Environmental Newsletter of the City of Cape Town
THIS CITY WORKS FOR YOU
Published by the City of Cape Town Environmental Resource Management Department, in partnership
with City Health, Transport, Spatial Development, Solid Waste, Water and Town Planning.
CAPE TOWN UPDATES
BIODIVERSITY NETWORK
T
he City of Cape Town has adopted a new
Biodiversity Network of Sites, with the
condition that the Network will be finalised
in discussions with both Environmental Resource
Management (Nature Conservation) and City
Spatial Development.
Known as the Biodiversity Network, these sites are
the minimum needed to conserve a representative
sample of the City’s unique biodiversity and thus
promote sustainable development.
Cape Town has the unfortunate distinction of
being the city with the highest number of threatened
plant species in the world – almost a third of the
threatened plants in the Cape Floral Kingdom are
found within the boundaries of Cape Town.
The City of Cape Town is also home to 3,5 million
people. There is a massive demand for housing,
with more and more land being developed to
accommodate the estimated 50 000 new migrants
to the city every year. On top of this, there is a
backlog of 400 000 families on the housing waiting
lists.
It is therefore essential that the City plans and
directs housing to suitable areas, while balancing
the needs of our precious natural heritage. The only
option for sustainability and improved quality of
life is to ensure that the built, cultural and natural
environment are integrated.
The City of Cape Town is therefore committed
to implementing a Biodiversity Strategy as part
of the Integrated Metropolitan Environmental
Policy process. The strategy has resulted in
the identification of the Biodiversity Network of Sites.
During 2001/2002, a systematic conservation
planning study was undertaken to identify the
minimum set of sites required as a basis for the
Biodiversity Network. During 2006 the network
was updated using a remnant layer derived from
much more recent 2005 aerial photography and
local vegetation types aligned to the latest national
vegetation types. This enables City conservation
targets to be aligned with national conservation
targets.
In addition, the conservation priorities and
targets of CapeNature were also aligned into the
City’s Biodiversity Network.
South Africa is the third most biodiversity
rich country in the world – largely owing to
the Cape and Succulent Karoo floras and
associated fauna. The City of Cape Town
falls within the smallest yet richest of the
world’s six Plant Kingdoms – the Cape
Floral Kingdom. This Kingdom is one
of 25 internationally recognised
‘hottest’ hotspots of biodiversity.
- continued on page 2 -
Rare bulb found on the Flats
ALBERT MANOLI, A CREW VOLUNTEER
I
n September 2006, a criticially endangered bulb
was found to be flowering at Edith Stephens
Wetland Park, one of the city-managed remnants
on the Cape Flats. Lachenalia arbuthnotiae is
a rare bulb, a member of the Hyacinth family. It
used to be common on the Cape Flats, but is now
restricted to only one or two sites owing to habitat
destruction, mainly for housing development.
Lachenalia arbuthnotiae is now considered to
be extremely threatened, or ‘Critically Endangered’
in the Red Data List. The bulb was found by
volunteers of CREW (Custodians of Rare and
Endangered Wildflowers).
Volume 1/07
February 2007
Contents
1 Cape Town updates
Biodiversity Network
4-7 News from the City’s
Environmental Resource
Management team
8-9 Unsustainability gets a red
card: an environmentally
sound 2010 World Cup
10-11 Biodiversity management
12-13 Coastal zone management
14-16 Energy and climate change
17 City parks
18-20 Environmental education
21 Enviromedia conference
22-23 Local agenda 21
24-25 Spatial development
26-27 Non-motorised transport
28 Waste management
29 Sustainable development
30 Water management
31 Environmental management
32 Awards and staff news
Dinilesizwe Gudlindlu, a nature conservation student,
and Mr Arendse of the Edith Stephens Wetland Park,
view the Lachenalia in its habitat.
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Successfully implemented, this network will contribute to Council’s goals of
integrated human settlement by improving quality of life and creating easy access
to safe natural areas; economic growth by creating tourism and job opportunities;
to development by ensuring sustainable use of natural and cultural resources.
The updated Biodiversity Network of minimum sites includes:
• 108 remnants that are mapped within a protected area boundary;
• 349 additional remnants that are required to meet vegetation targets; and
• another 26 remnants that are required to meet species targets.
Eighteen different national vegetation types occur in Cape Town, and of these,
City conservation targets can be met for only nine. For the other vegetation types,
all remaining natural remnants are important to secure a representative sample of
the City’s biodiversity.
Current flagship projects of the network include:
• The False Bay Ecology Park – an example of a multi-use urban park conserving
biodiversity and providing significant benefits to the citizens of Cape Town
(see p.10)
• Various nature reserves such as Rondevlei, Tygerberg and Helderberg,
which conserve biodiversity while delivering tangible benefits to the local
communities in the form of environmental education, amenities, and tourism
• Blaauwberg Conservation Area – an example of a Biodiversity Node which
demonstrates huge potential for tourism, recreation and biodiversity
conservation (see p.10 and 11)
• Cape Flats Nature Project – an example of managing biodiversity in a
people-centred way.
For more information, please contact Dr Patricia Holmes, Environmental Resource Management,
on 082 298 4564 or email: patricia.holmes@capetown.gov.za
MESSAGE FROM COUNCILLOR MARIAN NIEUWOUDT
T
hese past few months have proven yet again how much can be achieved in environmental resource management by
working together – with civil society, with provincial government and with agencies such as CapeNature.
For example, our goal of having roaming herds of eland and other game species near Blaauwberg Hill is closer to
reality because of a partnership between the City, CapeNature and the Friends of the Blaauwberg Conservation Area (BCA)
(see page 10). To build the BCA’s new 2,1m high game fence, the City provided the labour and materials, CapeNature supplied
a team of expert field rangers to install the fence, and the Friends of the BCA provided refreshments.
And two of the most significant conservation areas in Cape Town, the BCA and the Greater Zandvlei Estuary Reserve,
have received formal conservation status thanks to recognition by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Environment,
Planning and Economic Development.
Both reserves are of immense conservation and recreational importance. Sound ecological management of the resource is needed to ensure that these
complementary uses continue in a healthy and thriving natural environment. With this Provincial declaration we are moving closer to achieving our goal of
having eight percent of the land and 20% of the coastline declared protected areas by 2010, under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Yet another partnership, this time with the National Education Department and the Western Cape Education Department for the SABC Education Careers
Fair (see page 18), emphasised the important role that the City of Cape Town can play in supporting the objectives of the United Nations Decade on Education
for Sustainable Development. This Decade requires an international movement to create a more sustainable world for all.
For the duration of the Careers Fair, the City ran an Environmental Career Centre that provided information about environmentally related careers, bursaries
and possible job opportunities to our youth.
We look forward, therefore, to a new year filled with productive, empowering partnerships that help us build a more sustainable City and a more sustainable
world.
Cllr Marian Niewoudt
Member of the Mayoral Committee: Planning and Environment
MESSAGES
MESSAGE FROM STEPHEN BOSHOFF
S
ince the previous issue of Enviroworks, we can look back on a period in which we accomplished many achievements
and overcome many challenges in the environmental resource management of our City. In particular, the last year
has been one in which the City continued to play a leading role in major environmental priorities and issues at urban,
national, regional and international level.
