I
Published by the City of Cape Town Environmental Resource Management Department, in partnership with City Transport, Spatial Development, Solid Waste and Town Planning.
Volume 1/09
June 2009
ABOVE: The invasive guttural toad is a prolific breeder (see page 12).
n addition, all areas outside the recreational nodes are effectively ‘unmanaged space’, with no City of Cape Town department taking full responsibility for their management.
Because of the high demand for seafront property, the coastline has been extensively altered by ‘strip’ development. This has led to problems such as land erosion and the permanent destruction of sand dune systems currently experienced in Hout Bay, Milnerton, Llandudno, Table View and Strand.
The City has therefore recommended to
Council that a coastal protection zone be established as a matter of urgency, as well
Hout Bay as a dedicated unit to manage the coastal environment. The establishment of a coastal protection zone is in line with the new
Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Act
24 of 2008, assented to by the State President on 9 February 2009. This Act will be
South Africa’s first legal instrument aimed at promoting the integrated management of the coastal zone. The coastal protection zone should be managed as a coastal conservancy to protect natural processes, whilst also supporting appropriate social and recreational activities. It should also be integrated with the City’s Spatial Development Framework. >
TM
1

2
Volume 1/09 • June 2009
The benefits of the coastal protection zone are multifaceted. Not only will it improve the livelihoods of coastal communities by promoting public access to coastal resources, but it also aims to protect and conserve human and natural assets within coastal regions. This will be achieved by creating a demarcated area in which coastal processes can take place without having a negative impact on the built environment.
If these natural coastal processes cannot take place, coastal ecosystems lose not only their ability to provide valuable community resources, but also the ability to cope with environmental events such as storm surges.
As a result, inappropriately placed infrastructure comes under increasing threat of such events, and requires more and more intervention in the form of sea-defence mechanisms. Considering the long-term and intensive management of and repairs to such defences, this in effect imposes an economic burden with indefinite time frames on the City.
The zone will be determined according to clear future development options; coastal flood risk areas; the City’s biodiversity network; the replacement of strip development with nodal development; and the protection of environmental processes, such as dune systems, windblown sand patterns, climatic conditions and coastal habitats.
The Environmental Resource Management Department has produced a map of coastal areas at risk of flooding from storm surge events and climate change predicted sea-level rise.
“Integrated coastal management is highly complex. Currently, the City has only two fulltime posts dedicated to coastal management, and no specific coastal engineering expertise. In comparison, Durban has a dedicated coastal engineering department to oversee its 94 km of coastline,” says Gregg Oelofse,
Head of Environmental Policy and Strategy.
“Cape Town’s new unit should ideally be led by a qualified coastal engineer, and be staffed by coastal engineers and natural resource managers who will not merely replicate the functions of the managers in the City’s Sport, Recreation and Amenities
Department.”
S ince our last edition of enviroWORKS, I have been privileged to lead a City of Cape Town delegation to two distinct but related international events in Poznan, Poland (December 2008). I was joined by ICLEI
(Local Governments for Sustainability) Africa Regional Director Kobie Brand, and together we attended the ICLEI Executive Committee meeting, and presented the City’s climate change adaptation work at the local government climate session. Both these events ran parallel to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP).
At the Executive Committee meeting, it became apparent that ICLEI, with now more than 1 000 active member cities around the world, and a wide scope of focus areas, is a well-respected and leading voice for local governments globally on sustainable development issues.
This presents Cape Town, as ICLEI Africa host city, with a unique opportunity and enormous potential to lead, market, partner and implement in the field of sustainable development within Africa, through and with the ICLEI Africa Regional Office. ICLEI Africa is responsible for driving
Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) as a world best practice project for managing biodiversity within cities. Our abilities will be showcased at the ICLEI World Congress in Edmonton, Canada, in June 2009.
At these events, it became clear that our city is ahead of most local authorities (and even countries) in the world with respect to its climate change adaptation planning, and specifically through its establishment of an Energy Committee and the introduction of an Energy and Climate
Change Strategy. This strategy proves that the City of Cape Town administration leads by example, changing the way in which cities operate.
However, we need to continue to develop these initiatives further, with specific reference to a focus on action and real implementation.
The next UNFCCC COP in Copenhagen later this year will be a crucial opportunity for countries from across the world to agree on a global post-2012 climate framework, and Cape Town will be there to share our experience and expertise with the rest of the world.
Note: At its meeting in December 2008, the
ICLEI Executive Committee formally confirmed
Cllr Nieuwoudt as a member.

I n 2006, the City of Cape Town set itself the goal of making Cape Town a cleaner, more sustainable and economically growing city. The vision is to make Cape Town Africa’s leading city, as well as a leading global destination. During the past three years, the City has succeeded in getting the basics right to ensure improved service delivery to the communities of Cape Town. The City’s key objective as set out in its five-year Integrated
Development Plan is to promote economic growth in Cape Town by creating a more attractive and enabling urban environment for investors and skilled workers, primarily through an infrastructure-led approach.
However, the need has arisen to put in place a longer-term vision for the growth and development of the city.
Particularly, we need to formulate a strategy to deal with Cape Town’s continuing rapid urbanisation, and have to make a dramatic and rapid shift in thought and action to secure the city’s liveability and prosperity for current and future generations.
This is why the City is discussing a City Development Strategy (CDS), which will look at the current state of Cape Town, and will formulate a long-term vision and action plans on the best way forward to ensure a sustainable city over the next 30 years.
As an organisation, the City needs to take the lead and put in place a CDS Strategic Framework, and then formulate action plans by means of a civic process in collaboration with strategic stakeholders and leaders in Cape Town.
Together, we need to make firm choices about our future, even if these choices are not always popular. We for example need a commitment to intergovernmental cohesion, uncompromising protection of our natural assets, public transport, an obvious and ongoing reduction in the use of resources, and the provision of a real sense of opportunity and hope to our citizens. We need to do away with our pattern of dependence, and instead create structures and platforms that enable people to build resilience and independence.
Already, Cape Town has an educated and innovative workforce – we are a talented group of people. We are committed to creating a resilient, sustainable urban environment, even if we are not there yet. We have an active, networked civil society, and have already been recognised for having bold, collective leadership. The answer is to build on these strengths to move ahead, sustainably.
The CDS task team would like to acknowledge the excellent preparatory work done on the CDS Strategic Framework by our colleague
Craig Haskins, who died tragically after being knocked off his bicycle by a motorist in Cape Town early in February.
A s the Director of Environmental
Resource Management, I am extremely pleased that the City of
Cape Town’s commitment to environmental
• Appropriate funding for each of the targets through a citywide environmental business plan sustainability is no longer only our and a few other departments’ resolve.
The revised Integrated Metropolitan
Environmental Policy (IMEP), now called the
City Environmental Agenda (currently in draft format), puts resource management and sustainability at the core of all the City’s activities.
The recently approved five-year IMEP review identified the need to adapt the first IMEP as a driving force of positive environmental change. IMEP was first adopted in 2001, and as the first environmental policy for the City, it was appropriately focused on developing a sound, principled approach to environmental management.
The City Environmental Agenda now builds on the progress made by the first IMEP by stepping up the City’s environmental commitment from mere principles to specific measurable environmental targets and goals.
The Draft Environmental Agenda is underpinned by three key aspects:
• A new commitment to sustainable development, which places
• people and the social benefits of a healthy environment first
Realistic and measurable environmental targets and goals to be achieved over a five-year period
The Draft Environmental Agenda sets targets across the spectrum of environmental issues, including: biodiversity; coastal management; energy and climate change; air pollution; solid waste; water use; freshwater systems; heritage and scenic landscapes; natural resource use; urban planning and environmental compliance and enforcement.
To date, the Draft Environmental Agenda has undergone rigorous internal review by the City’s various line functions, and it is planned that the document will be released for public comment during the month of May, with the intention of Council finally adopting it at the end of June 2009.
This new approach for the first time sets specific environmental goals and targets for the City, and it is hoped that the outcome will be a healthy and improved environment for the people of Cape Town.
We regard all the people of Cape Town as important and essential partners in our city’s future, and therefore look forward to your input and comments.
3

