Frances Baard District Municipality -...

LAB: Wetlands SA

Version 1: February 2017

1

Frances Baard District Municipality

Wetland Strategy and Action Plan

(2017- 2022)

Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB): Wetlands South Africa

LAB: Wetlands SA

Version 1: February 2017

2

Full Program Title: Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetland Management in a

Changing Climate

Sponsoring USAID Office: USAID/Southern Africa

Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-674-A-14-00014

Contractor: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa Secretariat

Date of Publication: February 2017

Author: R. Fisher

Version History

VERSION DATE COMPLETED APPROVED BY DATE APPROVED

Draft 24th February 2017

DISCLAIMER

This Wetland Strategy and Action Plan was made possible by the support of the American People

through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the

sole responsibility of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and do not necessarily reflect

the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... 4

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... 5

List of Figures & Tables ............................................................................................................................... 5

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 6

1. Wetlands in the Frances Baard District Municipality .......................................................................... 8

1.1. What is a Wetland? ..................................................................................................................... 8

1.2 The Value of Wetlands to the Frances Baard District Municipality ...................................... 8

1.3 Threats to Wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality ....................................... 10

2. Governance & Management ................................................................................................................ 12

2.1 Policy framework ............................................................................................................................ 12

2.2 Wetland management within the municipality .......................................................................... 14

3. Developing the Frances Baard Wetland Strategy and Action Plan ................................................. 15

4. Frances Baard District Municipality Wetland Strategy and Action Plan (2017- 2022) .................. 16

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The compilation of the Frances Baard District Municipality Wetland Strategy and Action Plan

(WSAP) would not have been possible without the significant contribution and support from the

many active stakeholders who currently work within the District.

ICLEI Africa Secretariat (ICLEI AS) and Frances Baard District Municipality would like to specifically

thank the United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID), the funders of the Local

Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) project, without whom the

compilation of the WSAP would not have been possible. ICLEI AS and Frances Baard District

Municipality would also like to thank the LAB: Wetlands SA Project partners, namely the

Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), South African Local Government Association (SALGA),

Working for Wetlands as well as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) for the

unfailing support received to date for the development of this WSAP.

In addition, ICLEI AS and Frances Baard District Municipality would like to acknowledge the

meaningful contributions from all other stakeholders within Frances Baard District Municipality,

both public and private, which have culminated in the Frances Baard District Municipality WSAP.


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L IST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

AS Africa Secretariat

DEA Department of Environmental Affairs

DEA&DP Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

FBDM Frances Baard District Municipality

IAP Invasive Alien Plant

ICLEI ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability

LAB: Wetlands SA Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa

LM Local Municipality

SA South Africa

SALGA South African Local Governments Association

SANBI South African National Biodiversity Initiative

USAID United States Agency for International Development

WFW Working for Wetlands

WSAP Wetland Strategy and Action Plan

L IST OF F IGURES & TABLES

Figure 1: Mottled soils indicative of a wetland.

Figure 2: Specially adapted wetland vegetation.

Table 1: Ecosystem services identified that have been provided by wetlands found

in Frances Baard District Municipality.

Table 2: Threats to wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality.

Table 3: Legislation governing wetland management in the Frances Baard District

Municipality.


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INTRODUCTION

South Africa is endowed with a rich wealth of biodiversity, which offers an immense opportunity

to support the country’s development path by providing many goods and services which

contribute to municipal service delivery, water and food security and quality of life, especially

under a changing climate.

The Frances Baard District Municipality (FBDM) is located in the Northern Cape Province of South

Africa and covers an area of 23, 331 km², making it the smallest district in the Northern Cape;

however, it accommodates the largest proportion of the population of the province estimated

at 382 0881. The district comprises of four local municipalities namely Dikgatlong Municipality,

Magareng Municipality, Phokwane Municipality, and Sol Plaatje Municipality. Kimberley, located in

Sol Plaatje Municipality, is the capital of the province, and also the home of the District Municipality

head offices. Key environmental features in the district include two of the largest rivers in South

Africa, the Orange and the Vaal, which both flow through and meet in the Frances Baard district.