Amid ongoing institutional challenges, crisis management and new emerging needs, we have reinforced the preciousness
and importance of our City’s natural environmental assets and resources in the lives of all people in our City, our economy
and our institutions.
As a local authority, we have illustrated the important role of the City in dealing with sensitive environmental issues affecting the communities
of Cape Town and the Western Cape, as well the merits of working in partnership with communities and environmental stakeholders and role
players.
The Environmental Resource Management Department has worked hard to ensure our ability and effectiveness in responding to all these factors
– and this publication shows evidence of this hard work, leadership, innovation and creativity.
Stephen Boshoff
Executive Director: Strategy and Planning
MESSAGE FROM OSMAN ASMAL
O
ver the past six months we have shown that with proper intergovernmental relations we can achieve significantly
more. In August, the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Provincial Government of the
Western Cape and the City of Cape Town worked in partnership with the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in Cape
Town to the host the third GEF Conference. In addition, Cape Town proposed to GEF that local governments play a stronger
role in future GEF Conferences.
Within the City of Cape Town, further internal changes in the Department have arisen, with the transfer of the District
Environmental Management staff from the Town Planning Department to the Environmental Resource Management Department. We anticipate
that this will catalyse delegation of environmental and heritage functions from other agencies to the City of Cape Town. In addition, this move may
result in increasing the environmental legal compliance of the City.
The realignment of the organisation has also seen the Strategy and Development Directorate change its name to the Strategy and Planning
Directorate.
The Environmental Resource Management Department continues to lead with eco-efficient principles and greening of events. This year the
City completed a business plan for the Cape Town host city 2010 World Cup Greening Business plan. In addition, in partnership, with the Town
Planning Department, we have completed a draft green buildings design guideline and a solar water heater by-law. The City has also signed a
one-year agreement on Integrated Resources Management for Urban Development, worth more than R2-million, with the Sustainability Institute
and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This programme looks at strengthening the skills and information base available in Cape
Town. To build local eco-efficient design capacity, in order to stimulate the development of new business and make this an important new market
niche. Some of the interest groups that will be targeted include architects, community development groups, town planners, engineers, designers,
commercial and residential property developers and government officials.
I take this opportunity to wish you everything of the best for 2007.
Osman Asmal
Director: Environmental Resource Management, City of Cape Town
MESSAGES
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
The Environmental Resource Management Department undertakes the
following key tasks under the functional areas listed below:
ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY
MANAGER: GODFREY MVUMA
• 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 2355 E-mail: godfrey.mvuma@capetown.gov.za
INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
MANAGER: KEITH WISEMAN
• Environmental Review Coordination
• Heritage Resource Management
• Environmental Management Systems & Audit Protocol
• Environmental Law, Monitoring & Enforcement
Tel: 021 487 2283 E-mail: keith.wiseman@capetown.gov.za
NATURE CONSERVATION
MANAGER: JULIA WOOD
• Nature Reserve Management
• Biodiversity Strategy Coordination
• Monitoring & Evaluation
• Protected Area Status
• Alien Invasive Species Coordination
Tel: 021 487 2352 E-mail: julia.wood@capetown.gov.za
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
MANAGER: SHIRENE ROSENBERG
• Energy & Climate Change
• Clean Development Mechanism
• Renewable Energy Projects
• Local Agenda 21
• Cleaner Production & Sustainable Procurement
Tel: 021 487 2124 E-mail: shirene.rosenberg@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, TRAINING & COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER: KOBIE BRAND
• Environmental Education
• Training
• Communications & Marketing
• Public Awareness
Tel: 021 487 2293 E-mail: kobie.brand@capetown.gov.za
The Department is supported by a Support Services Branch, as follows:
SUPPORT SERVICES
MANAGER: MARIANA VOLSCHENK
• Project support
• HR and general administration
• Finance
Tel: 021 487 2353 E-mail: mariana.volschenk@capetown.gov.za
City delegate
reports on
climate change
conference
The City of Cape Town was
represented at the United
Nations Climate Change
Conference in Nairobi
(6 to 17 November 2006)
by Shirene Rosenberg,
the manager, Resource
Management.
T
he conference was attended by more than
6 000 participants from 180 countries,
including the UN secretary-general, Kofi
Annan. President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and
Switzerland’s President Moritz Leuenberger
addressed the event, as did ministers and delegates
from 92 countries.
An important topic of discussion was the recent
Stern Report, says Rosenberg, which sends the clear
message that the environmental and economic
impact of climate change will be worst in Africa.
“The challenge facing us therefore is to achieve
policy coherence, media development and
community empowerment in order to minimise
these impacts on our economic and natural
resources. How do we establish debate and action
towards a more sustainable development path?”
Much of the debate centred on how cities are
drivers for change, says Rosenberg.
“Development policies that are aware of
climate change can contribute towards lowering
greenhouse gas emissions and producing city
economies and populations less at risk,” she says.
“However, climate change is still viewed as a
global environmental issue and therefore a far-off
concern.”
“On the flip side, however, climate specialists
focus on emission reduction outside of a development context, and do not assist cities in learning
how to change or adapt. Equally, climate-change
science, as well as international negotiations,
deal mainly with global and regional impacts and
are less able to provide reliable assessments or
guidance for cities. Cities need to raise their
voices in this regard.” For more information on the
conference visit www.nairobi2006.go.ke
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Expo shows GIS in action
With the expo theme of ‘GIS working for you’, the EIS team was able to
demonstrate how the information from this system is used to make better
decisions about issues such as development in biodiversity hotspots and a
rapidly increasing urban footprint.
ERM’s stall attracted many City officials eager to see the first heritage
database inventory, says Thandeka Thukula, an EIS analyst.
“Members of the public were also interested, as they had queries about
environmental impact assessments, for example, and wanted to see how the
EIS is used in that regard.”
The Environmental Management Framework (EMF), under way for the urban
renewal areas (see Enviroworks Vol 2/06 p.18), is a good example of how EIS
can influence decision-making in strategic projects, says Thukula.
To offer further insight into how EIS could speed up service delivery in
environmental management, ERM displayed maps of the EMF as well as maps
of the new biodiversity network (see p.9).
The Executive Mayor of Cape Town getting to grips with the GIS technology on display
at the City’s 2006 GIS EXPO. Next to the Mayor from left to right, Bulelwa Mohamed,
Dept of Land Affairs; Keith Smith, Director: Strategic Development Information & GIS
(COTT); and Dr Solomon Bhunu, Manager: Corporate GIS (COTT).
T
he Environmental Resource Management (ERM) department was among
23 exhibitors at the City of Cape Town’s first Geographic Information
System (GIS) expo, hosted in mid-November 2006.
The department displayed its environmental information system (EIS),
which uses environmental information for strategic planning and land-use
management. The geographic information also facilitates compliance with
environmental legislation.
The EIS contains information in digital map format in ‘environmental layers’,
such as coastal zones, biodiversity networks and heritage.
Thandeka Tukula, Environmental Resource Management; Marjorie Carew,
Town Planning Department; and Lorraine Gerrans, a consultant who worked on
the City’s Heritage Mapping project.
Funding boost for urban environmental projects
T
he City has received a R2,78 million donation from the Danish International Development Agency’s (Danida) Urban Environmental programme (UEM), for
assistance in creating jobs, building communities, improving service delivery and facilitating sustainable development through environmental projects within the
City. The City will initiate new environmental projects and improve existing projects with the funding. City departments that will therefore benefit from the funding
include City Health, Information and Knowledge Management, ERM and City Spatial Development.