4
Volume 1/09 • June 2009 news and
BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
MANAGER: JULIA WOOD
• Nature Reserve Management
• Biodiversity Strategy Coordination
• Monitoring & Evaluation
• Protected Area Status
• Alien Invasive Species Coordination
Tel 021 511 2041 or e-mail julia.wood@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL AND HERITAGE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
MANAGER: VACANT
• Environmental Impact Assessments
• Heritage Resource Management
• Local Heritage Improvement Projects
• Outdoor Advertising & Signage Control
• Environmental Monitoring of EIA and HIA Conditions and Outdoor
Advertising
Tel 021 487 2319 or e-mail heritage@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
MANAGER: KEITH WISEMAN
• Environmental Review Coordination
• Heritage Resource Management
• Environmental Management Systems & Audit Protocol
• Environmental Law, Monitoring & Enforcement
Tel 021 487 2283 or e-mail keith.wiseman@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY AND PARTNERSHIPS
ACTING MANAGER: GREGG OELOFSE
• Environmental Policy & Strategy
• Environmental Performance & Information
• Strategic Coordination (Poverty Alleviation & Extended Public
Works Programme)
• Project & Partnership Development
• Coastal Coordination & Coastal Zone Management
• Strategy Development & Coordination
Tel 021 487 2239 or e-mail gregg.oelofse@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL CAPACITY BUILDING, SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
AND COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER : VACANT
• Environmental Education
• Training
• Communication & Advocacy
• Sustainable Livelihoods
• Public Awareness
• Greening
Tel 021 487 2319 or e-mail enviro@capetown.gov.za
MAJOR PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS
MANAGER: STEPHEN GRANGER
• Table Mountain National Park Liaison/Partnership
• 2010 World Cup: Environmental Workstream/Green Goal
• ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) Liaison/Partnership
• Local Action for Biodiversity
Tel 021 487 2236 or e-mail stephen.granger@capetown.gov.za
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
HEAD: ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: SARAH WARD
• Energy & Climate Change
• Clean Development Mechanism
• Renewable Energy Projects
• Cleaner Production & Sustainable Procurement
Tel 021 487 2124 or e-mail sarah.ward@capetown.gov.za
T he City of Cape Town, and the
Strategy and Planning Directorate in particular, would like to express their condolences to the family of Craig
Haskins, who was killed on 3 February by an unlicensed motor vehicle driver as
Craig was cycling on Ou Kaapseweg in
Cape Town. Our thoughts are with his wife Candice, also a City employee, and their two young sons, Nathan and Jason. Craig’s sudden death will leave a void in the City’s Strategic Development Information and Enviroinmental Resource Management (ERM) departments.
Craig was a committed member of staff, who worked for the
City for almost ten years. At the time of his death, he was Manager of Strategic Information.
We trust that our many memories of Craig as a sincere and dedicated professional person and valued colleague will endure forever.
Craig was a passionate environmentalist and committed to trying to make sustainable development a reality in the city. He was popular among his peers, with a keen sense of humour, which at times masked a steely determination and ability to implement effectively.
His insightful input into the City’s strategic processes, including the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and a range of City reports, enhanced the final products, in particular in respect of the City’s path towards sustainability.
Prior to his last position, Craig worked in the ERM Department as a key projects researcher for six years. Perhaps his most substantial contribution in those early years was the first State of Environment
Report for the City (1998). Craig researched and coordinated a process that led to the identification of a range of sustainability indices, many of which are still used in the City’s sustainability reporting.
Craig was also a core member of the team that developed Cape
Town and Africa’s leading environmental policy – the Integrated
Metropolitan Environmental Policy. He helped to formulate the City’s
Energy and Climate Change Strategy, and was the champion behind
Cape Town’s participation in the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) campaign of ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability). In the latter capacity, he managed the expenditure of CCP funds so efficiently and productively that he was offered a contract post with ICLEI Africa to coordinate the CPP project countrywide.
More recently, Craig continued his work on sustainability programmes, and was the coordinator of the City’s involvement in the
Danida (Danish International Development Agency) Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP).

news and
I n early March, 31 environmental interns started work at the City of Cape Town’s
Environmental Resource Management
(ERM) Department as part of an ongoing environmental internship programme. Each intern is placed with a specific City employee, who manages and mentors the intern for
12 months. Although highly qualified in a specific environmental field, the intern is fresh out of university, and often lacks practical workplace skills and experience. ERM has been successfully running these environmental internships for the past four years.
Interns will work in areas such as biodiversity management, coastal management, heritage resource management, environmental management and geographic information systems, nature reserves, environmental communication and education, and sustainable livelihoods. Already, the programme has earned itself a reputation as an excellent learning experience for interns, and across the board the City departments, companies and organisations that have employed former interns are impressed with the level of capacity building and skills enhancement that is achieved in a matter of 12 months.
For the past three years, the environ-
ABOVE: The 2009 interns.
mental internship programme has been fully funded through the Danida (Danish International Development Agency) Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP).
Also in March, ERM hosted the internship programme’s 2008 award ceremony, for which interns were assessed in the categories Best Written Assignment (Lizanda du Preez), Best Oral Presentation (Elzette
Krynauw) and Outstanding Contributions to the 2008 internship programme (Nithzaam
Albertyn, Jenna Theron, Elzette Krynauw,
Alric Farmer, Karl-Heinz Joubert, Myrna
Scholtz and Cindy Jacobs).
ERM was also delighted to confer the award for Most Outstanding Environmental
Intern 2008 on Cindy Jacobs. Cindy wrote one of the best assignments, and gave a presentation of a very high standard; she contributed well in each of the training workshops, and asked many questions; she always provided comprehensive feedback, and got on well with the other interns; and remained committed and determined to make her internship year a success. Cindy has since been employed in the ERM Department as Project Manager for Sustainable
Livelihoods and Greening Programmes.
O ur Biodiversity Management Branch lost a rising nature conservation star in
March, when Luqmaan Jabaar tragically died in a vehicle accident. who remember him as a friendly, genuine and bright person. He completed his experiential training year at the end of 2008, working at
Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve under the mentorship
Luqmaan was a twin, and celebrated his
21st birthday in January. He was an active member of the Outdoor Adventure Club, where he among other things took school learners on weekend hikes. Since 2006, he has served as a volunteer guide on the Table Mountain
People’s Trail.
In January 2006, he began his studies at the
Cape Peninsula University of Technology, studying towards a national diploma in Nature Conservation. He quickly made a group of firm friends, of the reserve manager, Asieff Khan. He soon became popular among the staff due to his friendly nature and good work ethic. He was known as a hard worker, who used humour as a motivating force to get the job done. He was selected as coordinator of the Platform2 volunteer groups, who consist of youth from the United Kingdom.
Luqmaan will be missed terribly by all his colleagues at the False Bay Ecology Park. May he rest in peace – now part of the elements he so passionately wanted to protect.
5

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 energy and
6
•
•
•
•
•
•
An electricity savings campaign to reduce consumption by more than
10% on the 2007 baseline
Climate change sea-level rise risk assessment and adaptation measures
Carbon offset projects for the 2010
FIFA World Cup TM
Resource-efficient city spatial planning and local area development
A resource economics valuation of the city’s natural environment
Air quality management
The City will actively pursue a low-carbon future through energy-efficiency and renewable energy programmes, and through addressing the impacts of energy poverty.
In addition, the City is developing adaptation measures to ensure that it is able to respond to the impacts of climate change.
T he City of Cape Town has made
‘Energy for a Sustainable City’ one of its Integrated Development Plan
(IDP) priority strategic focus areas. This focus area is driven by an Energy and Climate
Change Committee of 11 councillors, an
Executive Management Team on Energy and Climate Change, and three crosscutting work streams (see box alongside). The work streams address energy security and carbon mitigation, adaptation and awareness. The work is informed by the City’s Energy and
Climate Change Strategy, State of Energy
Report, and the Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change.
Through the Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP), Danida (the
Danish International Development Agency) has provided vital funding for energy and climate change interventions.
This programme, combined with City funding, is making a significant contribution to the following projects:
• Energy-efficiency and greening interventions in City-owned rental homes
(7 700 units in Phase 1)
•
•
•
Energy and climate change education activities targeting schools, businesses and City staff
Energy-efficiency retrofitting of Cityowned buildings
A city-wide energy communication programme called Cape Town: New
Energy City
Energy Committee Section 80
11 councillors, Mayco member chair
Executive Management Team Subcommittee
Energy & Climate Change
Work stream 1:
Energy Security and Carbon
Mitigation
ABOVE LEFT: Harry Ramblass from the
ERM Department educating schools in energy efficiency.
Work stream 3:
Communication and Education
Work stream 2:
Adaptation and Climate
Resilience