There is still a lot to learn about the wetland systems in the district. Various organisations and

initiatives are emerging around studying the systems in the Northern Cape as a whole, as is the

case in other parts of the country.

Within Frances Baard District Municipality, a significant number of the wetlands are under threat

or have already been lost. This is largely due to the spread of invasive alien plants (IAPs) deliberate

draining of wetlands to make way for development and agriculture, inappropriate development

within the close proximity to the wetlands, poorly regulated agricultural practices (overgrazing and

ploughing) and contamination through chemical, sewage and stormwater seeps. Degraded

wetlands are unable to function to the same degree as healthy wetlands and as such ecosystem

service provision from these wetlands is severely hindered or even lost altogether.

In light of this, there is an urgent need to increase awareness of wetland importance and to

incorporate natural wetland resource considerations into municipal governance mechanisms and

planning. Careful management as well as the investment in the maintenance of healthy wetlands

and the rehabilitation and restoration of damaged or degraded wetlands is also needed. This will

ensure the continued provision of these vital ecosystem services to the municipality.

Frances Baard District Municipality is implementing the Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands

South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) programme with support from ICLEI Africa Secretariat (ICLEI AS).

The LAB: Wetlands SA project aims to ensure the protection of priority natural wetland resources,

thus enabling the supply of ecosystem services, and promoting resilient communities and

sustainable local economies under a changing climate within South African local governments.

Through the development of this Wetland Strategy and Action Plan (WSAP), ICLEI AS will assist

Frances Baard District Municipality in identifying the gaps in management and support with

devising new and better wetlands management strategies going forward.

1 Statistics South Africa, Census 2011 (http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964)

http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964


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Supporting Documentation:

This document relies heavily on two supporting documents: The Frances BaardDistrict Municipality

Wetland Report (2017) and the Wetland Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines (2017).

These can be downloaded from http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-wetlands-sa/

http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-wetlands-sa/


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1. WETLANDS IN THE FRANCES BAARD D ISTRICT

MUNICIPALITY

1.1. What is a Wetland?

In simpler terms, a wetland is a feature in the landscape which is saturated with water for a long

enough period that the soil conditions change (mottling as a result of the anaerobic conditions)

and the vegetation shifts to respond to these changes.

Figure 1 & 2: Mottled soils indicative of a wetland (left) and specially adapted wetland vegetation

(right).

For more detailed information regarding wetlands within the Frances Baard District Municipality.

Please refer to the Frances Baard District Municipality: Wetland Report (2017) which can be

accessed here: http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-wetlands-sa/

1.2 The Value of Wetlands to the Frances Baard District

Municipality

All wetland types can be classified as high value ‘ecological infrastructure’ due to the large number

of ecosystem services that they provide. Wetland ecosystem services can be classified into four

separate categories namely ‘provisioning services’, ‘regulating services’, ‘cultural services’ and

‘supporting services’. Provisioning services can be described as the products one can physically

obtain from wetlands. Regulatory services can be described as the benefits one receives from the

“Wetlands are land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the

water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow

water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically

adapted to life in saturated soil”.

National Water Act No. 36 of 1998.



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wetland. Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits that one can obtain from wetlands. Lastly

supporting services are the services provided that are necessary for the production of all other

ecosystem services. Please refer to Table 1 below for a detailed description of the ecosystem

services that wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality provide.

Table 1: Ecosystem services identified in the Frances Baard District Municipality.

Ecosystem

Service Type

Ecosystem Service Description/ Case Study

Provisioning Food and medicinal

plants

Local communities living within Frances Baard District

Municipality harvest local plants and fish to support their

diets.

Raw materials

supporting local

economies and

livelihoods

Wetlands provide a significant number of raw materials

which directly contribute to local livelihoods and income.


Municipality harvest reeds from the wetlands to make

baskets and furniture and grasses for thatching.

Clean drinking

water


Municipality, particularly those located in the more rural

areas, use clean water supplied by the wetlands for

drinking purposes.

