Quick Introduction to Biodiversity Planning in South Africa

Transcription

1 Quick Introduction to Biodiversity Planning in South Africa BGIS training UWC December 2013 Fahiema Daniels and Jeffrey Manuel Biodiversity Planning and Mainstreaming Acknowledgements: Charl de Villiers, Tammy Smith, Amanda Driver, Mandy Cadman, Caroiine Petersen, Genevieve Pence, Neville v/d Westhuizen, Fahiema Daniels and Tsamaelo Malebu

2 What is Biodiversity? And how do we give spatial expression to it?

3 Biodiversity Pattern = what you can see (structure and composition) Ecological Process = what you can t see (function) Purifying water and releasing it slowly Recycling of nutrients Trapping carbon and moisture Pollinating trees kms away Evolving and adapting to changing climate Processes need space and corridors some are tied to the physical environment, some are flexible in space

4 The ecosystem approach Biomes Vegetation types Habitats Ecosystems are surrogates for all components of biodiversity (including species)

5 Key question: How do we locate and manage biodiversity conservation and other land uses appropriately? We need to identify spatial biodiversity priorities

6 How do we set spatial biodiversity priorities? Through the systematic biodiversity planning process, enabled by the Bioregional Plan provision in the Biodiversity Act

7 Systematic biodiversity planning WHAT? Biodiversity pattern Ecological processes HOW MUCH? WHERE?

8 Summary of Map categories Critical Biodiversity Areas All the areas required to meet biodiversity pattern and ecological process targets. Must be maintained in a natural or nearnatural state. Included in ecological corridors to maintain connectivity. Ecological Support Areas support the ecological functioning of critical biodiversity areas Must be maintained in at least a functional state Other Natural Areas Not required to meet biodiversity pattern or process targets provided CBAs are not lost. i.e. suitable for sustainable development.

9 What is a Bioregional Plan? Spatial Plan Based on a Systematic Biodiversity Plan. Shows terrestrial and aquatic features in a landscape critical to conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Include land-use guidelines. Can include guidelines for effective management of biodiversity features and ecosystem services.

10 Review Implement Develop Steps to be undertaken by the organisation leading the development and implementation of the bioregional plan, usually the provincial conservation authority** Undertake systematic biodiversity plan, unless one exists already at an appropriate scale. Engage with key stakeholders already at this early stage if possible. Steps to be undertaken by the MEC, Minister or SANBI In addition to these steps, SANBI is available to provide technical support at all stages of the process At least months Alert MEC or Minister of intention to develop a bioregional plan Prepare draft bioregional plan* -Based on systematic biodiversity plan -According to content requirements in Chapter 6 of Guideline - Engage with key stakeholders, especially municipalities, to resolve conflicts (if they exist) between the draft bioregional plan and relevant IDPs, SDFs, EIPs, EMPs etc Submit the draft plan to SANBI for review. If necessary, make required changes in consultation with relevant stakeholders and resubmit the plan to SANBI. Submit the draft plan to the MEC (if it falls within a province) or Minister (if it straddles 2 provinces) The Minister or MEC responds within 30 days. If no response is received, assume it s OK to proceed. SANBI convenes Bioregional Plan Review Panel, which provides a report on the technical merits of the plan At least 2 members of the Bioregional Plan Review Panel confirm that the required changes have been made and makes recommendation to the Minister or MEC. Minister or MEC undertakes consultation and public participation as required in the Act. Minister or MEC amends the plan as appropriate, preferably with input from the provincial conservation authority and/or SANBI Minister or MEC declares bioregion and publishes bioregional plan months At least 3 months, assuming no changes required Time requirement untested. Likely to be several months Implement the plan -Lead or co-ordinate implementation of relevant aspects of the plan -Monitor implementation of the plan by intended users, using indicators specified in the plan SANBI maintains register of published plans and makes them available to the public via BGIS Maximum 5 years Co-ordinate review and updating of the plan, and submit progress report and amended plan to the MEC or Minister * This could be a Biodiversity Sector Plan (if intention is not to publish the plan in terms of the Biodiversity Act) ** The lead organisation may be, for example, a municipality or an NGO. If so, these steps must be undertaken in close collaboration with the provincial conservation authority

11 Contents of a bioregional plan A: Introduction & objectives B: Biodiversity profile C: Map D: Landuse Guidelines E: Other measures for effective management F: Monitoring, reviewing & updating G: GIS files

12 Biodiversity Data (what to conserve) Transformation Data (how much is left) Biodiversity Targets (how much needs to be kept natural or conserved) Protected Areas (how much is formally conserved) Software & GIS (tools used to identify the best places to meet targets) Marxan & CLUZ (computer software) Planning Units (units of analysis) Abundance Information (how much each unit can contribute to targets) Outputs: Portfolio (most efficient set of units required to meet targets) Design & Prioritization

13 Systematic biodiversity planning process Map of critical biodiversity areas plus profile and land-use guidelines Biodiversity sector plan plus process of publishing in terms of Biodiversity Act Bioregional plan

14 Publishing a Bioregional Plan Minister or MEC may declare bioregions and publish a bioregional plan Bioregion boundaries must align with administrative boundaries Bioregions must be configured as local municipalities, metros, district municipalities, or groups of municipalities A municipality or province can request the Minister to publish bioregional plan A published bioregional plan must be reviewed every 5 years

15 Status of a Bioregional Plan Purpose: Guide LUP and decision-making. Must be taken into account in IDP, SDP, EIP, EMP processes any decision-making subject to NEMA principles any form of integrated environmental management. Requires alignment and coordination between BPs and prior planning frameworks Municipal IDPs must be aligned with a BP. Does not grant/remove rights.

