SEKHUKHUNE BIOREGIONAL PLAN Draft for discussion JUNE 2018 Agenda - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SEKHUKHUNE BIOREGIONAL PLAN Draft for discussion JUNE 2018

Agenda 1. Purpose of the meeting 2. What is Biodiversity? 3. What is a Bioregional Plan? 4. Why is a Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan needed? 5. Who will use the Bioregional Plan? 6. What is the Bioregional Plan based on? 7. Why is Sekhukhune Bioregion so important? 8. Methodology 9. What threats exist? 10. How can we manage threats? 11. Resolutions 12. Way Forward 13. Close & Snacks

Purpose of the meeting To communicate the need and significance of the Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan • To workshop potential land use conflicts and threats, and to resolve these with the • relevant stakeholders To ensure that all stakeholders know how to apply the Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan • and make use of the available information To communicate the way forward for the Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan •

What is Biodiversity? Made up of the words ‘biological diversity’ and refers to the variety of all life forms, including • the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as the ecosystems in which they are a part Maintaining biodiversity is important for ensuring that life on earth can continue for all species, • including humans Maintaining biodiversity helps to maintain critical ecological services, such as cleaning water, • filtering air, reducing C0 2 , preventing erosion, ensuring food production and supporting medical research It is also the basis for leisure, recreation and tourism, and the associated income potential for all • of these Different species are adapted to thrive in different habitats. Some of the ecosystems that exist in • these different habitats are highly specialised, or unique. Others are very rare, or in danger of being completely destroyed by human activity. These important ecosystems must be more actively protected Where there are a significant number of intact and important ecosystems in an area • (characterised also by landforms, vegetation and human culture), a Bioregion may be declared by the MEC or Minister. The Sekhukhune District is such a bioregion.

What is a Bioregional Plan? A Bioregional Plan is part of a series of legislated tools identified as part of NEM:BA to aid • conservation and management of SA’s biodiversity Its purpose is to facilitate safeguarding of priority biodiversity areas outside of the Protected Area • Network The aim is to provide a map of biodiversity priority areas with accompanying guidelines to inform • land use planning, assessments, authorisations and resource management within the Bioregion A Bioregional Plan is the biodiversity sector’s input into various multi-sectorial planning and • authorisation processes such as EMF’s, SDF’s, SEA’s, and EIA’s The plan provides a spatial representation of critical biodiversity areas (CBA’s) and ecological support • areas (ESA’s) within the Sekhukhune District and aligns with existing IDP’s, SDF’s sector plans, EMF’s as well as with various regional plans and programmes Therefore, it is a convenient, one-stop shop for users, encompassing all important biodiversity related • considerations for land use planning, assessments, authorisations and resource management

Methodology

Why is a Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan needed? A bioregional plan for the Sekhukhune District is warranted based on the following: Biodiversity value • Range of diverse ecosystems including savanna, grasslands, indigenous forests, mountain • escarpments and wetlands Home to Protected Areas and Nature Reserves and the Sekhukhune Centre of Endemism • Almost half of the district is covered by endemic / near endemic vegetation • Ten ecosystems are listed as threatened • Two important bird areas are present • Pressures on biodiversity • Agriculture expansion, human settlement expansion and new mining developments are main • pressures Mining and mining rights areas • Protection of biodiversity • Small areas earmarked for PA expansion, however, this cannot be the leading conservation • mechanism SDF’s will therefore be most important role players for conservation of biodiversity in the district • Important ecological processes • Ecosystem services and ecological infrastructure (water, carbon sinking, oxygen release, reducing • flood risk) Hydrological processes (overgrazing, mining, industry) • Climate change mitigation (reforestation) • Climate change adaptation (corridors, refugia, flood mitigation) •

Who will use the Bioregional Plan? Mandatory users: • Local and District Municipalities preparing IDP’s & SDF’s • Organ of State preparing and EIP or EMF • Environmental decision makers in terms of NEMA authorisations • Recommended users: • Government departments and agencies whose decisions and actions impact • on biodiversity and the natural environment, but whose core business and expertise is not biodiversity conservation. Working for Water, Working for Wetlands, Land Care and other programmes • that deal with maintaining and restoring natural resources Environmental consultants undertaking SEA’s, EIA’s etc • Conservation NGO’s • Land owners wishing to use their land for biodiversity conservation •

What is the Bioregional Plan based on? Sekhukhune Bioregional Plan is based on the Limpopo Conservation Plan version 2 • (LEDET 2013) Inputs included vegetation types, wetland and rivers and the distribution and habitat of • threatened species Biodiversity targets have been set indicating how much of each feature is required to • ensure persistence in the future

Why is the Sekhukhune Bioregion so important? Sekhukhune District has 23 different vegetation types • 10 of these are classified as Threatened • 4 are Endangered • 6 are Vulnerable • 4 are classified as endemic and 2 as near-endemic (26% of the District) • 90% are under-protected • Vulnerable Springbokvlakte Thornveld is not protected, Endangered Tzaneen Sour Lowveld • and the Vulnerable Rand Highveld Grassland and Sekhukhune Plains Bushveld are poorly protected K2C Biosphere Reserve covers a small portion of the District in the north • Sekhukhune Centre of Endemism contains more than 2200 indigenous species of vascular plants, • making it an area of exceptionally high biodiversity that is globally recognized Schuinsdraai priority area has been identified as a key urgent priority area owing to the fact that • under 50% natural land cover remains, cultivation levels as well as, human impacts are an issue. Drakensberg-Strydompoortberge is considered a very high value focus region, while Steenkampsberge-Sekhukhune scored high values for biodiversity and CBA features.

Critical Biodiversity Areas The current systematic biodiversity plan for the province is the Limpopo Conservation Plan (version 2), 2013. One of the outputs of the LCPv2 is a map of Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) and Ecological Support Areas (ESAs). These are classified into different categories based on biodiversity characteristics, spatial configuration and requirement for meeting targets for both biodiversity pattern and ecological processes PA’s include formal protected areas under NEM:PAA (National Parks, Nature Reserves, Special Nature Reserves & • Protected Environments) CBA’s include irreplaceable and optimal sites required to meet biodiversity targets. Mostly natural & near natural but • also degraded areas and even areas modified by agriculture (CBA 2). CBA 1 = No alternative sites • CBA 2 = Alternatives may be available • ESA’s include areas important for maintaining and supporting ecological processes & CBA’s. Natural, near natural, • degraded or even no natural remaining habitat ESA 1 = support for CBA’s & ecological processes • ESA 2 = support for ecological processes • ONA’s include natural and intact areas, but are not required to meet targets (CBA’s) or support processes (ESA’s) • NNR’s include areas with no significant direct biodiversity value. No natural habitat or degraded areas not required as • ESA’s