Regulatory Water storage and

stream flow

regulation

The local wetlands within Frances Baard District

Municipality store stormwater runoff and slowly release

the water as the water table drops. This contributes to

sustained streamflow throughout the year.

Flood attenuation

and control

Wetlands and the associated plants play a crucial role in

flood attenuation as they have the ability to absorb flood

water and reduce the velocity of the water moving

through the system. This contributes to the protection of

agricultural land as well as infrastructure downstream.

Erosion control Wetland plants, strengthen the banks of wetlands and

thereby contribute to sediment stabilisation and soil

retention within the catchment.

Water filtration Wetlands and wetland plants contribute substantially to

improving water quality by filtering and purifying water

as it moves through the system. Wetlands have the ability

to modify or trap a wide range of substances commonly

considered to be pollutants including suspended

sediment, excess nutrients, phosphorus, nitrogen,

pesticide residue, industrial effluent, pathogenic bacteria

and viruses.2 As such, high concentrations of the above

are prevented from reaching groundwater supplies or

surface water downstream thus contributing to clean

drinkable water.

2 Kotze, D. 2015. Wetlands and water quality enhancement.


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Cultural Recreation The wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality

are used extensively for recreation purposes. Activities

undertaken within these wetlands include, birding,

frogging, canoeing, bike riding, and hiking, picnicking

along the banks of the wetland systems and fishing.

Tourism Due to their natural beauty and diversity of plant and

animal life, the wetlands, particularly Kamfers Dam,

within Frances Baard District Municipality are popular

tourist destinations.

It should be noted that the numerous ecosystem services provided by wetlands come at no cost

to the municipality and as such, all that needs to be done to ensure continued provision of these

services is to protect and maintain local wetlands. However, the inappropriate management of

wetlands, can cause a loss of wetland area and subsequent loss of ecosystem services. This results

in the municipalities having to invest in expensive infrastructure (e.g. water filtration plants or

flood barriers) to ensure the same level of service delivery.

1.3 Threats to Wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality

Despite the huge benefits that wetlands provide in terms of ecosystem services, 50% of wetlands

in South Africa have already been lost and 48% of the remaining wetlands are critically endangered

and/or degraded.3 This loss is a direct result of historical degradation, pollution and deliberate

draining of wetlands to make way for development and expansion (both urban and agricultural).

Damage to wetlands results in increasingly limited functionality and subsequently a decrease in

the ability to provide valuable ecosystem services.

Following verbal communications with active stakeholders working within Frances Baard District

Municipality, it has become clear that wetlands face a significant number of threats within the

municipality, all of which have the ability to severely compromise function and provision of

ecosystem services or degrade the wetland entirely. The key threats to the wetlands located within

Frances Baard District Municipality have been identified as follows:

Table 2: Threats to wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality:

Threat Description

Sewage Sewage spillages and flow are impacting wetlands across the

country, no more so than in the Frances Baard area. Looking at

the Kamfers Dam wetland in particular, who receives water from

the HWWTW, the wastewater from residential and industrial

areas occasionally exceed the hydraulic capacity of the plant,

causing millions of litres of unacceptable waste water quality

entering Kamfers Dam daily (Hill et al. 2013) and that result in the

rise in water levels and an increase in water pollution. There is a

real pressing need to investigate and address the issue around

3 SANBI. 2011. National Biodiversity Assessment.


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the quantity and quality of water entering the wetland by all

relevant stakeholders.

Mining Mining is arguably the biggest sector in the Frances Baard area.

Mining for diamonds and other minerals have been a primary

source of income to the population for many years. The activities

associated with mining, particularly excavation and stockpiling of

discarded soil, have irreversibly destroyed many of the wetland

areas within close proximity of these mines.

This threat to wetlands is increasing however as a rising number

mining applications are continuously being submitted,

particularly for areas near to the important wetland ecosystems

within the district. If these applications are granted and the

mining activities are not properly regulated, it will result in further

irreversible wetland loss within Frances Baard District

Municipality.