ICLEI’s Africa secretariat puts
down roots in Cape Town
The Global Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) programme (see Enviroworks
Vol 2/06, p.6) has taken root in Cape Town with the appointment of two fulltime project coordinators, Shona Young and André Mader.
The LAB programme will form part of ICLEI’s Africa secretariat, which has
recently relocated to Cape Town (right next door to the ERM).
The LAB programme aims to bring together 15 cities to explore the best
ways for local governments to engage in effective biodiversity protection and
management.
André Mader, Coordinator: Urban Biodiversity; and Shona Young, Coordinator:
Management and Communication.
For more information about ICLEI Africa, please visit www.iclei.org/Africa.
For more information about the LAB programme, please visit www.iclei.org/biodiversity
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Local government at heart of sustainability, says Zille
“Local governments will,
more and more,
be expected to ensure that
their plans for development
address the environmental
concerns within their
regions holistically.”
Executive Mayor Helen Zille
T
he City of Cape Town has appealed to
international environmental organisations to
place greater emphasis on the role played by local
government in sustainable development.
Speaking at the Third Global Environment Facility
(GEF) Congress, hosted in Cape Town at the end of
August 2006, Mayor Helen Zille said sustainability
in developing cities was becoming increasingly
important to the future health of the planet.
“Local governments will, more and more, be
expected to ensure that their plans for development
address the environmental concerns within their
regions holistically.”
The GEF is the world’s largest environmental
funding body, but it has largely been represented
by national government delegations.
“It is critical that the voice of local governments is
heard in these discussions,” said Zille.
“Cities should have the opportunity to play a
more active role in the major discussion forums
and negotiating platforms of global development
agencies such as the GEF and the UN Commission
on Sustainable Development.”
“I would like to appeal to GEF to consider placing
a greater emphasis in its future activities on the
role that local governments play in sustainable
development,” the mayor said.
“It is within our power to guide this rapid
development of our city in order to create the best
outcomes for our people and the environment they
share.”
This year, GEF received its biggest financial boost
with 32 governments agreeing to contribute
$3,13-billion to finance environmental projects over
the next four years.
Western Province Premier Ebrahim Rasool;
Monique Barbut, GEF CEO and Chairperson;
South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka;
with learners Jamie-Lee Snel and Lara Brand.
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
Find it all on
ERM’s
updated website
I
f you missed out on previous issues of
Enviroworks; want to find details of the
City’s nature reserves; would like to read
all about coastal zone management; or feel
intimidated by terms such as Agenda 21, scoping report or carrying capacity – then you need
to see the ERM department’s updated website.
The new web pages:
www.capetown.gov.za/environment
provide detailed information about the City’s
Integrated Metropolitan Environmental Policy, as
well as the strategies and programmes to ensure
that the principles of environmental sustainability
are adhered to (such as strategies for biodiversity,
energy and climate change, coastal zone management, and environmental education and training).
The site also offers downloadable versions of the
department’s publications and policies; useful tips
about energy, water and fuel saving; shark and
beach safety; and a dictionary of environmental
terminology in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.
Decades of urban input impact on Rietvlei Wetlands
T
he north vlei of the Rietvlei Wetland
Reserve re-opened in early January 2007
after its water quality was pronounced
safe for recreational use, but the underlying
causes of the excessive algal growth and
subsequent die-off remain.
The water body was closed to the public during
the 2006/2007 festive season when more than
80 tons of dead fish had to be removed from the
wetland and its banks.
Indications are that the estuarine fish in the
wetland died from a combination of factors.
“The organic pollution that is in the vlei after
30 years of urban input resulted in excessive
algal growth through certain weather
conditions (calm with high temperatures),”
says Dalton Gibbs, acting Manager: Nature
Conservation. “The die-off of excessive algal
growth resulted in usage of oxygen by bacteria
resulting in a low oxygen conditions and fish
death.” The dead fish include flat-head mullet
(Mugil cephalus), harder (Liza richardsonii),
estuarine round herring (Gilchristella
aesturina) and other Mozambique longfin
eel (Anguila mozambicus). Dead fish were
disposed of at the Vissershok land-fill site.
Says Gibbs, “The disaster is a typical example
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
of non-point source pollution, dispersed across
the whole catchment area. It might look
innocuous, but the impact suddenly reaches
disastrous proportions. The city, sadly, has an
enormous impact on our wetlands, and we need
to mobilise many more resources to mitigate
this.” The amount of work done by City staff
and volunteers from the general public and the
Milnerton Aquatic Club was extra-ordinary, says
Gibbs, who notes that every other City nature
reserve remained operational going during the
clean-up.
Although the vlei will eventually be recolonised
by estuarine fish, the indigenous Mozambique
eel is probably now extinct in Cape Town, says
Gibbs. The loss of fish will probably also have a
negative impact on the Robben Island penguins,
as a major food source has been lost.
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Unsustainability gets a red card
An environmentally sound 2010 World Cup will mean more than just a green stadium in Green Point.
The City’s Business Plan for
greening the FIFA World Cup
2010 includes sustainable
craft and income-generation
projects.
An artist’s impression of the
proposed sports stadium at
Green Point.
T
he FIFA World Cup 2010 is a massive project
that will shape the region for decades to come.
And although being a host gives the City of Cape
Town a chance to enhance its commitment to
sustainability, the risk lies in the event’s potential
to deplete and damage resources.
“If we as a City are serious about sustainability,”
says Stephen Granger, the manager of Strategic
Programmes and Projects in the Environmental
Resource Management Department, “we need to
take the opportunity presented by the World Cup
to enhance, improve and develop an environmental
consciousness in the City that will endure long
beyond 2010.”
Granger has coordinated the Environment Sector
Workstream, which prepared the environmental
sustainability (or “greening”) chapter of Cape
Town and the Western Cape’s 2010 Business
Plan submission to the National Treasury. “It is a
challenge indeed, but we have an opportunity to
make a meaningful contribution to the City and our
legacy.”
As Granger points out, the hosting of the World
Cup provides an opportunity to enhance the City
of Cape Town’s committed path to sustainability
and put in place infrastructure with a lasting
sustainability legacy. But it also holds the potential
to further deplete and damage the region’s limited
resources. In the quest for rapid development to
meet deadlines, there is the temptation to take
short cuts that may prove to be unsustainable in
the long run.
“Our aim, therefore, must be to ensure that
opportunities are enhanced while potential
negative effects are minimised.”
The host city agreement, signed by FIFA,
the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee (South
Africa) and the City of Cape Town in March
2006, includes this commitment to environmental
protection:
“The host city undertakes to carry out its
obligations and activities under this agreement in a
manner which embraces the concept of sustainable
development that complies with applicable
environmental legislation and serves to promote
the protection of the environment.
“In particular, the concept of sustainable
development shall include concerns for postcompetition use of stadia and other facilities and
infrastructure,” the agreement notes.
FIFA’s mission statement for the 2010 World Cup
has three pillars: ‘Develop the Game’, ‘Touch the
World’ and ‘Build a Better Future’. The themes of
environment, social integration and education fall
under the third.