energy and
A lmost 8 000 Cape Town families will, over the next few years, have more energy and water-efficient homes as their rental units belonging to the City of Cape
Town are upgraded. Homes on the City’s Phase
1 maintenance schedule are those situated on the Cape Flats.
A further 32 000 rental homes will have been upgraded by the close of this new Community Residential Unit (CRU) project, which is due to start in mid-2009.
The rental upgrade project is funded by
National Government, and implemented by the City’s Housing Department. With the aid of Danida (Danish International Development
Agency) funding, the Housing and Environmental
Resource Management (ERM) departments are working in partnership to ‘green’ the upgrade specifications of Phase 1 to ensure more efficient resource use. These green interventions will be used in all further phases, and include:
•
•
• making households more energy efficient, with insulated ceilings; additional windows, where appropriate; and energy-efficient lighting; improving water efficiency, with low-flow taps and showerheads, and multi-flush toilet cisterns; and providing information and building families’ capacity for the efficient use of resources, through workshops based on the Smart Living Handbook.
ERM’s interventions aim to help householders become more resilient to the impact of climate change, as well as reduce energy costs, improve the quality of homes, and therefore also the quality of householders’ lives. The programme will be monitored and evaluated to assess the effects of the interventions on the lives of residents, and to show that energy efficiency and greening make good business sense.
ABOVE: The installation of solar water heaters is one of the greening interventions in the
City’s rental upgrade plan.
T he City of Cape Town has many excellent projects and programmes to educate residents and businesses about energy efficiency. The organisation itself however consumes around
R63 million’s worth of electricity a year – approximately 33% of it in its buildings alone.
The City has already implemented energy-efficiency retrofits in a couple of its buildings. In 2002, for example, the Parow Civic
Centre was fitted with energy-efficient lighting and water heating in the kitchens, and staff were trained in efficient use of lighting and air conditioning. This resulted in a 22% electricity saving.
Now, the City is embarking on a much bigger programme, and has commissioned energy assessments of 13 of its larger buildings.
These assessments comprise a quick analysis of the energy consuming aspects of the buildings, the potential for improving energy efficiency, the likely cost of such energy-efficiency improvement, as well as the saving that may be realised every month. The latter would go in part to repay the investment, and in part to a special fund to implement further interventions of this kind.
Buildings undergoing assessment include the Cape Town
Civic Centre, the Bellville Civic Centre, and the City’s buildings in
Plumstead, Hillstar, Ottery and Fezeka, as well as 44 Wale Street.
Buildings that show potential for successful large-scale energy- efficiency interventions will then be comprehensively audited.
Through the Danida (Danish International Development
Agency) Urban Environmental Management Programme (UEMP)
(see page 6 ), the City will then carry out a R5 million upgrade on one of these buildings; the others will be upgraded through a
‘shared savings’ approach, where a service provider carries out the retrofit in return for a share of the savings over a specified period.
The City’s Finance Department is looking at establishing an energy-saving and carbon-income fund that can be used to preserve savings and fund further interventions.
7

8
Volume 1/09 • June 2009 energy and
H undreds of learners across Cape Town spent February and
March counting the number of walk-in or stand-alone fridges in their schools, adding up the number of hand basins and sinks, and checking whether any hazardous waste is disposed of on the premises.
As they worked their way through audit worksheets on energy consumption, waste generation, water use, and promotion of biodiversity, the high school learners were not only meeting the learning criteria for Geography, Maths, Physical Science, Life Orientation,
Technology and Social Science, but they were also finding a way to change the world, which is, of course, what every high school learner (and grown-up, if we are honest) would really like to do.
The Environmental Resource Management (ERM) Global
Change and Green Audit project offers Grade 10 learners at eight participating schools in Cape Town the chance to audit their school’s environmental impact, and plan ways in which to retrofit the school to reduce this impact. The project is curriculum-linked, and not to be just an add-on.
An audit is an evaluation of how well or poorly something is working. By doing a green audit at school or home, learners are able to determine how their actions impact on the environment, whether positively or negatively. By performing a green audit, they determine what they need to do to help our planet, and how they can live a more sustainable lifestyle.
It is essentially a snapshot of the environmental resources being used at a specific venue (i.e. the school) during a specific time. Such a snapshot can be used to motivate funding requests for, and the implementation of, energy-efficiency, water conservation or waste reduction projects at the school.
The audit focuses on the themes of the City’s Smart Living
Handbook: waste, water, energy and biodiversity, with a special section on carbon footprinting.
Of the eight selected schools, half come from a disadvantaged background, whilst half are from more affluent communities; a twinning programme is then used to match under-resourced schools with well-resourced ones. This programme also gives learners an opportunity to transfer skills, knowledge and peer understanding.
Learners work in small teams, and walk through all the different facilities at their school, determining the different types of appliances and utilities (e.g. lights, taps, toilets, fridges, etc.) as well as measuring the resource consumption per item (e.g. by recording the watt reading on the appliance, or by measuring water from a tap). They also identify the relevant consumption patterns (such as how often an appliance is used) and the impact that these have.
Teams also interview staff or other learners to get details about reasons for usage, usage frequency or general characteristics of certain appliances; obtain accurate data, such as municipal accounts;

energy and
The Global Change and Green Audit project is a partnership project between the City of Cape
Town and the Africa Centre for Climate and Earth
Systems Science (ACCESS), funded by Danida
(Danish International Development Agency).
For more information, contact Grace Stead on grace@steadfastgreening.co.za.
and identify policies informing their school’s management of, and approach towards, resource consumption.
A green audit is a useful tool for a school to determine where they are using the most energy or water. In doing so, the school can then consider how to implement changes to make savings. Such an audit can also be used to determine the type and volume of waste generated by the school, which in turn can be used for a recycling project or waste minimisation plan.
Furthermore, the audit could be used as an awareness tool for both educators and learners when it comes to issues pertaining to global change and environmental concerns, greener living and sustainable development (which seems to be a dominant and current factor in both developed and developing countries).
ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT: Activity sheets from the Smart
Living Handbook.
OPPOSITE: Grade 10 learners from eight Cape Town schools take a ‘snapshot’ of the way in which environmental resources are used at their school. Instead of a camera, however, they used audit worksheets to capture the information.
Bishops Diocesan College, Rondebosch
Hector Peterson Secondary School, Kraaifontein
The Settlers High School, Bellville
South Peninsula High School, Diep River
St Cyprian’s School, Oranjezicht
LEAP Science and Maths School, Pinelands
Springfield College, Wynberg
Hout Bay Secondary School, Hout Bay
These schools were chosen because of their active environmental clubs and/or existing initiatives, which will ensure that the audits are extended to the whole school.
9

10
Volume 1/09 • June 2009 smart living
W hat brings together a pastry chef, parking controller, events coordinator, creditor’s clerk, receptionist, exhibition planner and others to a meeting one Wednesday morning at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)?
Changing the course of history, that is what.
The CTICC is one of the Cape Town companies participating in the City’s Smart Living Corporate Campaign, which gives staff the opportunity to receive training in sustainable living.
In March 2001, Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the
United Nations, said: “Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that seems abstract – sustainable development – and make it into a daily reality for all the world’s people.”
The City of Cape Town tries to do this through the Smart Living
Handbook, which contains a series of practical steps that people can take to make their homes safer, save money, and reduce their impact on our precious environment.
Participants in the Smart Living Corporate Campaign receive training and a copy of the Smart Living Handbook, which get them started on adopting a more sustainable lifestyle at home. This is then transferred to the workplace by incorporating their newly acquired knowledge of sustainable living into their companies’ environmental policy or strategy.
The training centres on the Smart Living Handbook’s four themes, namely waste, energy, water and biodiversity. Staff members participate in training workshops, with interactive discussions and an exhibition showcasing innovative plans and products that they can use in their homes, such as solar water heaters, worm farms or hot boxes.
Although participating staff at the CTICC had not heard the term
‘sustainability’ before, they had no difficulty understanding that our earth is running out of natural resources as we move faster and faster on the treadmill of consumerism. “It’s like we are just surviving every day; everything goes too fast, and we are no longer in control,” observed one participant. “Time just rushes by, and one day you see that your time has gone,” observed another. “As individuals, we are losing touch, and we rely on everyone else for electricity, water and food.”
The Smart Living team does not instruct participants on how to change their unsustainable behavioural patterns – after all, that is yet another sure way of making people feel powerless. “We prefer to show staff members the bigger picture about carbon emissions and climate change, about the impact of switching on just one light bulb instead of three,” says trainer Andrew Bennett. “We leave them with information about choices – and they can decide if and how they want to change their actions.”
The companies who participated in the first phase included Fairfield
Tours, The Handy Man Milnerton, Spur Group Head Office and the
Vineyard Hotel. Businesses that have been invited to participate in the second phase include Airports Company South Africa (ACSA),
Coca-Cola Canners, Colour Tone, CTICC, Engen, Khayelitsha Cookies, Pick n Pay, Santam, Old Mutual and Woolworths.
Customarily, large companies address environmental issues as part of corporate governance and social responsibility initiatives, or for reasons of cost saving, risk management and liability avoidance.
Today however, they increasingly focus on environmental issues for reasons of competitive advantage and reputation, including increased access to financial markets. The consequences of climate change are challenging businesses to redefine organisational principles, as customers now make more conscious choices about what they buy, and where they buy it from.
Business ethics and value systems are being tested as more and more consumers express their commitment to the environment through their purses.
TOP LEFT: Participants in the Smart Living Corporate
Campaign receiving their certificates: Piet van Zyl (City of Cape Town), Joe Stead (Spur Group), Celine de Villiers
(Fairfield Tours), Paul Pentz (The Handy Man Milnerton),
Grace Stead (Steadfast Greening), Chris van Zyl (Vineyard
Hotel) and Andrew Bennett (Steadfast Greening).

