per annum and landfill sites
Extent of land degradation per magisterial district
Extent of soil degradation per magisterial district
Priority ranking of the extent of bush encroachment per magisterial district
Alien plant invasions in the catchments of the North West Province
Surface water resources of the North West Province
Mean groundwater recharge per annum in the North West Province
Concentration of total dissolved solids in the groundwater of the North West
Province
Concentration of nitrates in the groundwater of the North West Province
Concentration of fluorides in the groundwater of the North West Province
Vegetation types in the North West Province
Parks and nature reserves in the North West Province
Water Management Areas within the North West Province
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
45
Overview 2002
11. Contact details
Director
Environment Conservation Management
Head Office - Agricentre
Mafikeng
Private Bag X2039
Mmabatho
2735
Tel: 018-389 5772
Fax: 018-389 5006
Email: [email protected]
Deputy Director
Environmental Impact Assessment
Head Office - Agricentre
Mafikeng
Private Bag X2039
Mmabatho
2735
Tel: 018-389 5689
Fax: 018-389 5006
Email: [email protected]
Deputy Director
Environmental Technical Support Services
Potchefstroom
Private Bag X804
Potchefstroom
2520
Tel 018-299 6500
Fax:018-297 7135
Email: [email protected]
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Overview 2002
Deputy Director
Environmental Education & Empowerment
Rustenburg
PO Box 24
Rustenburg
0300
Tel: 014-592 8261/2
Fax: 014-592 2116
Email: [email protected]
Deputy Director
Environmental Capacity Building
Rustenburg
PO Box 24
Rustenburg
0300
Tel: 014-592 8261/2
Fax: 014-592 2116
Email: [email protected]
Chief Air Pollution Control Officer
Head Office - Agricentre
Mafikeng
PO Box 73 002
Lynnewood Ridge
0040
Tel/fax: 012-348 4641
Email: [email protected]
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
Head
Environmental Laboratory
Mafikeng
P.O. Box 5585
Mmabatho
2735
Tel: 018-384 0118
Fax: 018-384 0022
Email: [email protected]
Principal Environmental Officer
Environmental Information Management & Reporting
Head Office - Agricentre
Mafikeng
Private Bag X2039
Mmabatho
2735
Tel: 018-389 5141
Fax: 018-389 5006
Email: [email protected]
REGIONAL OFFICES
Central Regional Office
Mafikeng
Private Bag X2039
Mmabatho
2735
Tel: 018-381 0220/4
Fax: 018-381 5876
State of THE Environment Report 2002, North West Province, South
South Africa
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Overview 2002
Eastern Regional Office
Rustenburg
PO Box 6649
Rustenburg
0300
Tel: 014-597 3597
Fax: 014-592 3553
Western Regional Office
Vryburg
PO Box 2891
Vryburg
8600
Tel: 053- 927 1809
Fax: 053-927 0436
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