Historical degradation Historically, due to limited knowledge on the value of wetlands

and their ecosystem services, wetland areas were seen as waste

lands. As such, wetlands throughout Frances Baard District

Municipality were deliberately drained and infilled in order to

‘reclaim the land’ for commercial, agricultural and even urban

uses.

Urban development Wetlands throughout Frances Baard District Municipality are at

risk from both formal and informal urban development and

expansion. Due to increasing population, particularly in areas

such as Kimberley, development is being taken right up to, and

sometimes beyond, the urban edge threatening wetlands near

the vicinity of the urban edge. Additionally, due to limited

knowledge of where wetlands are on the ground both within and

outside of the urban edge, the development process often entails

the accidental draining or infilling of wetlands to make room for

these developments.

In addition to the expansion of formal, planned urban

development, there is also an increase in informal developments

expanding beyond the formally recognised urban edge as well as

an expansion of established villages in the more rural areas. Due

to lack of formal planning, these informal developments are more

often than not located inappropriately in wetland areas due to

the close proximity to water. This does not only increase the risk

and exposure of communities to environmental hazards such as

flooding, but the development of informal settlements within

wetland areas often brings with it waste disposal into and around

the wetland area. Expansion of the village areas also additionally

brings an increase in livestock grazing within the wetland areas as

well as clearing of the indigenous plants to make way for


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subsistence farming. This land use change compromises the

wetlands’ ability to perform valuable ecosystem services such as

water filtration resulting in poorer water quality moving

downstream.

Pollution and Dumping As a result of expanding urbanization in close proximity to

wetland areas, combined with ageing and failing waste water

treatment infrastructure and poor stormwater runoff monitoring

and management, the wetlands within Frances Baard District

Municipality are also at a very high risk from polluted stormwater

runoff as well as from sewerage seeping into wetland areas.

Dumping within wetland areas has also become increasingly

prevalent. The effect of this includes increased nutrient loads as

well as E.coli levels within in the wetland systems which negatively

affects both the water quality of the water moving through the

system as well as the delicate biodiversity depending on these

systems for survival.

Agricultural practices Unsustainable agricultural practices occur extensively

throughout the district, leading to numerous impacts on both

wetland and river systems. Crop production in particular is seen

as a huge concern as the associated nutrient runoff from

fertilisers and pollution from chemicals such as pesticides

contributes negatively on wetlands and rivers, destroying

vegetation and animal life in the process.

2. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

South Africa has an extensive legislative framework concerning the environment and biodiversity

is considered in both development planning as well as national government priorities. This section

outlines key legislation and policies as well as the governance structure within the Frances Baard

District Municipality which leads to the current wetland management strategy within the district.

2.1 Policy framework

Table 3 provides a comprehensive summary of all South African legislation, policies and strategies

pertinent for the management of wetlands. It is important to note that some of the legislation such

as the National Environmental Management Act provides specific instructions regarding wetland

management whilst other legislation indirectly supports management of wetlands such as the

National Environmental Management: Waste Act.

Table 3: Legislation governing wetland management in the Frances Baard District Municipality

LEGISLATION/ POLICY/ STRATEGY HOW IT RELATES TO WETLANDS

Legislation

South African Constitution Overarching principles of care for the environment.


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Environmental Conservation Act and

associated By-Laws

Controls access to and activities within coastal and

wetland areas.

National Water Act Water use control, including extraction and

construction within the vicinity of a watercourse or

wetland.

National Environmental Management

Act

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for the

development of a new or disturbed site within the

vicinity of a watercourse or wetland.

National Environmental Management:

Biodiversity Act

Protection of biodiversity and the formulation of a

number of tools (e.g. bioregional plans and

threatened ecosystem lists) that feed into land use

planning and EIA procedures.


Biodiversity Act - Alien and Invasive

Species Regulations

All matters related to invasive species management

(both fauna and flora).


Protected Areas Act

Protection of national parks, protected areas and

conservation sites. This includes the protection of

wetland site.