sustainable
L earners from Phoenix High School, Manenberg, have transformed seven bus shelters along Lansdowne Road and Manenberg Avenue from drab, grey concrete slabs into brightly coloured murals, with the help of the City of Cape Town, Manenberg artist Steven van Niekerk, and the Bauwagen Goes South project.
The bus shelters are painted with pictures that show the importance of nature and the Edith Stephens Wetland Park (ESWP), which is adjacent to the Manenberg community. Not only do they brighten up the waiting time for local commuters, but they cheer up passers-by too – pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
As Phoenix High School principal, Mr Shafiek Abrahams, told the Grade 9 learners who painted the murals: “You have made such a difference in all of our lives. These bus shelters are one of the things that brighten up my morning as I travel to our school – and our wish is that you take these skills you’ve learned on this project, and make your own lives as colourful!”
The project also promotes community participation in nature conservation by highlighting the importance of the Edith Stephens
Wetland Park to the Manenberg community, says Joint Xingashe from the City’s Sustainable Livelihood Programme.
Before the 55 selected learners painted the shelters, they attended environmental education and art classes facilitated by the
ESWP staff and Steven van Niekerk (a former learner at Phoenix),
Uta Göbel-Groß (Mural Global artist) and Norbert Kuntz (from German NGO Stadtoasen). The learners were helped to express in their artwork what they learned about nature.
ABOVE: Bicycle commuters do not need to wait for the bus, but their commute is nevertheless improved by the new sense of vibrancy and community ownership in Manenberg.
LEFT: With shelters like these, commuters would not mind the wait for the bus.
The Bauwagen Goes South project between the City of Cape Town and the City of Aachen, Germany, is one of the Aachen-Cape Town LA21 (Local Agenda 21)
Partnership projects, which aim to promote sustainable development and the principles of Local Agenda 21 through facilitating partnerships and projects that improve environmental, social and economic conditions.
Local Agenda 21 covers the issues referred to the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development by the UN General Assembly, and was adopted by the
Plenary in Rio de Janeiro on 14 June 1992 during the
Earth Summit. It represents the current international consensus on actions needed to move the world towards the goal of truly sustainable development.
11

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 biodiversity
12
T his invasive toad species was discovered in the Constantia
Valley, and an ongoing survey to determine the species’ distribution in the city reveals that it occurs in a much larger area than initially anticipated. This increase in distribution range is a sure sign of its invasive potential.
The guttural toad does not naturally occur in Cape Town, and is therefore an introduced species. Its natural distribution range includes Northern Namibia, Northern Botswana, most of Zimbab­ we, Mozambique, the northern regions of South Africa, extending
TOP AND ABOVE LEFT: The guttural toad.
ABOVE RIGHT: The Western leopard toad.
down to the Southern Free State, Northern Cape, and the northern parts of the Eastern Cape.
The species is an opportunistic coloniser, capable of invading most habitats. It is a prolific breeder, using any reliable water source, such as dams, streams and garden ponds. These toads easily establish themselves in built-up and residential areas. Many Constantia Valley residents may know them from the loud guttural snoring and rattling croak of the male toads, inviting females to breeding sites such as residential ponds. Guttural toads call in the summer months, unlike the WLT that calls only in August and September.
The guttural toad is a large species, growing up to 12 cm in length. They are easily distinguished from the WLT by the cross marking on the head, a lighter stripe running eye to eye, and another dissecting it from the tip of its nostrils and sometimes continuing down the entire spine.
The first guttural toad discovery in the Constantia Valley was in
2000. The guttural toad was supposedly mistakenly introduced by a resident importing a consignment of mature trees from KwaZulu­
Natal, transported in large 50 kg or 100 kg plant bags. These toads took refuge in the soil of the bags, and were released when discovered on planting. In 2006, their range in the Constantia
Valley was recorded as 2 km 2 . Another survey in 2008 indicated that their range had expanded to more than 13 km 2 .
This rapid increase clearly shows that the guttural toad is capable of seriously invading indigenous species’ habitats. If left unchecked and unmanaged, their range will keep on expanding, and will soon reach the breeding sites of the WLT in the seasonal ponds and wetlands of the Cape Flats. There is a very real possibility that they will reach the Royal Cape Golf Course, Youngsfield Military Grounds and Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area (KRCA) as well as Zandvlei and Princess Vlei in less than three breeding seasons. Each female toad is capable of laying up to 25 000 eggs per breeding season between September and March, allowing for exponential annual growth in their population size.
The guttural toad eats other toads and lizards – and almost any animal that is small enough to catch and swallow.
Cape Town has a number of noteworthy and remarkable frog and toad species within the city’s boundaries. Many of these species’ existing populations are already under threat as a result

biodiversity
of habitat loss, pollution and degraded ecosystems, and therefore lack suitable habitats. One such species is the endangered WLT, which the guttural toad has the potential to outcompete for habitat and resources, as they fill a similar niche in the ecosystem.
The micro frog ( Microbatrachella capensis ) is another example; within the city, this species is only found at the KRCA, and is listed as critically endangered.
The vulnerable Cape rain frog ( Breviceps gibosus ), a treasured and unique amphibian species of the Cape, is also likely to be at risk.
The potential harm the guttural toad may cause to our local biodiversity is not only direct, but indirect as well. Their presence results in severe competition for resources, such as food, shelter and breeding habitat – all of which are already shared by many indigenous species.
We need to capture and remove the guttural toad from the habitat it has invaded.
In heavily invaded areas, intensive capturing may be necessary, using what is known as pitfall traps – a perfectly harmless method used to capture small mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians. Active searches are essential to detect toads on the move. This may involve the participation of the community and interest groups to scour the streets for toads.
The conservation agencies cannot manage this problem without the support and collaboration of the residents in the area where the species occurs.
Thanks to the scraping, painting and general hard work by Cassy Sheasby (Biodiversity Management), Sara
Webb, Linda Bolongo and Shaalinie Sivalingham (international volunteers from Zeekoevlei), the City of Cape
Town’s nature reserves now have access to one central storeroom for herbicides.
In late 2008, the old Maitland oil and diesel store was identified as a suitable storeroom, as it already had ventilation, a lockable door, a tap with a gutter system, and shelving units. It took the team one week in November to refurbish the facility, and it is now ready to be stocked with registered herbicides.
Safe-handling and issuing of herbicides will be guided by a herbicide policy, which is currently being developed.
ABOVE: The team members were (front row from left to right) Cedric Riddle, Shaalinie Sivalingham, Cassy Sheasby, (back row from left to right) a guest volunteer, Linda Bolongo and Sara Webb.
13

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 environmental
We are your friends.
We are ‘watchfrogs’. Because we breathe through our sensitive skins, poisons or pollution in the air and water can kill us. If we start dying, you should know there is something wrong in your neighbourhood. Keep us safe, and your family will be safe.
So, take care of your friend the frog …
FEMALE WESTERN LEOPARD TOAD: Is this our new home?
LEOPARD: Yes, I’m so lucky to be here.
These people have only indigenous plants, and they don’t waste water. There is a cosy compost heap in the shade that will make a lovely home for us, and there are plenty of yummy snails for us to eat.
There are no dogs or cats to bother us.
FLYIN’: And they don’t use pesticides.
DRAGGIN’: And they cover their drains, so you frogs don’t fall down.
LEOPARD: They even have a mesh at the side of their swimming pool, so that if we fall in, we can climb out. And there are little gaps in the wall, so we can make our way to the wetland.
FEMALE: It’s perfect.
ABOVE: Western leopard toad paradise, the backdrop to the
Two Oceans Aquarium’s puppet show.
LEFT: Part of the script from the puppet show.

