Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines the role of marine protected areas (MPAs) in South Africa, highlighting that current protection levels (0.4% of the mainland EEZ) are insufficient to mitigate anthropogenic threats and climate change. It advocates for reaching a 10% protection target by 2020 and supporting a '30% by 2030' goal. The brief details how MPAs provide climate mitigation services, such as carbon sequestration in seagrasses and coastal buffering via mangroves and coral reefs, while supporting fisheries through the 'spillover effect'. It identifies significant challenges, including conflicts with oil and gas exploration—which occupies over 90% of the continental EEZ—and the need to resolve customary rights and restitution claims for displaced communities.

The document examines the Antarctic Treaty (1959) and its ancillary agreements, such as the Madrid Protocol, which prohibit mineral exploitation until at least 2048. It analyzes how emerging powers like China, India, and Brazil are increasing their scientific presence to gain political influence. The paper details South Africa's historical role as a founding member and its current focus on science, while arguing that South Africa should integrate its Antarctic activities more deeply into its broader foreign policy and the 'Africa Agenda' to promote a more inclusive global governance regime.

The WWF Sanlam Living Waters Partnership, launched in August 2007, leveraged R67 million to implement aquatic conservation initiatives in South Africa. Key achievements include the SASSI programme, which influences 60% of the seafood retail market, and the declaration of 120,000 hectares of Marine Protected Areas. The partnership also focused on capacity building, training 2,248 people and creating 332 jobs. Future goals include integrating ecological infrastructure with hard engineering development and improving the social support for inshore Marine Protected Areas.

The WWF Sanlam Partnership (2012-2014) focused on protecting South Africa's strategic water source areas and promoting corporate water stewardship. Key achievements include mapping the 8% of land area that provides 50% of the country's surface water, launching the 'Journey of Water' public awareness campaign, and developing tools to help investors assess water risks for JSE-listed companies. The partnership also implemented operational water-saving measures at Sanlam, reducing consumption by 41% against a 2010 baseline, and collaborated on disaster risk reduction in the Eden District Municipality.

The Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998 is a South African law designed to ensure the conservation and sustainable utilization of marine ecosystems. It establishes a regulatory system for allocating fishing rights (commercial, small-scale, and recreational) based on total allowable catches and applied effort. The Act emphasizes social transformation, aiming to rectify historical imbalances in the fishing industry. It provides the state with robust enforcement powers, including the use of fishery control officers and the ability to seize vessels, while creating a dedicated fund to support marine resource administration.

A government notice issued by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism declaring the Prince Edward Islands as Special Nature Reserves under the Environment Conservation Act of 1989.

This document consists of negotiating mandates and reports from several South African provincial legislatures—Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape—regarding the Marine Spatial Planning Bill [B 9D-2017]. The provinces generally support the Bill, which aims to establish a framework for marine spatial planning, coordinate ocean use across multiple sectors, and promote a sustainable ocean economy, while proposing various amendments related to governance, definitions, and inclusivity.

The document outlines a proposed spatial management system for South Africa's ocean space, divided into four bio-geographic Marine Planning Areas. It defines four high-level goals for Marine Spatial Planning: unlocking the ocean economy, engaging with the ocean, ensuring healthy marine ecosystems, and contributing to good ocean governance. The proposed system consists of general development guidelines, sector-specific guidelines, and a zoning scheme that categorizes sea use into primary, consent, and prohibited uses. Proposed zones include Conservation, Disposal, Fisheries, Heritage Conservation, Marine Aquaculture, Marine Tourism, Maritime Transport, Mining, Underwater Infrastructure, and Marine Special Economic Zones. These plans are intended to be integrated sustainable development tools that balance competing sectoral interests based on a sound evidence base and stakeholder consultation.