Waste Act

Regulation of illegal dumping

Conservation of Agricultural Resources

Act

Protect the utilization of the natural agricultural

resources to promote the conservation of the soil,

the water sources and the vegetation and the

combating of weeds and invasive plants.

Municipal Systems Act Role of local governments and the requirements for

Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Spatial

Development Framework (SDF) and Disaster

Management Plans

Municipal Structures Act Promotion of regional planning and spatial planning

categories.

Municipal Health Act Monitoring of Waste Water Treatment Works

(WWTW) discharge

Policies

National Development Plan (NDP), and

associated Medium Term Strategic

Framework (MTSF).

Sets out measures to protect natural resources in

South Africa. Through the creation of the MTSF and

associated ‘Delivery Agreements’, required outputs

and targets are set.

Municipal Planning

Provincial Strategic Development

Framework (SDF)

Overarching spatial planning guidelines for the

province.

Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Overall strategy document for the municipality.


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District SDF Broad spatial planning guidelines for the district

(including a map of land use within the district).

Local Municipal IDPs Overall strategy document for the local

municipalities linking to the district level IDP.

Local Municipal SDFs Strategic plans to manage municipal land at the local

level.

Open Space Framework Demarcation of Open Space Areas.

Environmental Management Framework Map and land use guidelines for areas of

environmental importance.

Sector Plans This includes the Disaster Management Plan.

Strategies

The National Biodiversity Framework Provides biodiversity targets for South Africa.

National Water Resource Strategy Speaks to protection and rehabilitation of wetlands.

Other

Bioregional plans (draft or gazetted) Maps Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) and

Ecological Support Areas (ESAs).

Spatial Planning and Land Use

Management Act (SPLUMA)

Provides a framework for spatial planning and land

use management in South Africa. It also stipulates

that municipal planning is primarily the executive

function of the local sphere of government and

requires that biodiversity is adequately considered

in spatial planning.

Disaster Management Amendment Bill Outlines how ecosystems should be considered in

the updated Disaster Management Act.

2.2 Wetland management within the municipality

Currently there is no specific designated wetland management authority within Frances Baard

District Municipality.4 Instead, the management of wetlands is a collective but disconnected effort

between the various departments of the municipality, the four local municipalities within the

district, and other interested and affected parties’ including DENC, DWS, and SAEON.

At this stage, management of wetlands is extremely fragmented across FBDM. The district and

local municipalities work from separate IDPs with different mandates as such, environmental

management within the individual municipalities is not consistent.

4 Per comms with Kenneth Lucas, FBDM (2016)


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In light of the above, in order to ensure holistic and effective management of wetlands within

Frances Baard District Municipality, the same vision and standardised goals for the management

of wetlands need to be incorporated into the IDPs and SDFs of both the local and district level

municipalities.54 It would also be ideal if Frances Baard District Municipality could provide support

to the local municipalities where possible in order to assist with the identified capacity constraints

within these municipalities. Additionally, re-establishing platforms such as the Northern Cape/Free

State Wetlands Forum NC/FSWF will ensure improved communication between both the district

and local municipalities as well as the parastatals and private landowners to manage wetlands

collectively.

3. DEVELOPING THE FRANCES BAARD WETLAND STRATEGY

AND ACTION PLAN

Prior to the development of a WSAP, it is critical to undertake an extensive and inclusive

stakeholder engagement process in order to gather all relevant information and inputs from key

stakeholders for populating the WSAP as well as ensuring critical stakeholder buy-in.

In order to achieve this in FBDM, as part of the LAB: Wetlands SA project, ICLEI AS and FBDM

identified key internal and external role players. FBDM played the leading role in locating and

engaging with key stakeholders, who would both add value, as well as benefit from being part of

the WSAP process and project as a whole. Stakeholders include individuals and institutions from

national, provincial and local government, parastatals, NGO’s and the private sector. In addition,

ICLEI AS and FBDM co-developed a Wetland Report throughout the course of 2016. The Wetland

Report was a desktop study and aimed to draw together and include all the known information on

wetlands within the municipality. One on one interviews were undertaken with relevant

stakeholders. Some of the key stakeholders included Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS),

Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC), The South African Environmental

Observation Network (SAEON), local municipalities as well as tertiary institution, the Sol Plaatje

University. This set the scene for the final stakeholder engagement – the WSAP Workshop.