The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape
Provincial Government are thus committed to
‘event greening’ – the process of making the 2010
World Cup event environmentally and socially
sustainable.
Event greening is not about tree planting or
landscaping alone. Rather, it is a total package
of interventions to ensure that the event follows
sustainability guidelines and that it has minimal
negative environmental impact.
The main aims of event greening are:
• a reduction in the consumption of natural
resources;
• the minimisation of damage to the environment;
• the protection of biodiversity and human
health;
• the reduction of waste;
• the minimisation of any negative impact on
local inhabitants;
• the consideration of ecological, social and
economic factors in future-oriented city
development; and
• the offering of sustainable development options
to the local people, their environment and
economy.
The Business Plan submission highlights several
important areas of environmental sustainability,
some of which are discussed below.
Green construction
Green building principles and practices in the
development of the new Green Point stadium are
vital, because buildings that consider eco-efficiency
issues in their design use significantly less energy
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
and other resources over their lifetimes.
Eco-efficient building materials and fittings include:
• double-glazing;
• seating made from recycled plastic;
• energy-efficient lighting and appliances;
• water-efficient toilets and showers; and
• solar water heaters instead of electric geysers.
The last three all entail a higher capital cost, but
result in much lower environmental and long-term
operating costs.
Green surroundings
Green procurement
Waste management
The World Cup event organisers will need to invest
in a great deal of equipment and goods. If they
consider sustainability criteria when making these
purchases, they will be able to significantly mitigate
the environmental impact of the event. Some ecoefficient products and services to consider are:
• tradable renewable energy certificates to power the event (as an alternative to fossil fuel electricity);
• bio-diesel from waste cooking oil to power
the stadium generators, or to power some of
the public transport for the event;
• energy-efficient technology and appliances;
• recycled paper and packaging, or paper and
packaging that can be recycled; and
• solar-powered lighting for landscaping.
The development of a new stadium and public
viewing facilities will require extensive landscaping,
as well as environmental rehabilitation of the areas.
Apart from tree-planting to provide a sense of place
and to mitigate carbon build-up, this provides an
opportunity to create biodiversity gardens at the
event sites, including within the Urban Park at the
stadium, as a showcase for the Western Cape’s
incredible floral kingdom.
The expected increase in visitors and activities
in the tourism and hospitality industries will,
without doubt, result in additional waste. The
City’s proposed waste minimisation and recycling
projects will benefit not only Cape Town, but also
the country’s environment and natural resources.
Sustainable transport
Transport is probably the biggest area of impact of
a World Cup, partly because of the massive carbon
emissions from international flights, but also from
internal land and air travel by supporters and teams
during the event.
The greening focus will be on the promotion of
a carbon-neutral event, through the use of green
public transport. Options include the use of efficient
buses, bio-diesel and non-motorised transport.
Sustainable tourism and development
The additional visitors to the Western Cape
anticipated in 2010, provide an excellent
opportunity of building on the Cape Care Route
as a world-class sustainable-tourism route.
Destinations on this route, which currently include
small businesses linked to sustainable development,
such as recycling, urban agriculture, organic
farming and township bicycle projects, could be
extended to include sports development projects.
Such an initiative would create a lasting legacy of
employment opportunities and social upliftment in
the region.
Communication
The 2010 World Cup provides an opportunity
to develop a legacy of environmental awareness
among Cape Town ratepayers. The implementation
of a wide-spread communications strategy will
be vital in this respect. This strategy will include
reporting and feedback on all Greening processes,
monitoring and evaluation of the processes and
the implementation of a Green Ratings programme
within the hospitality industry.
For more information, please contact Stephen Granger, Manager: Strategic Programmes and Projects,
on 021 487 2284 or email: stephen.granger@capetown.gov.za
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Environmental centre launched in vital wetland
T
Nature nurtured
at Blaauwberg
and Zandvlei
T
wo of the most significant natural areas in Cape
Town have received formal status, a boost to
conservation and to educational and recreational
opportunities for residents and visitors (see p.7,
Enviroworks volume 2/06).
The Blaauwberg Conservation Area (BCA), next to
Big Bay, and the Greater Zandvlei Estuary Reserve,
next to Marina da Gama, were declared local
nature reserves by Tasneem Essop, the Provincial
Minister for Environment, Planning and Economic
Development, on 2 November 2006.
Land worthy of conservation is under threat from
ever-increasing development. “The responsibility
to reserve land for conservation is too big to be
handled by any one sphere of government on its
own,” said Essop.
he City of Cape Town has opened a new
education centre in the environmentally
crucial False Bay Ecology Park – the ninth
such centre in a nature reserve.
The new centre is in the False Bay Ecology
Park, which includes the Cape Flats Wastewater
Treatment Works, the Rondevlei Nature Reserve,
the Zeekoevlei Nature Reserve, the Coastal
Park landfill site (between Strandfontein and
Muizenberg) and the craft and culture centre of the
Cape Flats Development Association (Cafda).
The 1 200ha park is the fifth most important
habitat for wetland birds in southern Africa and
hosts about 250 bird species – at times up to
30 000 birds – including fish eagles, pelicans and
flamingos. The park is also an important node in the
City’s Biodiversity Network. And, given its location,
it is a strategic link between the Table Mountain
National Park in the west and the Kogelberg
Biosphere Reserve in the east.
The centre was launched as part of a cooperative
project involving more than 10 City of Cape Town
line functions and 12 civil-society organisations.
Mayor Helen Zille, who opened the environmental
education centre on 30 September, said the park
was a significant part of Capetonians’ natural,
cultural and built heritage as a city.
“It is home to one of the most important bird
sanctuaries in South Africa. It preserves historic
buildings now recognised as monuments and brings
together cultural traditions and empowerment
in the form of Cafda’s Stables Craft and Culture
Centre, which has helped empower disadvantaged
individuals for over a century.”
But the park is not just about biodiversity,
she added. “With the Cape Flats Waste Water
Treatment Works and the Coastal Park landfill site,
two important components of the park, we are also
working towards our goal of a sustainable city.”
Spring babies:
Three bontebok foals
were born in the
Tygerberg Nature
Reserve in September
and October.
The reserve, which is
in Bellville, supports
one of the last remnants
of the highly threatened
renosterveld vegetation.
For more information on the BCA, please
contact Adelé Pretorius, the reserve
manager, on 021 554 0957, or email: bca@
capetown.gov.za. For more information on
Zandvlei, please contact Cassy Sheasby the
reserve manager, on 021 701 7542 or
email: spmzandvlei@sybaweb.co.za.
10
“Operating these core City processes on
sustainable principles also provides excellent
educational opportunities for our children to learn
about full lifecycles, through to the processing of
both human and solid waste.
“The False Bay Ecology Park has all the elements
necessary to become a major metropolitan park
for the city, including conservation importance,
recreational opportunities, educational facilities
and tourism potential.”
The centre will offer a three-day outdoor
environmental education programme for up to 120
learners. Activities will include dragon-boating,
obstacle courses, orientation walks, bird-watching,
fishing, water-quality testing and visits to the
wastewater treatment works and landfill site.
It will be managed by the Zeekoevlei Environmental
Education Programme Trust (Zeep) which, over
the past five years, has run high-quality, lowcost outdoor environmental education and youth
development camps for schoolchildren.