integrated
T he City of Cape Town’s new Integrated Waste Management Bylaw is aimed at regulating waste recovery and recycling activities, and setting minimum requirements for waste storage and infrastructure.
The City is the first municipality in
South Africa to develop a bylaw of this nature in line with new national legislation.
The bylaw’s ultimate objective is to regulate and control waste management within the city. It replaces all old bylaws on waste-related matters, and ensures a uniform approach throughout the city.
The Integrated Waste Management Bylaw is closely aligned with the National Waste
Management Strategy as well as the National Environmental Management: Waste
Act 59 of 2008, which was gazetted on 10
March 2009. It is also underpinned by the
City’s Integrated Waste Management Policy, which was adopted in 2006.
Cape Town’s 3,2 million residents produce some 6 000 tons of waste per day. This works out at an average of 2 kg per person per day. With waste generation growing at 7% every year, Cape Town’s landfill sites at Vissershok, Bellville South and Strandfontein are almost filled to capacity.
“The City’s broad obligation is to ensure that waste management services are provided to maintain a safe and healthy environment, and minimise resource and human impacts due to waste,” says Barry
Coetzee, the City’s Head of Integrated
Waste Management Policy.
According to national legislation, municipalities will from now on regulate all entities that provide waste management services or generate waste.
“The bylaw aims to ensure that all residents, organisations, businesses, visitors/ tourists and government departments receive services from a legitimate waste management service provider,” says Coetzee.
“Accreditation will be required to ensure that all service providers abide by the
City’s bylaws and general environmental legislation.
“Another key provision is the separation of waste that still has value and can be recycled. This is already being piloted by the City in certain residential areas, and will be rolled out on a broader scale, subject to budget constraints,” he says.
The bylaw explicitly spells out the City’s rights in respect of waste management services, as well as its obligations regarding cleaning and cleansing – including for disaster management.
These include the responsible disposal of non-recyclable waste, collection and recovery of recyclables, and the processing and treatment of waste and recyclable materials. The bylaw also provides for the minimisation of waste by industries, commerce, government departments and major events organisers, and places an onus on businesses to provide waste and recycling information.
National legislation also requires municipalities to recover costs for services rendered. There will be no immediate effect on tariffs, as Council has already budgeted for the infrastructure and services, which include the pilot projects to introduce waste minimisation services.
The bylaw was tabled at the Council meeting of 30 March, and upon adoption was forwarded to the Provincial Government for promulgation.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: As land becomes more expensive, it becomes increasingly difficult to build new landfill sites; waste minimisation is the only answer.

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 sustainable transport
W hen it comes to transport policy and projects, Cape
Town is not the city it was three years ago. Today, the
City of Cape Town’s most important transport planning policy document, the Integrated Transport Plan (ITP), contains a set of sustainable transport performance indicators; a new park-andride project will encourage motorists to switch to public transport for a large part of their journey to and from work; and a ‘large employers’ programme will encourage big businesses in the central business district to spur on their employees to adopt sustainable commuting practices.
This is largely the result of a successful City and civil society partnership, the Urban Tran:SIT (Transformation to Sustainable and Integrated Transport) programme, which was funded by the
British High Commission, and implemented by Sustainable Energy
Africa (SEA).
The programme, which concluded at the end of March, aimed to build capacity for the delivery of sustainable transport projects and policies, and to integrate sustainable transport approaches with planning, policy and project implementation.
In order to achieve this, a ‘working from the inside’ approach was adopted through the appointment of a dedicated Sustainable Transport Professional, Niki Covary, whose function was to focus exclusively on sustainable transport in the City. The idea was that through this approach, a far more effective change could be achieved than through traditional consulting methods.
According to SEA Project Manager Lize Jennings, one of the reasons for the programme’s success was the City’s clear political will to initiate and inspire change, facilitating the enthusiastic buy-in from senior City officials.
The programme included workshops, information dissemination and technical support.
Urban Tran:SIT also brought about better relationships with other City departments through several interdepartmental workshops, meetings and forums.
By the end of the three-year programme (from 2006 to 2009), most of the objectives had been met, and in some cases even exceeded – so much so that the City has in fact created a permanent
Sustainable Transport Professional post.
T he City’s goal is to become a place where all people feel safe and secure to walk or cycle, says Elias Tukushe, Head: Universal Access and Non-Motorised
Transport (NMT). NMT is part of the transport system, and public space is shared by all users, whether motorised or not. The City is committed to increase the number of cyclists, and encourage walking by creating a safe and pleasant network of bicycle and pedestrian paths – not only for 2010, but also beyond.
In mid-January, the City heard plans from consultants to allow bicycle commuters access to Government Avenue (through the Company’s Garden) and St
George’s Mall; this would provide more safe cycling routes, separate from motor traffic, and would link up with the proposed on-street bicycle lanes in the central business district.
The City has agreed in principle to allow cycling in Government Avenue, and

sustainable transport
T he City of Cape Town’s proposed bicycle safety measures hope not only to save lives, but to see an increase in the number of cyclists, better quality public spaces, and a decrease in environmental and health problems.
At the City’s Cycle Safety and Awareness Campaign workshop held in March,
Executive Deputy Mayor Grant Haskin noted that the measures are important for every road user, not only for cyclists.
“The City can do whatever it can, but our role in road user safety is limited,” he noted.
“Every road user as well as the role players in Provincial and National Government must play their part. We need to work together to come up with workable solutions,” he said.
The workshop, which was attended by stakeholders from commuter and recrea-
is preparing for the next phase of consultation and removal of restrictions.
“These particular routes are not aimed at fast cyclists in training,” says Tukushe,
“and signage will probably impose a speed limit. The aim is to attract more bicycle commuters as well as children, tourists and people who are making slow, functional trips by bike.
“We will obviously take into account informal trading and pedestrian access to park benches on these routes,” he added.
tional cycling organisations; research institutions and motorcycle safety organisations; as well as transport planners; engineers; City Traffic Services; Transport, Roads and Stormwater; and Spatial and Urban Planning, aimed to prepare practical, achievable and realistic projects to improve cyclist and pedestrian safety on shared public roads. In addition to better law enforcement, cyclist safety can be improved through road user education; design engineering solutions, such as bicycle lanes, intersection planning, road markings and signage; and evaluation of road crash data.
“Traffic impact assessments (TIAs) tend to favour motorised transport,” says Garth
Elliott, Senior Traffic Engineer. “But designs must not simply squeeze in non-motorised transport (NMT) as an afterthought – we need this input early on in the engineering process,” he says. “We need to maximise the opportunities offered by road rehabilitation projects, such as resurfacing, and ensure that plans include NMT.”
The City’s Bicycle Master Plan – a network of bicycle lanes – is being implemented, and will link the suburbs to different central business districts (CBDs), as well as follow most of the IRT (integrated rapid transit) routes.
NMT has always been closely associated with environmental sustainability because of its minimal fossil fuel consumption and noise and air pollution. In addition, everyone in Cape Town has the right to reasonable access to places, goods and services
– not only people who can afford to buy and use motor vehicles, Elliott adds. In some European and North American cities, up to 50% of all trips are made by bicycle.
The City’s NMT Strategy therefore aims to:
• increase cycling and enable walking as
•
•
• modes of travel; create safer pedestrian and cycling environments; develop a quality, attractive and dignified NMT environment; and promote a changed culture, which accepts the use of cycling and walking as acceptable means to move around in the city.
Pedestrian and cycling routes are also planned between Cape Town Station, through the
CBD, and to Green Point Stadium, as well as along the proposed IRT routes.
ABOVE: Bicycles are the most appropriate and fastest form of transport for distances of about 5-10 km.