The Frances Baard WSAP Workshop was held in Kimberley in November 2016. All stakeholders

identified during previous engagements were invited to attend. The workshop acted as an initial

engagement with a large portion of relevant stakeholders within Frances Baard District

Municipality, as well as providing a platform to introduce the LAB Wetlands SA project and creating

awareness and unity around wetlands in the region. This set the scene for the development of the

WSAP. The WSAP is outlined below and includes all identified wetland related issues, as well as

proposed solutions as developed by all stakeholders present at the WSAP workshop. The WSAP

was developed with close reference to the ICLEI Wetland Strategy and Action Guidelines which are

an ICLEI – developed tool freely available for download: http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-

wetlands-sa/



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4. FRANCES BAARD D ISTRICT MUNICIPALITY WETLAND STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN (2017-

2022)

VISION STATEMENT

“HEALTHY WETLANDS WITHIN FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY WITHOUT THE NET LOSS OF VALUE.”

VALUES

GOAL DRIVEN

AWARENESS

CONSERVATION

OWNERSHIP (MULTI-SECTORAL)

KNOWLEDGABLE

ALIGNMENT

COMPETENCY

FOCUS AREAS (3 – 6 strategic interventions / priorities):

1. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT


2. MONITORING & EVALUATION

3. POLITICAL & COMMUNITY AWARENESS

4. LEGISLATION

5. PRIORITISATION & OFFSETTING

6. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

(S.M.A.R.T.) GOALS FOR EACH FOCUS AREA

FOCUS AREA 1:

Research and Development

Goal 1.1: Determine (ecological) status quo of all wetlands within the FBDM by...

Goal 1.2: Prioritise FBDM wetlands in need of attention by…

Goal 1.3: Establish a wetland development strategy for FBDM by…

FOCUS AREA 2:

Monitoring and Evaluation

Goal 2.1: Develop a wetland monitoring and evaluation strategy for FBDM by…

Goal 2.2: Develop monitoring and evaluation tools.

Goal 2.3: Establish a monitoring and evaluation team.

Goal 2.4: Implementation and review strategy?

FOCUS AREA 3:

Political and Community

awareness

Goal 3.1: Identify FBDM capacity and training needs by…

Goal 3.2: Setup a training schedule by…

Goal 3.3: Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of FBDM and the LM Politicians.

Goal 3.4: Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of Communities within FBDM.

FOCUS AREA 4: Goal 4.1: Develop a FBDM wetland policy and/or strategy by 2019.


Legislation Goal 4.2: Develop a FBDM wetlands bylaw by 2019.

Goal 4.3: Integrate compliance and enforcement by appointing and designating an Environmental Management

Inspector (EMI).

Goal 4.4: Develop FBDM wetland offset guidelines by 2019.

FOCUS AREA 5:

Prioritisation and Offsetting

Goal 5.1: Ascertain RAMSAR requirements and apply for RAMSAR status for complying wetlands by 2019.

Goal 5.2: Profile and classify detailed ecological/sensitivity information by 2019.

Goal 5.3: Establish wetland conservation fund/s by 2019. (Utilise Offsetting guidelines – Goal 4.4)

Goal 5.4: List cases of wetland offsetting – include knowledge of impacted wetlands by 2019.

FOCUS AREA 6:

Roles and Responsibilities

Goal 6.1: Develop a roles and responsibilities framework inclusive of Standard Operating Procedures.

Goal 6.2:

Goal 6.3:

HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN

FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS

RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME

Focus Area 1: Research and Development

Goal 1.1:

Determine (ecological) status quo of all wetlands within the

FBDM by...

Collect baseline wetland data for FBDM.

Analyse collected data.

Compile a wetland from collected data for

FBDM.

SANBI/SAEON/NGO’s

Sol Plaatje University

Sol Plaatje University.

