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NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OF:
SOUTH AFRICA
HARI SRINIVASROOM: I -312 / 079 -565-7406
International Environmental Policy
South Africa at a glance
South Africa is the powerhouse of Africa with the most advanced, broad-based economy on the continent; a thriving democracy; and good infrastructure.
• Population: 50.59-million • Area: 1 220 813 square kilometres • Nominal GDP est (3q 2011): R755-billion• GDP growth rate: 4.1% (ranked 26th
worldwide)• Labour force: 17.32-million
Basic Data
About 42-43 million people (90% of whom are ‘people of color’)
Thirteen recognized national parties (both a republic and a monarchy)
Nine provinces, three capitals (Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town)
Eleven Official Languages in four major groupings
Population statistics
1996 Population 40, 583, 611
2003 Population 42, 768, 678
Population Growth Rate = .01%
Reasons for Low Population Growth Rate:
Life expectancy = 46 years
50% live below poverty
20% of adults have AIDS
Ethnicity in South Africa
74%
14%
3%
9%
BlackWhiteAsianColored
• “Colored” is a term used for mixed black, Malayan, and white descent
• Asian population is mainly of Indian ancestry
History of South Africa
Pre 1600s – south Africa was dominated by many different local tribes
1652 – Portuguese and Dutch became the first white settlers. Created the “boer” community and spoke the “Africaans” language
1795 – arrival of the British. By 1910 they had occupied the whole territory of the then South Africa. Boers were pushed northwards.
Eventually, a common British colony was put in place
History of South Africa
By mid 1950s, the black-white separation policy of Apartheid became official policy, splitting the country into two parts
Apartheid seriously affected the socio-economic, cultural and economic landscape of the country until well into 1980s. (Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during this time).
In 1989, there was a huge movement of people to dismantle apartheid. After this happened, a democracy was born, which continuous today.
History Timeline
1806 – British seize Cape of Good Hope
1867 – Discovery of Gold 1886 – Discovery of Diamonds 1889 – 1902 – The Boer War (British
and Dutch settlers) 1902 – The beginning of apartheid 1990’s – The end of apartheid
The end to Apartheid
Massive people’s movement to abolish apartheid and free all prisoners took place in early 1980s
Nelson Mandela was freed in 1986
Apartheid and Environment
Apartheid
InternationalSanctions
Decreased Labour Force
Low Foreign Investment
Lack of Jobs
Lack of income and finance
Economic stagnation
Increase in poverty and development problems
Overuse of natural Resources
Dependence on local environment
Apartheid and Environment
Apartheid in South
Africa
US and American Indians
Europe and the Roma
Australia and the oboriginals
Most colonized countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America saw various forms and intensities of racism and apartheid.
It was only in South Africa that it was systematic and made part of the law and “growth” of the country.
BUT?!!
Biodiversity: Environmental Heritage
South Africa occupies only 2% of the world's surface area but is home to:
• nearly 10% of the world's plants (approximately 24 000 species),
• around 7% of the world's vertebrate species • 5,5% of the world's known insect species (only about half
have been described).
In terms of the number of endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, South Africa ranks as the fifth richest country in Africa and the 24th-richest in the world.
The Mounting Problems
Mining
Industrialization
Population Growth
Urbanization
Energy use
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Solid Waste
Deforestation
Land degradation
Timeline
1600s 2000s
Mining in South Africa
South Africa's mining industry is one of the most progressive in the world and has access to a host of resources.
These range from 80% of the world's manganese, 41% of gold and close to 90% of the platinum
It is the fourth largest producer of diamonds
Mining – Extended Problems
Mining Industry
Deforestation
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
CO2 and GHG emissions
High energy use
Industrial accidents(toxic and hazardous materials)
Major role in the country’s economy
Energy use
Since 1970, South Africa has consumed the most energy and carbon per dollar of GDP among major energy consumers in Africa.
Urban pollution has increased
Estimates suggest that energy costs represent about 14% of South Africa's GDP
Sustainable Development
• The National Framework for Sustainable Development (NFSD) in South Africa outlines the vision for Sustainable Development (SD) as follows:
“South Africa aspires to be a sustainable, economically prosperous and self-reliant nation state that safeguards its democracy by meeting the fundamental human needs of its people, by
managing its limited ecological resources responsibly for current and future generations,
and by advancing efficient and effective integrated planning and governance through national, regional and global collaboration.”
Link to Global Initiatives
South Africa has taken several concrete steps to implement the United Nations' Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development.
For example, these include – reforming environmental policies, ratifying international agreements participating in many global and regional sustainable-
development initiatives.
“State of the Environment” Reports
Environmental Situation
Annual “State of the
Environment” Report
Ministry of Environment and Tourism
Economy, Trade, Finance, and other national ministries and local agencies
Other civil society organizations working on environmental issues
DPSIR framework for policy making
South Africa develops its environmental policies using the DPSIR framework
The DPSIR looks at - social and economic developments exert pressure on the environment and, as a consequence, the state of the environment changes. This leads to impacts on e.g. human health, ecosystems and materials that may elicit a societal response that feeds back on the driving forces, on the pressures or on the state or impacts directly, through adaptation or curative action.
Challenges for South Africa
Development challenges1. Poverty2. Unemployment 3. HIV and Aids
Environmental challenges4. Air, climate change5. Land
6. Water
“Balanced link”??
Example: Eco-labelling and CSR
• Economic benefits– Price premium for green products– Access to new markets– Safeguarding existing markets– Preferred supplier status
• Environmental benefits– Promote and communicate environmental benefits
to consumers– Promote continuous improvement for process and
product optimisations– Raising environmental awareness
Blue, Brown and Green Policies
Environmental Issues
BLUE ISSUES
BROWN ISUES
GREEN ISSUES
• Air Pollution• Solid Waste• Land
degradation
• Deforestation• Mining and
natural resources
• Water quality• Water
pollution• Ocean
pollution
Contact me …
Prof. Hari SrinivasRoom: I-312
Tel: 079-565-7406Email: [email protected]
Class website:
http://www.gdrc.info/iep