The City of Cape Town regularly sponsors
disadvantaged learners’ participation in Zeep
camps.
BIODIVERSITY
S
Sweet reward for honey badger’s ‘dad’
andiso Kraai, a final-year Nature Conservation
student at the Cape Peninsula University
of Technology and an intern at the City’s
Blaauwberg Conservation Area (BCA), is the
winner of the institution’s first award for the most
interesting project.
That’s no surprise: his final-year
project was to nurture a baby honey
badger. Like all new parents, he abandoned his social life, spent the early
hours of each morning checking on the
badger’s wellbeing and worried about
whether it was eating enough.
BCA staff found the injured honey
badger – then three months old – on a
farm in Atlantis in February. His mother
had probably been killed by dogs.
After a three-week spell at a vet in
Tokai, the baby badger was released to
the BCA. The problem, however, was
that honey badgers usually stay with
their mothers until they are a year and
a half – until then, they are not able to
care for themselves.
So it was up to Sandiso to learn
parenting skills rather quickly. No
formal rehabilitation programme for
honey badgers exists, as they occur
at very low densities throughout their
range and are seldom encountered.
Until he can fend for himself, the
honey badger will be enclosed in a
reservoir in the BCA, which Sandiso
adapted to accommodate the animal.
City is game for
wild animals in
Blaauwberg
“Honey badgers need commitment if they are
going to be rehabilitated,” says Sandiso. “I gave up
my social life. I would drive from Melkbos at 11pm,
sometimes at 1am, to observe how it eats, or how
it adapts to the weather. Does it sleep differently
during different seasons? How does it cope in the
rain, hot, cold, mild weather?”
The BCA is hoping to raise enough funds for a
microchip that will allow the badger to be tracked
after its release. “The equipment is about R20 000
and must be inserted into his belly rather than on his neck, as honey badgers
dig a lot,” says Sandiso.
Like all babies, the badger was gradually introduced to “baby food”. Country
Fair, a Cape Town chicken company,
sponsored day-old chicks (the badger
eats between 10 and 40 chicks a day!)
until he could start on adult foods.
“At first I had to smear fish oil on to
the chicks, to create a desire,” says
Sandiso. After the badger had adapted, Sandiso slowly reduced the number
of chicks and introduced snakes,
chickens, rodents, insects, reptiles
and animals that had died in road
accidents.
He even had to design an exercise
programme for the badger, which was
not active enough in his enclosure.
Sandiso put food under the rocks and
on top of logs so that the animal would
have to climb and dig.
And, like all good parents, Sandiso is
prepared to eventually ‘let go’.
“I made sure that when I gave the
honey badger food it did not see me, so
that it does not associate people with
food or depend on them for that.”
T
he City of Cape Town’s dream of a nature reserve
with roaming herds of game near Blaauwberg Hill
has moved closer to reality with the erection of the
first game fence in the Blaauwberg Conservation Area
(BCA).
The new 2,1m-high game fence has been built
along the West Coast Road between Parklands and
Melkbosstrand, covering 3,7km.
The fence is the result of a partnership between the City
of Cape Town, CapeNature and the Friends of the BCA.
The City provided the labour and materials, CapeNature
supplied a team of expert field rangers to install the
fence and the Friends Group provided refreshments.
The City is negotiating to get more land; when this
is secure and fenced, and the fauna management plan
has been completed, the reserve will bring in the first
appropriate species at the ecologically correct densities.
BIODIVERSITY
11
A way for swimmers and sharks
to safely share the sea
The City of Cape Town’s shark spotting
programme is the most effective and viable
formal shark and recreation safety programme.
T
his is one of the findings in the City’s
draft White Shark and Coastal Recreation
Safety Policy and Strategy, the aim of which
is the safety of people and sharks in False Bay.
In addition to being an effective mitigation
measure, the shark spotting programme also
brings significant social, economic and research
benefits such as job creation, public education and
awareness, and the contribution of research data.
And the programme has no negative environmental
impact.
The draft White Shark and Coastal Recreation
Safety Policy and Strategy includes recommendations
from a specialist workshop held in May this year
(see Enviroworks vol 2/06, p.9). It was attended
by 35 shark experts from different institutions
and the government, including the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the City’s
partners.
Deon Nel, the aquatic unit manager for WWF
South Africa, said the workshop had “gathered the
12
most knowledgeable experts on this issue to review
the best available knowledge and formulate a list of
recommendations that can pave a way forward”.
The policy and strategy is effective from October
2006 until September 2011.
The draft policy notes that the use of shark
capture devices (nets and baited lines) will not be
considered at this stage, as not enough is known
about the residency and movement patterns of
White Sharks to determine the extent to which
capture devices would reduce risk. In addition,
these devices would take their toll on Cape Town’s
marine environment.
Exclusion nets are also unlikely to be successful
in the majority of marine conditions off Cape Town
and would not protect the majority of users or risk
groups (such as surfers and kayakers). They may
only be considered in areas where calm conditions
prevail and swimming is the main recreation activity.
A detailed assessment of the viability of, and need
for, creating small protected swimming areas will
be undertaken before any decision is made.
COASTAL
Electronic and sonar technology is still in the
development stage and may only be considered
once it has been tested and developed further.
The programme will therefore be expanded to
ensure adequate coverage at appropriate beaches
during appropriate times of the year. This will
include:
• full-time spotters at beaches that are
year-round high-intensity recreational
nodes and where significant White Shark
activity is identified;
• part-time spotters (for weekends, holidays
and school holidays) at beaches that are
seasonal high-intensity recreational nodes
and where significant White Shark activity
is identified; and
• a roving spotter team deployed over the
2006-2007 summer period.
It will remain an independent, not-for-profit
programme and will be funded annually through
a grant by the City of Cape Town.
MICHAEL SCHOLL
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
White Sharks are a naturally occurring species and will
continue to enjoy protected status, says Gregg Oelofse, the
City’s Environmental Policy coordinator. However, the City
recognises that a safe coastal environment is best for social
and economic development, and recreation.
The City has a key role to play in resolving conflict between
sharks and sea users, adds Oelofse, and appropriate
measures will benefit both the long-term conservation and
protection of the white shark and the recreation potential
of the coastline.
However, beachgoers and water-sports enthusiasts need
to remember that the use of the marine and coastal
environment has inherent risks. The City will work to lower
these, but the use of the marine environment is really at the
user’s ‘own risk’.
The City will make sure that:
• all recreational beaches have signs informing
users of possible White Shark presence and of
the limitations of the shark spotting programme;
and
• shark-attack emergency kits are accessible at all
coastal recreation nodes.
Beaches that fly the flag for Cape Town
- Mnandi -
- Clifton 4th -
- Gordon’s Bay -
T
hree of Cape Town’s beaches glitter not only with white sand and sparkling water, but with the prestige of Blue Flag status.
Blue Flag is an annual international award given to beaches that meet the criteria of excellence in safety, amenities,
cleanliness and environmental standards.
Cape Town’s Blue Flag beaches are Mnandi (Strandfontein), Clifton 4th and Bikini Beach (Gordon’s Bay).
Status is awarded from 1 November 2006 until 30 April 2007.
Local authorities have noted that Blue Flag beaches usually receive more visitors and enjoy an improvement in beachgoers’ behaviour.