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 sustainable transport
18
T he City of Cape Town’s new integrated rapid transit (IRT) system will reduce carbon emissions in Cape
Town. Under the provisions of the Kyoto
Protocol, these reductions could be sold.
Juan Lopez-Silva, an international consultant on carbon financing, visited Cape
Town in March to assess exactly how big a reduction in carbon emissions the IRT could bring about.
The IRT system will include efficient, centrally dispatched public transport services, using high-quality, large vehicles travelling in their own dedicated lane on the main routes, as well as designated cycling lanes and pedestrian pathways.
Once fully implemented, the IRT will provide Capetonians with a much improved, safe and reliable public transport system, which will dramatically reduce commuters’ daily travelling time.
Lopez-Silva said: “At the moment, public transport operators in Cape Town are working separately, they are uncoordinated, and are competing for passengers on over-serviced routes.
“The implementation of the IRT will reorganise the whole transport operator system into a centralised, more efficient one. Under the new IRT system, the smallest possible number of vehicles will transport the highest possible number of people. Passengers will be transported in larger vehicles on better designed routes, thereby reducing kilometres travelled, which in turn will reduce fuel consumption.
As fuel is what produces the emissions of green house gases (or carbon), a reduction in fuel usage will see a reduction in green house gas emissions,” he said.
According to Lopez-Silva, under the international Kyoto Protocol, certain countries are obligated by 2012 to reduce their carbon emissions to the level they were at in 1990. “These countries can do this in two ways – firstly, by getting industries in their own countries to reduce emissions, and secondly, by buying emissions from countries who are not obligated to reduce theirs.”
Industrialised countries such as Japan,
Canada, countries in the European Union,
Australia, New Zealand and, more recently,
Korea are obligated to reduce their emissions. “The United States of America is not obligated to reduce emissions, as they have not signed the Kyoto Protocol,” he said.
South Africa, a signatory to the Protocol, is not obligated to reduce emissions, and is therefore in a position to sell any reductions

sustainable transport
we are able to achieve.
Lopez-Silva will calculate how much less carbon emissions the IRT will mean for Cape Town, so that they can be sold to the countries who have to make carbon emission cuts. He said that the money gained from this reduction in carbon emissions will come to the City of Cape Town, and will help with the centralised organisation of the IRT. “It would not be enough to pay for public transport vehicle replacement or infrastructure, but it will be helpful for the central organisation of the IRT.”
Lopez-Silva is basing his calculations on a similar case study in Bogota,
Colombia, one of the first cities to implement a successful bus rapid transit system, and to receive revenues from selling their carbon emission reductions. He is currently working on another case in Cartagena, Colombia, which is very similar to Cape Town’s new IRT system.
OPPOSITE (ABOVE): The proposed dedicated route for public transport and bicycles between Cape
Town Station and Milnerton will form part of the City’s vision for improved travel times and safety for public transport passengers and cyclists, especially on heavily congested routes.
(BELOW): Construction on the trunk station in the Culemborg area is already under way. Five construction contracts have been awarded, including Culemborg,
Paarden Island, and parts of Marine
Drive (R27).
ABOVE AND BELOW: Eleven of Cape Town’s rail stations will be upgraded before 2010.
T he City of Cape Town’s Travel Demand
Management (TDM) team has identified
11 rail stations at which park-and-ride facilities will be upgraded and extended in time for 2010, but also to meet the needs of the growing numbers of rail commuters beyond the
2010 FIFA World Cup™.
The second phase, towards the end of
2009, will include the design, construction and establishment of the management structures at the stations according to the available budget.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The 11 stations are:
•
•
Kuils River
Brackenfell
Kraaifontein
Eerste River
Monte Vista
Retreat
Fish Hoek
Muizenberg
Plumstead
Ottery
Lansdowne
19

20
Volume 1/09 • June 2009
tm
ABOVE AND BELOW: The lush, green lawns of the Green Point golf course and the new urban park will be kept that way by spring water from Oranjezicht.
T he Green Point Common, on which the new 2010 stadium is being built, was known by the Dutch settlers as De Waterplaats (the Foreshore) during the 18th century. The recreational land was kept green and lush by its shallow, seasonal vlei, which once hosted sailing regattas. The vlei was filled in during the early 20th century.
In 1923, the Union government granted the land to Cape Town for sports fields and general public recreation purposes, and a large portion of the land was leased to sports clubs. Those were the days. What about today, though? As we become more conscious of our limited water resources, how are we to balance our desire for verdant ‘green’ lawns and landscaping, and sustainable ‘green’ irrigation?
The City of Cape Town recognised the need for irrigation water some time ago, even before the site was selected as a 2010 FIFA World Cup™ v enue, and suggested a scheme that reuses treated sewage effluent to the golf club. The golf club was then uncertain of its future, but now, with the current development of the Green
Point Common and Urban Park, there is no doubt that irrigation water is needed.
The City identified other potential sources of irrigation water, such as rainwater, which could be stored in concrete tanks; ponds that could be constructed on Green
Point Common; or groundwater taken from a borehole on the Common.

tm
ABOVE : Then and now – an old photograph of the chamber protecting the Main Spring in Oranjezicht (left) and another one of the chamber today (right).
The Main Spring in Oranjezicht was also identified as a potential source of water for Green Point, in collaboration with the Oranjezicht
Heritage Society, which aims to preserve the heritage of the water systems in the City Bowl area, and to develop its tourism potential.
•
•
•
•
•
The City therefore asked engineering consultants Arcus Gibb to review various irrigation options, and make recommendations. The engineering team considered stadium roof rainwater storage tanks, rainwater ponds, wastewater treatment, springwater and rainwater harvesting, borehole water, desalination, and potable water, and compared the following:
•
•
The technology required
The potential for integration with other projects
Operational aspects
Sustainability
Capital and running costs
Environmental impact and planning approval
The time needed for implementation
Water from the Oranjezicht springs was the original supply that facilitated the establishment of Cape Town as a replenishment station for shipping in 1652. The use of this spring was formalised in 1682, with a chamber to protect the Main Spring built in 1813. The flow from several springs (Main, Lammetjies and Klip) was collected in a second chamber built in 1853, called the New Main Spring.
The combined flow from these springs, measured at a point where it currently flows down a 3’ (914 mm) internal diameter brick stormwater pipe, is well in excess of 40 ℓ /s. City staff who have observed the flow from the Main Spring over many years have indicated that it is not sensitive to seasonal changes.
These springs therefore have enough capacity to provide for not only the irrigation needs of the immediate surroundings, but also the Company’s Garden, which is fed from the lower Molteno Reservoir No 2, as well as Green Point Common. The water will be conveyed either by means of new cast-iron pipes or using the current stormwater system and slow sand filters. There will be no negative environmental impact at all.
GREEN GOAL 2010, the official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ greening programme, aims to make the event as environmentally friendly as possible. The programme incorporates sustainable development principles into every aspect of the event. A Green Goal Action Plan h as been developed, with indicators, milestones and budgets for 41 projects relating to energy, waste, water, transport, hospitality and sustainable lifestyles.
21

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 nature
22
O ne of Cape Town’s prettiest nature reserves, the Blaauwberg
Conservation Area (BCA), hopes to host more visitors in its visitor centre, restaurant and meeting venue that are being planned.
The Eerstesteen node of the BCA, which has direct access to the beach, is currently used as a low-key recreational facility with braai and picnic sites. It is this area that the City of Cape Town plans to upgrade and redevelop – without extending the current footprint of the site – once the requisite environmental process has been completed.
This redevelopment is in line with the
BCA Development and Management Plan
(2000) and the BCA Business Framework and Business Plan (2007), which identify
Eerstesteen as the southern (coastal) gateway node of the BCA.
The proposed design includes a visitor complex, which would contain a small conference/ meeting venue, restaurant and kiosk, visitor centre, and formal and informal trading outlets; a redesigned and relocated environmental education centre; as well as reserve management and administration facilities.
This design focuses on how to make better use of Eerstesteen without compromising its recreational use in any manner. It also takes into account sustainability principles as far as feasible.
ABOVE: The Blaauwberg Conservation Area (BCA) is situated on the West Coast, approximately 25 km from the city centre of Cape Town. Located within the Cape floral kingdom, the BCA is a global biodiversity hotspot, making it a significant project of the City’s Biodiversity Strategy. This area is representative of one of the most intact and diverse lowland habitats near Cape Town, and marks the beginning of the West
Coast flora. The BCA is unique in that it has three vegetation types: Cape Flats dune strandveld, Swartland shale renosterveld and Cape Flats sand fynbos as well as their ecotones.
To improve visitors’ experience, and to encourage more visitors, a number of infrastructure developments are being planned and implemented in the BCA. In this photograph is the renovated World War II Officers’ Mess, which will be used as a tearoom in the future. The old World War II Generator House and Artillery Lookout buildings, also on the summit of the Blaauwberg Hill, have been renovated to be used as information centres.

nature
O n 31 July 2008, two fishing trawlers (the Seawin Sapphire and Weskus 1) were stranded on Derdesteen Beach. These trawlers ran aground primarily as a consequence of failed engines in severe wind and sea conditions. Both trawlers survived the surf zone impact, and beached themselves with very little structural damage. However, the Weskus 1, as it was constructed from timber, began to fall apart due to the constant battering of waves from the shore break, and was eventually completely destroyed by the surf.
The Seawin Sapphire however was able to withstand the wave impacts, as it was constructed from steel. Although various salvage options were explored, including the use of tug boats to haul the stranded vessel back out to sea, a land salvage operation was eventually settled upon. This entailed winching the vessel from where it had stranded, to the car park opposite it, from where it was hoisted onto an abnormal-load flatbed truck and taken back to the Port of Cape Town. To make way for the vessel, a section of the frontal dune cordon had to be removed, but has since been replaced and rehabilitated. An environmental management plan was put in place for the entire operation, which was also overseen by an environmental conservation officer to ensure that no unnecessary environmental degradation took place.
ABOVE: The Seawin Sapphire being winched to the parking area.
BELOW: The stranded Seawin Sapphire and Weskus 1 on the beach in front of the Derdesteen Beach parking area.
23

