South Africa’s environment deteriorating, warns report

15 July, 2007:

The condition of the environment in South Africa in general is deteriorating, a report has warned.

The second ‘State of the Environment’ report, or the South African Environment Outlook, published recently contains a clear warning that the country is not doing well vis-à-vis its vital natural resources.

The report cautions that “unless we take urgent and dedicated measures,” the physical environment of the sub-continent and, significantly, the socio-economic well-being of many South Africans will continue to deteriorate.

The State of the Environment report also re-emphasises the very direct connections between the health of the natural environment and properly functioning ecosystems on the one hand, and sustainable development, poverty alleviation and human health and well-being, on the other. “These connections have been, unfortunately, too often ignored in the quest to promote economic growth.”

The report contains a particular warning for the Western Cape region, which is predicted to bear the brunt of global climate change and associated warming and drying during the coming decades. It notes that reduced rainfall in the western parts of South Africa because of climate change could result in a 10% reduction in run-off by 2015.

The main aim of the State of the Environment report, which is only the second of its kind after the first was published in 1999, is “to provide scientifically credible information and assessments that will help drive the future environmental agenda for South Africa.”

It acknowledges progress in a number of areas since 1999, including “significant” progress in the area of environmental management.

This progress includes laws and strategies developed, focusing on key areas like biodiversity, air quality, protected areas, urban and rural development, waste and disaster management; stepped-up efforts to implement and enforce the policy framework; improved environmental conditions (like recovering of some fish stocks due to good management measures); and slowing of habitat loss.

Despite such gains, the report warns, recent detailed assessments show that South Africa is using up its natural capital.

The “ecological footprint” per person in South Africa is higher than the global average (2.8 hectares per person in South Africa compared to a global average of 2.3 hectares per person), and increased by 2% between 1991 and 2001. In other middle-income and low-income countries, the average ecological footprint declined during this period.

The report notes that the majority of poorer South Africans are still directly dependent on natural resources to survive. This means that South Africa can ill-afford to let the environment deteriorate.

There are increasing pressures on South Africa’s natural systems, the State of the Environment report says, and “our ability to deal with them is weak.”