The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches that comply with 14 criteria, including:
•
at least five environmental education activities on offer;
•
a code of conduct for the beach area;
•
excellent bathing-water quality;
•
no industrial or sewage discharges;
•
a beach management committee that conducts regular environmental audits of the beach facility;
•
an adequate number of lifeguards and lifesaving equipment;
•
emergency plans to cope with pollution safety risks; and
•
a supply of drinking water.
For more information, please contact Gregg Oelofse at Environmental Resource Management
on 021 487 2239 or email: gregg.oelofse@capetown.gov.za
COASTAL
13
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
The City responds to climate change predictions
T
he City of Cape Town has endorsed a
new framework for adaptation to climate
change – its response to predictions that the
atmosphere’s temperature will rise by 1,4 to 5,8ºC by
the end of this century.
Climate change increases the likelihood of
extreme weather such as droughts, floods and heat
waves. In South Africa, the Northern Cape and
Western Cape are most at risk from warming and
rainfall change.
A significant number of previous disasters in
Cape Town have been associated with the weather.
These include the Cape Flats floods (1994 and
2001), the Manenberg wind storms (1999 and
2002), the south Peninsula fires (2000), the Joe
Slovo informal settlement fires (2000, 2004 and
2005), severe storms (2003, 2004 and 2005) and
recurrent severe drought (2002 to 2005).
In response to the potential short-term to
medium-term impact of climate change in the
metropolitan area, the City’s Environmental
Resource Management Department commissioned
an adaptation framework.
Adaptation in this context is defined as an
adjustment in bio-physical, social or economic
systems in response to an actual or expected
climatic impact and its effect.
Specific areas requiring action include:
• increased water stress (because of a reduction
in rainfall) and increased evaporation (due to
increased temperature);
• a rise in the sea level (which will increase the
vulnerability of beaches, shorelines and coastal
developments and infrastructure to storm
surges and erosion);
• increased temperatures that could lead to
changes in fire intensity and frequency (which
may also trigger the destruction or migration
of sensitive plant and animal species that are
already at the limits of their temperature and
rainfall tolerance);
• severe storms that may damage infrastructure;
and
• people’s health and livelihoods being indirectly
affected, especially through fires and air
pollution.
This framework lists existing and potential
adaptation strategies for consideration.
This framework will form the basis for
engagement with relevant stakeholders in the
development of a City Adaptation Plan of Action
for Cape Town and the mobilisation of resources
for its implementation.
Sectors
Adaptation strategies
Urban water supplies:
Demand management
a. Water restriction
b. Water tariffs
c. Reduction of leaks programme
d. Pressure management
e. Awareness campaigns
a. Berg River WMA schemes
b. Table Mountain aquifer
c. Reuse of effluent
d. Water harvesting
e. Seawater use
f. Desalination
a. Monitoring and early warning system
b. Reduction of impacts through flood-reduction infrastructure
c. Increasing the flood return period
d. Maintenance of storm water infrastructure
e. Design of resilient infrastructure and buildings
Urban water supplies:
Supply management
Storm water management
14
ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE
Sectors
Adaptation strategies
Biodiversity
a.
b.
c.
d.
Proactive management of fires and invasive alien plants
Monitoring of indicator species
Zoning of protected areas
Impact reduction measures
Fire management
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Increased training in ecological fire management
Fire fighting capacity
Removal of plantations
Control of alien invasive plants
Installation of fire breaks
Erosion protection
Coastal vulnerability mapping
Monitoring of key sites
Shoreline management plans
More stringent set-back lines
Structural mitigation measures
Coastal zones
Livelihoods
a. Assessment of vulnerable livelihoods
b. Ongoing information and data gathering
c. Disaster risk reduction in informal settlements, including improved infrastructure
and planning and management
d. Municipal strategies to include support for household reduction in the use of
water, energy, and other resources
a. Increased awareness of climate-related health impacts
b. Improved construction and building regulations
c. Increased support for health facilities
d. Improved sanitation
Health
For more information, please contact Shirene Rosenberg, Manager: Resource Management,
on 021 487 2124 or email: shirene.rosenberg@capetown.gov.za
GREEN
electricity by July
D
arling Wind has placed its order for the four
wind turbines of phase one of the green electricity project, which means the first delivery of
power should take place in July 2007.
In June 2006, the City signed a 20-year power
purchase agreement with Darling Wind – the first
local government in South Africa to firmly commit to buying sustainable, renewable wind power
(see Enviroworks volume 2/06, p.11).
Recently, the World Bank’s former chief economist, Nicholas Stern, highlighted the seriousness
of the environmental catastrophe that looms as
a result of the unfettered emission of greenhouse
gases. (The consumption of every unit, or 1kWh, of
conventional electricity causes about 1kg of carbon
dioxide gas to be released into the atmosphere.)
Stern says “the world must be prepared to pay
now to prevent an economic fallout in the future,
which could be on the scale of the Great Depression
of the 1930s”.
Stern warns that worldwide inaction could cost
the equivalent of between 5% and 20% of global
gross domestic product every year, forever.
Sharing this future, South African companies are
facing increasing demands to demonstrate socially
responsible behaviour through programmes that
tackle the ‘triple bottom lines’ of environmental,
economic and social sustainability. The JSE has
launched its Socially Responsible Investment index (SRI
index), which has detailed criteria for each element of
the triple bottom line (see www.jse.co.za/sri).
Buying green electricity, therefore, is a good
way for an entity or business to reduce its carbon
footprint ─ without it having to invest in new infrastructure. It is also an opportunity to improve the
SRI score for a body’s environmental sustainability
practices.
Green electricity will be sold at a premium of 25c
per kWh (on top of the usual electricity charge) and
purchasers will be provided with certificates confirming that green electricity has been consumed.
For more information, please contact Brian Jones at the City of Cape Town Electrical Services
on 021 446 2015 or email: brian.jones@capetown.gov.za or visit www.capetown.gov.za
(follow the links under ‘electricity overview’ and ‘green electricity’).
ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE
Nature reserves set
for energy efficiency
The City’s 23 nature reserves will soon operate in a more energy-efficient way – with
solar water heaters, energy-efficient lighting
and effective temperature control through
improved ceilings. Energy-use audits have
been completed on every reserve, and their
energy and hot-water needs have been
established.
15
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
City lights way with solar heater bylaw
T
he City of Cape Town has drawn up a draft
bylaw on the incorporation of solar water
heaters in buildings.
The drafting of the bylaw was initiated under the
City’s Energy and Climate Change Strategy, and was
funded by the Danish International Development
Agency, with assistance from Sustainable Energy
Africa. Once the bylaw is implemented, all new
developments and buildings will have to meet at
least 60% of their hot-water requirements with
solar heating. The bylaw aims to:
• improve energy security and improve energy
risk management;
• reduce the use of electricity;
• improve the quality of life through the provision of hot water; and
• create jobs in the solar water heater industry.
The Solar Water Heaters Bylaw will apply to all
new buildings in the City, as well as to all additions to existing buildings that will require the use
of hot water for example, bedrooms, kitchens and
bathroom extensions.
The bylaw will not apply to buildings used
only for industrial purposes where hot water
requirements exceed that available through
solar water heating, or to any privately funded
residential building where the cost is below the
current subsidy level.
Issues such as technical standards and compliance; appearance and design; building plan
approval; and owners’ obligations are also dealt
with in the draft.