24
Volume 1/09 • June 2009 spatial planning
T he City of Cape Town is developing Spatial Development
Plans (SDPs) for each of its eight planning districts. These will in turn form part of an overall Spatial Development Framework (SDF) for the city.
The SDF and the district SDPs will inform development decisions in Cape Town, and will guide the way in which the city grows and develops.
It is essential that environmental information relevant to Cape
Town’s spatial planning is included in the SDPs, and guides land use and environmental decision making. This is being done in the form of Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs).
The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Regulations on environmental impact assessments (EIAs) among other things provide for the preparation of Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs) to inform environmental decision making. EMFs must identify the environmental attributes and priorities of an area, and address the types of activities that may or may not have a significant environmental impact.
The environmental attributes described in each EMF are varied, and include the geology and hydrology of an area, its biodiversity
(plants and animals), the dune and coastal systems, as well as heri tage and cultural resources.
Environmental challenges associated with the urban environment are also included in the EMF, for example issues such as pollution and waste management.
Each EMF includes detailed maps of the environmental attributes, and identifies how these attributes should influence environmental and land use decision making. For example, development in an area that is regularly flooded would result in undesirable impacts. Similarly, the location of a sewage treatment plant next to a housing area or above an aquifer (underground water) would be inadvisable due to possible odour, and pollution of the aquifer. The EMF therefore identifies types of activities that would be desirable and undesirable in each attribute area.
Proactive identification and description of environmental attributes helps to prevent bad decisions. It also minimises the risks and costs to the City and its residents that would arise from unwanted or unexpected environmental impacts.
The EMF also plays an important role in identifying pressures and constraints that affect spatial planning, development proposals, or the environments affected by such planning or proposals. For example, much pressure is being exercised to develop coastal areas for recreation and tourism, as well as for residential purposes. The EMF would indicate key issues to be addressed and policies to be adhered to should coastal development be proposed. It would also show where the coast is too vulnerable for development purposes due to, for example, the risks of flooding from sea-level rise or erosion.
Each EMF identifies opportunities for appropriate land uses, for example the many tourism, recreation and education opportunities offered by Cape Town’s conservation and biodiversity areas.
By combining the SDP and the EMF, all the necessary information and guidelines are in one document. Cape Town is taking the lead with this integrated approach, which is strongly supported by the national and provincial environmental authorities.
The information contained in a combined SDP/EMF makes it much easier for planners, developers and environmental consultants to determine what type of development should take place, and where. The environmental impact assessment process also becomes easier – particularly for proposals that are in line with the SDP/EMF.
The decision makers (or competent authority) can therefore also make their decisions more quickly and more easily.
It is also proposed that, in future, EMFs may be able to identify areas where environmental assessments may not be necessary, or areas, such as very sensitive environments, where more types of activities will trigger the need for an environmental assessment. This role will however only come into play once the first set of SDP/EMFs have been accepted by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

spatial planning
There is a lot of information that supports the contents of the EMF. For this reason, the EMF also refers to various other policies and information documents that would provide more detailed information. By referencing these documents, there is greater opportunity to utilise the vast quantities of information that have been generated over the years for planning and environmental management in
Cape Town.
The Environmental Management Systems Branch has developed a simple GIS (geographic information system) viewer for City staff that shows basic environmental layers. This viewer enables staff to find answers to their spatial questions, and contains detailed environmental information about a range of issues, such as wetlands and the biodiversity network. Everything in the viewer has been assembled to allow for ease and speed of use by non-GIS staff.
If you are a City staff member, and wish to receive a demo or obtain the viewer and its accompanying software, please contact Amalia Stipinovich on 021
487 2186 or amalia.stipinovich@capetown.gov.za.
I f you are looking for directions to a sustainable future, you do not need satellite navigation or even the latest phone. All you need is www.capetowngreenmap.co.za, where Cape Town joins
50 countries and 350 cities, towns and villages on the Open Green
Map System (www.greenmap.org) to chart our community’s green living, natural, cultural and civic resources.
The Green Map team is creating an online and printed map, which will detail all that is green in the city. However, despite being ‘green’, the map team still cannot be everywhere and know everything.
That is why enviroWORKS invites you to contribute to the project.
Visit Cape Town’s green map blog, consider the criteria, and submit your green sites. This will help map-makers to include all local green ventures, such as green markets, innovative projects, renewable energy sites, recycling projects, local events, sustainable consumption, bicycle paths and parking, public transport options and quality urban open spaces, in the system. A set of ‘green criteria’ and icons will be used to select and display these locations on the map.
The Green Map project was initiated as part of Cape Town’s
Green Goal Action Plan, the environmental programme linked to the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM .
It is also seen as a legacy project, which will endure beyond the tournament as a valuable source of information for visitors, residents and businesses.
The map will promote responsible tourism, as well as create an incentive for businesses and residents to become more environmentally responsible and adopt sustainable practices and operating procedures.
The Green Map System is a non-profit organisation, which combines green maps from all over the world, and displays them on their online mapping website. The Cape Town Green Map will be based on the Open Green Map System (www.opengreenmap.org), and will benefit from the latter’s resources and mapping technologies.
The Cape Town Green Map is presented as an online interactive map on www.capetowngreenmap.co.za. A printed map will be produced later in the year, and will showcase selected sites. The printed map will be an important information resource for visitors to Cape
Town, especially during the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM event.
25

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 urban spaTial planning
26
W hat does ‘higher-density living’ mean to you?
High-rise buildings everywhere? Cramped, crammed slums? Strange-looking, tall buildings in the middle of residential areas?
That is not what the urban planners have in mind. The City of
Cape Town’s densification strategy aims to offer more choices for different income groups and lifestyles. Not everyone can afford a suburban house on a big piece of land – and not everyone wants to live in such a dwelling either.
In some areas, three to five-storey buildings will fit in well with a neighbourhood’s character; in other areas, higher-rise flats are already common, so another similar building would not look out of place. In many suburban areas, subdivisions and second dwellings are almost ‘invisible’, and do not change the feel of the neighbourhood at all.
Cape Town’s densification strategy aims to make the city more efficient and more sustainable, as well as offer a broader range of living environments through ‘middle path’ densification. A higherdensity, compact city is likely to have a reduced carbon footprint too, as the need to travel is reduced.
The idea is not to create a city as dense as New York, London,
Cairo or Mumbai, or to propose a ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan. Instead, the intention is to create a more compact city that operates well for everyone. This ‘middle path’ is based on the understanding that different parts of the city are suited to different residential densities as well as different approaches to densification. In some areas, high-rise development is appropriate; in others, incremental
(small-scale) densification is more in keeping with the character of the neighbourhood.
Incremental – or small-scale – densification, for example, is almost invisible. Often, one cannot even see that a house has a second dwelling (such as a granny flat), that the property has been subdivided, or even that a second family lives in the upstairs or attached section of the house. This form of densification therefore leaves the character of the neighbourhood intact.
These are the features of successful incremental densification:
• Dwellings are attached, so they look like one house.
• New buildings are the same height and size as other houses in the area.
•
•
Two houses share a driveway or street access.
New dwellings do not invade the privacy of the neighbours.
• Trees screen the house from the street.
Overall, the strategy aims to increase the average density of the city as a whole, and to identify those locations that are more suited to higher-density development.

urban spaTial planning
T he City of Cape Town is investigating ways to contain urban sprawl, and guide development away from valuable agricultural land in parts of Constantia, the Helderberg and the
Durbanville Winelands.
Only four million hectares of the total 120 million hectares of agricultural land in the country comprise high-potential land.
An agricultural area is an area that has not been developed, and is actively being used for agricultural production. Agricultural areas within the municipal boundaries are of great value to the city.
They offer scenic beauty and heritage value, enhance food security, and offer job opportunities. They also contribute to local economic development, and support informal traders and micro-businesses.
In addition, rural areas play an important role in supporting biodiversity and public open space systems.
However, agricultural areas – most of which are privately owned
– are under threat from insensitive developers, who often target attractive agricultural areas, such as vineyards, for development.
An Agricultural Land Review, compiled by iKapa Enviroplan and agricultural specialists, has assessed all agricultural areas in terms of soil potential, agri-tourism, water, irrigation, food security and market proximity. The review then ranks all major valuable agricultural areas in the city, identifying the following four categories of farmland:
•
•
•
•
High-potential agricultural land worthy of statutory protection
High-potential agricultural land worthy of long-term protection
Agricultural areas of significant value, given their existing use
Areas of significant value, given potential and emerging agricultural use due to new cultivation and technology
Local government can now use this information for its Spatial
Development Framework, and its environmental management and urban edge planning initiatives.
The report has recommended that the City, in consultation with the South African Heritage Resources Agency, ask for statutory protection for certain agricultural areas identified in the review.
BELOW: The Durbanville Winelands are among the pockets of valuable agricultural land at risk of urban development.
27