6 months

1 year

Goal 1.2:

Prioritise FBDM wetlands in need of attention by…

Develop prioritization criteria.

Identify and assess available resources.

TBC 3 months





Compile a report of findings.

Goal 1.3:

Establish a wetland development strategy for FBDM by…

Research relevant questions, needs,

elements for inclusion in the strategy.

Ascertain a relevant methodology.

Recommendations, opportunities, way

forward.

TBC

Focus Area 2: Monitoring and Evaluation.

Goal 2.1:

Develop a wetland monitoring and evaluation strategy for

FBDM by…

Goal 2.2:

Develop monitoring and evaluation tools.





Goal 2.3:

Establish a monitoring and evaluation team.

Identify relevant personnel/stakeholders

to be part of the team.

Develop M&E team Terms of Reference.

Goal 2.4:

Implementation and review strategy?

Focus Area 3: Political and Community awareness

Goal 3.1

Identify FBDM capacity and training needs by…

Develop survey/questionnaire to

ascertain FBDM personnel knowledge of

wetlands.

Train personnel accordingly.

FBDM

DWS

SAEON

DENC

DMR

1 year





Collaborate with tertiary institutions i.e.

Sol Plaatje University.

SPU

Goal 3.2

Setup a training schedule by…

Ascertain training requirements.

Ascertain who, how, where the training

will occur.

Identify funding/budget for required

training.

Goal 3.3

Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of

FBDM and the LM Politicians.

Conduct “in-house” training for

Politicians.

FBDM with support

from external

stakeholders.

Quarterly

Goal 3.4

Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of

Communities within FBDM.

Implement awareness campaigns for

communities.

Disseminate wetland related information.

Collaborate with media platforms.

FBDM with support

from external

stakeholders.

Quarterly

Focus Area 4: Legislation

Goal 4.1

Develop a FBDM wetland policy and/or strategy by 2019.

Setup FBDM and or NC Wetland

Forum/Task Team

Conduct thorough stakeholder

engagement and public participation.

FBDM 1 year

Goal 4.2

Develop a FBDM wetlands bylaw by 2019.

Compile a draft wetlands bylaw for FBDM.

Gather stakeholder input.

Submit to Council for adoption.

FBDM 1 year





Goal 4.3

Integrate compliance and enforcement by appointing and

designating an Environmental Management Inspector

(EMI).

Identify relevant and suitable officials to

be trained and designated as EMI.

EMI(s) to conduct compliance and

enforcement.

EMI(s) to participate in the NC Crime

Forum.

FBDM

1 year

Goal 4.4

Develop FBDM wetland offset guidelines by 2019.

Compile draft FBDM wetland offset

guidelines.

Benchmark WOG to all relevant national,

provincial legislation.

Submit WOG to Council for adoption.

FBDM 1 year

Focus Area 5: Prioritisation and Offsetting

Goal 5.1

Ascertain RAMSAR requirements and apply for RAMSAR

status for complying wetlands by 2019.

Compile checklist of requirements for

RAMSAR site status.

Investigate RAMSAR application process.

Manage and rehabilitate wetlands

accordingly.

FBDM 1 year

Goal 5.2

Profile and classify detailed ecological/sensitivity

information by 2019.

Determine ownership/responsibility.

Setup database.

Review every 5 years.

FBDM 1 year





Goal 5.3

Establish wetland conservation fund/s by 2019. (Utilise

Offsetting guidelines – Goal 4.4)

Identify funding streams available.

Develop the necessary and appropriate

business plans.

Identify body to register the WCF.

FBDM 1 year

Goal 5.4

List cases of wetland offsetting – include knowledge of

impacted wetlands by 2019.

Conduct desktop study to identify

relevant cases.

Compile report of findings.

Circulate to relevant stakeholders for

input.

FBDM 1 year.

Focus Area 6: Roles and Responsibilities.

Goal 6.1

Develop a roles and responsibilities framework inclusive of

Standard Operating Procedures.

Develop the SOP

Conduct classification

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