The City anticipates that the bylaw will be ready
for submission to the Council in mid 2007.
FESTIVE ENERGY
F
or the first time in 40 years, the City of Cape
Town is using energy-efficient lighting for its
annual festive lights extravaganza in Adderley
Street. Using modern technology with remotecontrol computer lighting sequences and sound
effects, the City’s Public Lighting Department has
transformed the outdated strings of colourful bulbs
into an illumination extravaganza made up of about
5 000 LED (light emitting diode) lamps and 15 000
metres of rope lighting.
For more information, please contact Shirene Rosenberg, Manager: Resource Management,
on 021 487 2124 or email: shirene.rosenberg@capetown.gov.za
16
ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE
Khayelitsha wetlands to be clean and green
T
he Khayelitsha Wetlands Park is on course to
being free of alien vegetation thanks to City
Parks having completed phases one and two of its
Clean and Green project.
The project, which aims to rehabilitate the City’s
river corridors, wetlands and areas adjacent to
water bodies, will also benefit the Lotus River in
Guguletu and the Blomvlei Canal in Athlone.
Phases one and two of the Khayelitsha Wetlands
Park project consisted of planning and designing
the park, community consultation, alien-vegetation
clearing, a door-to-door waste-wise campaign and
the initial infrastructure construction.
Further initiatives planned for the park include
an indigenous nursery, a skills training centre, bird
hides for bird-watching, nature walk pathways,
upgrades to the adjacent play park and a wastewise campaign.
A ‘tree cage’ business will also be set up to make
protective railings for newly planted trees.
Fostering community ownership of rivers and
wetlands will further ensure sustainability, says
Desireè Galant, the Manager of Operations for City
Parks in the Eastern District.
“The establishment of the Wetlands Park will also
enhance local tourism opportunities and provide
schools and community groups with a hands-on
environmental education resource.”
“The project makes a positive contribution towards
urban renewal by improving the river environment
and turning the area into an economic, recreational
and environmental amenity,” Galant says.
Already, local people have benefited from the
project: 190 temporary jobs were created, 71 of
which went to women and 96 to youth applicants.
Local artists beautified the park benches and park
entrances with extensive mosaic work, depicting
the local environment as well as the fauna and flora
found in the wetlands.
In addition to assistance from the City, the project
also received funding from the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Development,
Western Cape.
For more information, contact Desireè Galant, City Parks Manager of Operations for the
Eastern District, on 021 900 1671, or email: desireemarchelle.galant@capetown.gov.za
CITY PARKS
17
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Environmental programme spreads its wings
M
ore than 30 000 learners attended
the City’s Youth Environmental
School (YES) programme during world
environment in June (see Enviroworks
Vol 1/06, p.17).
This successful programme will
now be run as a year-long programme,
which will also deliver environmental
programmes on dedicated commemorative days and weeks, such as energy
awareness, waste, arbour, heritage,
HIV and AIDS, and many more.
The expanded programme kicked
off during National Marine Week (16
to 20 October), with a marine and
coastal programme. This included
an educators’ workshop as well as a
comprehensive coastal programme for
grade R to grade seven.
Learners on Metrorail’s Edutrain,
who were on their way to Simon’s
Town to view and learn more about
penguins, were ‘edutained’ about
sharks.
And a beach programme, which was
held at various beaches around the
City, focused on our unique sandy and
rocky shores.
The YES programme is supported
by the Western Cape Education
Department and is also aligned with the
United Nations Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development.
Learners from Sea Point Primary School spent a happy day in their local wilderness
classroom, filling bags with beach litter, hoping to win the prize for the biggest or
heaviest bag, or for the discovery of the strangest piece of litter! The environmental
education programme in Sea Point exists thanks to ward allocation funds. “The beach
is often the first place where children meet the ‘wilderness’,” says Councillor JP Smith
of Ward 54. “Their early interest in the world beyond the shore is an excellent way to
introduce additional concepts of wilderness and the natural environment.”
City puts the spotlight on
environmental careers
T
City Parks won an award for the best stand in the Environmental
Careers Centre at the Fair. Its stand was particularly interactive:
learners were offered an empty box in which they had to design
a park friendly to people and the environment.
he City of Cape Town, in partnership with SABC Education, gave
more than 25 000 youth exposure to further education and
training opportunities, especially to those related to the environment,
during the SABC Careers, Education and Training Fair in early August.
The City’s Environmental Resource Management department once
again organised an Environmental Career Centre that enabled
one-on-one interaction with learners – re-enforcing environmental
awareness and providing information onenvironmentally related
careers, bursaries and possible job opportunities.
ERM won an award at the Fair for ‘Outstanding Contribution to
Environmental Education’.
Other City departments that hosted exhibition stands were
City Health, City Parks, Planning, Emergency Services, and Water
departments.
For more information, about the YES programme or the Eco-Schools programme,
please contact Lindie Buirski on 021 487 2839 or email: lindie.buirski@capetown.gov.za
18
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Orchid Legacy Project grows sustainable livelihoods
A long-term goal of the Orchid
Legacy Project is to establish a
collection of indigenous epiphytic
orchids for future production, of
which some will be reintroduced
to the natural environment.
F
ive unemployed women from Cape Town are
set to become orchid farmers, thanks to a new
project founded by the Cape Orchid Society and
funded by the Society, the City of Cape Town and
The Exotic Plant Company (TEPC).
The Legacy Project, as it is known, is the brainchild of the president of the society, Michael Tibbs.
Its aim is to offer women further education and
support in the horticultural industry, which could
lead to sustainable livelihoods.
Initial training in propagation methods was conducted by Tibbs and his staff at TEPC in Agter Paarl
during December. At the same time, Helderberg
Nature Reserve staff worked over the festive season to restore and prepare the unused greenhouse
The orchid farmers and their support team: Ntombizodwa Kama;
Zoleka Magi; Vivian Bulelwa Maqula; Joyce Dladlotti; Margie
Mzanywa; Nikiwe Madalana; Stanley Madikizela; Louis Knonza;
Tembisa Robeni; and Bongiwe Londa. Evelyn Mbenyane is the
group coordinator, while Lilian Masebenza is the overall project
manager.
at the Reserve, which will serve as the nursery.
The Orchid Society and TEPC will provide the
initial plants, which will all be South African and
African orchids (many of our indigenous orchids
are endangered); the new farmers will continue to
propagate their treasures.
There is already a substantial market in threeweek-old plants from the laboratory, so the women
will not have to wait for years or even months for
the opportunity to earn money and contribute to
conservation.
The Legacy Project has also established a support team of women trained to create beadwork,
embroidery and needlework with an orchid theme.
A long-term goal of the project is to establish a
collection of indigenous epiphytic orchids for future
production, of which some will be reintroduced to
the natural environment.
Generous sponsors have provided start-up equipment such as shade cloth, wire and pliers, plants,
hose piping, racking, trays and labels, moss, staple
guns and fertiliser. It will also provide a number of
marketing opportunities: for example, at its international Expo next September, which will celebrate
the Society’s 50th anniversary. The International
Women’s Forum next May and the SAA Cape Town
Flower Show next October will provide further marketing opportunities.