16 Biodiversity Planning Products

17 Key indicatoress Ecosystem type Ecosystem condition Location of protected areas Evaluate proportion in good condition against series of thresholds Compare proportion protected with biodiversity target Ecosystem threat status Ecosystem protection level

18 Ecosystem Threat Status Terrestrial Critically endangered Endangered Vulnerable Least threatened Rivers Wetlands Estuaries Coastal & inshore Offshore CR EN VU LT 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% % of ecosystem types

19 Ecosystem Protection Level Not protected Poorly protected Moderately protected Well protected Not protected Poorly protected Moderately protected Well protected

20 Listing of Threatened Ecosystems Biodiversity Act provides for listing threatened or protected ecosystems: Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Protected To date only threatened terrestrial ecosystems have been listed Listed Ecosystems have and explicit link to EIA regs

21 Draft list of threatened terrestrial ecosystems: summary statistics CR EN VU Total TEs Number Remaining natural area ha ha ha % of SA 0.7% 2.0% 6.8% 9.5% ha

22 Langkloof Shale Renosterveld Cape Vernal Pools Kouebokkeveld Alluvium Fynbos Bushmanland Vloere Citrusdal Vygieveld Eastern Lower Karoo Grootrivier Quartzite Fynbos Kamiesberg Mountains Shrubland Knersvlakte Dolomite Vygieveld Namaqualand Blomveld Namaqualand Salt Pans Namaqualand Seashore Vegetation Robertson Granite Renosterveld Vanrhynsdorp Gannabosveld Piketberg Quartz Succulent Shrubland Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld Western R ens Shale Renosterveld Mossel Bay Shale Renosterveld Breede Quartzite Fynbos Eastern Upper Karoo Eastern Little Karoo Breede Alluvium Renosterveld R ens Silcrete Renosterveld Uniondale Shale Renosterveld Southern Karoo Riviere Garden Route Granite Fynbos Swartland Granite Renosterveld Swartland Shale Renosterveld Willowmore Gwarrieveld Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Robertson Karoo Namaqualand Klipkoppe Shrubland Breede Sand Fynbos Swartland Alluvium Fynbos Atlantis Sand Fynbos Montagu Shale Renosterveld Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld Hopefield Sand Fynbos Cape Coastal Lagoons Swartruggens Quartzite Fynbos Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos Gamka Karoo Namaqualand Riviere Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos Prince Albert Succulent Karoo Southern Coastal Forest Agulhas Sand Fynbos Agulhas Limestone Fynbos Western Gwarrieveld Swartberg Shale Renosterveld Swartberg Shale Fynbos Cape Flats Dune Strandveld North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos South Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos Gamka Thicket Boland Granite Fynbos Upper Karoo Hardeveld Swartruggens Quartzite Karoo Saldanha Flats Strandveld Northern Knersvlakte Vygieveld Hangklip Sand Fynbos North Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos Kouga Sandstone Fynbos Central Coastal Shale Band Vegetation Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos Tanqua Wash Riviere Knersvlakte Quartz Vygieveld Overberg Dune Strandveld Matjiesfontein Shale Fynbos North Hex Sandstone Fynbos North Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos Peninsula Granite Fynbos Eastern Coastal Shale Band Vegetation Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetlands Cape Estuarine Salt Marshes South Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos Central Inland Shale Band Vegetation North Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos Biodiversity Targets, Ecosystem Threat Status and Protection level 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Conservation Threshold (CR) Conservation Threshold (EN) Conservation Threshold (VU) Conservation Threshold (LT) % of total extent formally conserved 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

23 What s the relationship between threatened ecosystems and CBAs? All CR ecosystems = CBAs (by definition remaining natural parts of these ecosystems are required to meet biodiversity representation thresholds) Some EN ecosystems = CBAs Some VU ecosystems = CBAs Some LT ecosystems = CBAs Parts of these ecosystems are required to meet biodiversity representation and persistence thresholds. Most appropriate areas are identified based on design principles: Efficiency Conflict avoidance Climate change design principles

24 Freshwater ecosystem priority areas

25 What s the relationship between FEPAs and CBAs? FEPAs are identified at a scale coarser than 1: FEPAs focus on freshwater ecosystems only, whereas CBA maps focus on freshwater and terrestrial in an integrated way FEPAs feed into the development of CBAs maps, but do not supercede CBAs.