28
Volume 1/09 • June 2009 environmental
L earners and staff from
65 Western Cape schools celebrated a year’s worth of eco-awareness at the Eco-Schools conference and awards ceremony in April 2009.
Eco-Schools is a schools programme for environmental management and certification, and sustainable development. The programme is coordinated nationally by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, with support from the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa. The City of
Cape Town funds a number of Eco-
Schools nodes as well as a Western
Cape Eco-Schools coordinator.
The aim of the programme is to provide learners with the capacity and skills to make informed decisions about their lifestyle, livelihood and relationship with the environment.
Every year, schools throughout South
Africa are invited to register as part of the programme. Educators then commit to developing lesson plans and learner-centred activities that are in line with the Revised
National Curriculum Statement. Learners and teachers choose at least three relevant focus areas, for which lesson plans are then developed. School improvement plans and progress records are collated in a portfolio.
Portfolios are assessed at the end of a year, and successful schools that gain
Eco-School status are awarded a green flag. Schools may keep their flag and status for a year, after which another portfolio is submitted and assessed.
At the Eco-Schools conference, learners heard talks and discussions about waste, the way in which fossils form, paraffin safety, global warming and cholera.
The awards ceremony, hosted at the
Cape Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology in Constantia, recognised the work done by the schools to improve their environmental management and learning. Of the 65 schools who participated, 25 were awarded Eco-School status, and given the green flag.
Herschel Preparatory Girls’ School
(Wynberg node), Mike Woods Environmental Education Centre (Helderberg node),
Glenwood House High School (Succulent
Karoo node) and Holy Cross Primary School
(Succulent Karoo node) were not only each
ABOVE: Learners from ACJ Phakade
Primary in Strand receive the
Eco-Schools bronze award.
awarded the green flag, but also acquired international green flag status for their excellent work.
For their portfolio of work,
Glenwood House High School studied the effects that food additives have on our health, as well as the causes and effects of climate change. They also wrote to municipalities in their area, George, about the state of the rivers that supply households with fresh water.
Holy Cross Primary School developed and maintained a seasonal wetland inside the school grounds.
They also embarked on an energy audit, and looked at ways in which the school could reduce energy consumption. Their anti-litter campaign was an exceptional success in the community.
Herschel Preparatory Girls’ School attempted to reduce its carbon footprint by starting a ‘used battery depot’. As part of their outreach programme, they partnered with Litha Primary School in Khayelitsha.
Herschel has a great track record for sustainable practices, and has also tackled challenging issues, such as energy consumption.
Janice April, Regional Coordinator for
Eco-Schools in the Western Cape, says that while leaders across the world grapple with climate change, “schools are using innovative projects and actions to reduce their carbon footprint by taking action to reduce energy consumption, improve healthy living, and increase biodiversity – not only within their school grounds, but also in their communities, by introducing, for example, water wise gardens”.

environmental
A s dawn broke on 11 February, with the southeaster thumping, and the clouds covering the Constantia mountain, 40 Grade 11s and their teachers from Bergvliet, Crestway, Muizenberg and
Zwaanswyk high schools gathered in the forest below the Silvermine Dam for the first of two interschool hikes that would see teens exploring the Keysers River/Zandvlei catchment, using geographic positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technology.
The hike formed part of a source-to-sea initiative, in which the learners will explore the entire length of the Keysers River. This first hike explored the upstream section of the catchment, namely Prinskasteel Stream.
A second hike (after the publication of this issue of enviroWORKS) will explore the downstream sections of the Prinskasteel,
Keysers River and Zandvlei.
Three groups made up of learners from each of the four schools set off with their guides to learn how to use a GPS, and to complete one of three studies: fynbos ecology, seasonal streams and wetlands, and land use and conservation in the catchment. The learners took photographs and
GPS positions of interesting things they observed, and found out more about their topic from their guides as well as from
GIS maps and information sheets in their resource packs.
The schools have since received a compact disc of all the GPS points the learners collected, as well as their photographs.
With the GIS layers and aerial photographs they have received from the City of Cape
Town, they are able to put together their own interactive GIS maps of their hiking experience.
ABOVE: Although it is perfectly possible to learn about GIS and GPS indoors in a classroom environment, an outdoor trip makes the learning more real, more memorable and of course, much more fun.
29

Volume 1/09 • June 2009 coastal
30
D uring the Blue Flag summer season
(1 December 2008–31 March
2009) the Environmental Resource
Management (ERM) Department hosted five environmental education programmes on Cape Town’s six Blue Flag beaches.
These included educator workshops, open days, learner programmes, staff training and community/youth audited clean­up programmes.
The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education, an NGO based in Eu-
Six Cape Town beaches have full
Blue Flag status:
Bikini Beach
Mnandi Beach
Strandfontein
Muizenberg
Camps Bay
Clifton 4th Beach
Flag status if they fail to comply with the strict requirements.
South Africa was the first country outside Europe to receive Blue Flag accreditation for its beaches. The programme started in Europe in 1987 to encourage beaches to comply with the EU (European Union)
Bathing Water Directive. Today, there are more than 3 200 Blue Flag sites in at least
41 countries.
In South Africa, the Blue Flag programme is managed by the Wildlife and
Environment Society of South Africa
(WESSA) in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and participating coastal and local authorities.
•
•
•
• rope. It is awarded annually to beaches and marinas that meet a specific set of criteria encompassing: water quality; safety and services; environmental management; and environmental education and information.
In Cape Town, the programme is managed by the City’s Sport & Recreation Department, and the environmental programmes are coordinated by ERM’s Environmental
Capacity Building, Training and Education
Unit.
The Blue Flag has become a symbol of quality that can be used for tourism promotion, while also guaranteeing high standards of beach management for local inhabitants. Beaches can lose their Blue
TOP LEFT: A lesson on both sharks and pollution to learners on Muizenberg beach by Save Our Seas Foundation and WESSA.
ABOVE: The Blue Flag open day at
Mnandi Beach.

youth
W etlands are not dumping sites, nor are they sewerage outfalls. Instead, they are beautiful natural places that help to cleanse water, improve its quality, and help to prevent flooding. Furthermore, they are crucial habitats to plants and animals.
These are just some of the discoveries Cape Town learners made as they joined the
City of Cape Town for the Youth Environmental School (YES) World Wetlands Week hosted at the Centre for Conservation Education, Edith Stephens Wetland Park, Intaka
Island, Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Kirstenbosch, Two Oceans Aquarium and Zandvlei
Wetlands Nature Reserve.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: Learners from five Cape Flats schools suggested solutions and an action plan to protect our wetlands – with a special focus on tyres, which cast a blight on our landscape, and create a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Two schools from Khayelitsha, Impendulo Primary and Chuma Primary, visited the
Khayelitsha Wetlands near the N2 to learn about the actions we can take to protect our wetlands. Learners then visited the Two Oceans Aquarium, and saw the frog puppet show (see page 14 ) and the live frogs in the freshwater ecosystem.
31

Volume 1/09 • June 2009
T he City of Cape Town’s 2007/8 State of the Environment Report (SoER) provides a snapshot of the environment for the aforementioned period.
Its purpose is to provide decision makers with key information on trends towards or away from becoming a sustainable city. In doing so, the report aims to ensure that decisions are based on accurate data and analysis, and that environmental management is mainstreamed in City operations.
The report considers air quality, carbon footprint, biodiversity, invasive alien species, freshwater quality, coastal water quality and wastewater quality, water use, solid waste disposal, urban sprawl, and access to nature.
The report provides a mixed picture: Some indicators have improved, but more have declined since the previous reporting period.
In order to achieve the goal of sustainability, hard work is required to improve environmental management in the city, and ensure conservation of the city’s natural resources, whilst minimising waste and pollution. The City is committed to improving environmental sustainability, and as such, numerous programmes are in place to address the trends identified in the
SoER. Amongst these is the revised Integrated Metropolitan Environmental Policy (IMEP) Agenda, which allocates defined goals, responsibilities and performance targets across City line functions, with the aim of halting environmental degradation and, in the long term, reversing negative trends.
32