For more information, please contact Lindie Buirski, ERM Environmental Education Coordinator,
on 021 487 2839 or email: lindie.buirski@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
19
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Cape Town schools fly the Green Flag
The nursery at Westville Primary (Mitchells Plain
Node); the school was awarded a Green Flag for the
second year in a row.
T
eachers and learners in Cape Town are receiving international recognition for their environmental programmes, with 21 schools having been
awarded Eco-School status.
Eco-Schools is an international environmental
education programme. Thirty-five portfolios were
submitted for consideration; seven assessments are
pending.
Every year, schools throughout South Africa are
invited to register. Teachers then commit to developing lesson plans and learner-centred activities
that are in line with the Revised National Curriculum
Statement.
At least three relevant focus areas are chosen
by the learners and teachers, and lesson plans are
then developed. School improvement plans and
progress records are collected in a portfolio.
Portfolios are assessed at the end of a year; 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.
This is the fourth year in a row that Levana
Primary School in Lavender Hill, Cape Town, has
been awarded a Green Flag. Ten schools were
awarded Eco-School status for the second time and
two schools for the third time.
The Eco-Schools programme is coordinated
nationally by the Wildlife and Environment Society
of South Africa, supported by 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.
A worm farm at Rocklands Primary (Mitchells Plain
Node), also awarded a Green Flag for the second year.
The aim of the programme is to provide learners
with the capacity and skills to make informed decisions about their lifestyles, livelihoods and relationships with their environment.
Since Eco-Schools South Africa was launched
in 2003, the number of registered schools has
increased from 56 to more than 760 in 2006. Last
year 247 schools were awarded Eco-School status
for 2005 and are proudly flying the international
green flag.
GREEN FLAG TO LEVANA PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR A THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
N
yosile Miti, the Chief Director of Regional Services, at the Western Cape Education Department, hands
over the green flag to Levana Primary School for a third year in a row. The school has just been awarded
the flag for the fourth year, the only school in Cape Town to have achieved this.
Fadiah Abbas is the head of the Natural Sciences Department at Levana Primary. She attributes the school’s
success to the eagerness of her Grade 7 class and, of course, the enthusiasm and participation of her fellow
educators. Not only do they teach the learners about the importance of recycling, but they collect newspapers
and plastic bottles from their own homes to add to the school’s growing recycling centre. “Storage space for
all our recycling is becoming a challenge,” notes Abbas, who has been with the school for 28 years.
The Eco-Friends club at the school regularly participates in hiking, camping and other outdoor activities,
and recently visited the nearby landfill site. “Learners and their parents are becoming more aware of the
health risks of a polluted environment,” says Abbas.
For more information about the Eco-Schools programme contact Lindie Buirski
on 021 487 2839 or email: lindie.buirski@capetown.gov.za
20
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Africa’s top environmental journalists meet in Cape Town
T
Students sponsored by
City share views
he EnviroMedia Conference 2006, held from
28 to 30 August at the Cullinan Hotel, brought
together 86 journalists, media practitioners and
development experts to deepen understanding and
share expertise about reporting on the environment
and sustainable development in Africa.
The conference was funded in large part by
the City of Cape Town, as well as by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) and the international
COM+ Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable
Development.
Among the delegates were many of Africa’s
leading environmental journalists ─ from countries
as diverse as, Kenya, Ghana, Mauritania, Egypt,
Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Zambia and
Angola.
This year, EnviroMedia was closely linked to the
GEF’s Third Assembly, where delegates from 176
countries at the CTICC to decide on policy and
funding.
“The media plays a pivotal role in empowering
the public around environmental matters and
it is therefore essential that journalists have a
comprehensive understanding of these issues,” said
Osman Asmal, the City’s director of Environmental
Resource Management.
“EnviroMedia 2006 was an ideal vehicle
to build local capacity, facilitate networking,
establish partnerships and enhance the quality of
environmental journalism in Africa,” Asmal said.
During the three days of EnviroMedia 2006,
delegates shared knowledge with the focus
being on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessments,
which drew input from 1 300 eminent scientists
worldwide.
“The time has come to move beyond the doomand-gloom apocalyptic view of the environment
and look more closely at the economics of national
resources management,” said Sergio Jellinek,
the World Bank’s communications advisor for
sustainable development. “The conclusions of
the Millennium Ecosystem Assessments provide
an untapped body of knowledge that can help
journalists in constructing a new narrative about the
value of ecosystems in sustainable development.”
Drafted by 1 300 eminent scientists worldwide, the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessments warn that 60%
of the benefits the global ecosystem provides to
support life on Earth (such as fresh water, clean air
and a relatively stable climate) are being degraded
or used unsustainably. The scientists warn that
the harmful consequences of this degradation on
human health are already being felt and could
worsen significantly over the next 50 years. For
more information, visit www.maweb.org.
Part of the problem with environmental
communications is that they often, and
understandably, come in the form of warnings…
people have become accustomed to ignoring the
claims of experts and dismissing their warnings
as false alarms ─ Greg Eden, student at UCT’s
The City was a major sponsor of the EnviroMedia
conference. Here Kobie Brand, EE, Training and
Communications Manager, Environmental Resource
Management Department and Hugh Tyrrell,
EnviroMedia Director, exchange ideas.
Trevor Sandwith, coordinator of the GEF-sponsored
CAPE project launching their book ‘Fynbos, Fynmense’
at the EnviroMedia conference welcome reception.
Environmental journalists came from all over Africa
to Cape Town for the conference. At the welcome
reception are seen Carlyn Habumba (Zambia), Mike
Anane (Ghana), and Sherinne Masupelo (Zambia).
What are the
Millennium Ecosystem
Assessments?
As part of its sponsorship, the City funded six
students from tertiary institutions ─ including the
University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of
the Western Cape (UWC) and the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology (CPUT) to attend the
conference. This is what some of them had to say:
When reporting and commenting on the dangers
that human actions have on the environment, it
is important to provide readers with alternative
methods of achieving their desired results
Bashierah Arnold, a student at UCT’s Centre for
Film and Media Studies
Journalists are under pressure to write about
issues that will sell the publication to the public…
so environmental issues are in a small section
stashed in a corner of a newspaper
Tiny Maphane, UWC journalism student
Centre for Film and Media Studies
The conference gave me a push ahead
with my career. I now want to write about
environmental issues
Petho Ntaba, journalism student, CPUT
For more information, please contact Kobie Brand, EE, Training and Communications Manager:
Environmental Resource Management Department, on 021 487 2293
or email: kobie.brand@capetown.gov.za
ENVIROMEDIA 2006
21
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Global project takes
a tour of Cape Town
communities
Esther Hautmann of BEN with Themba Makau
(from the BEN Bike Project in Hout Bay) on the
carrier rack during the bike ride in Manenberg.
T
LA21’s aims are achieved by facilitating partnerships and partnership projects that improve environmental and socio-economic conditions, with a
particular focus on poverty alleviation.
One of the organisations that displayed its work
at the festival was the Bicycle Empowerment
Network (BEN).
“In one example, we lent 50 bikes to Selfhelp
Manenberg for a bike tour of the suburb for kids
and adults,” said Andrew Wheeldon, the chief
executive of BEN.
The tour took in the history and culture of the
area, and visited sites of political upheaval and
struggle. It also looked at the way in which the
community had rebuilt itself in the aftermath of
apartheid. Another goal of the tour was to intro-
22
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
he Local Agenda 21 (LA 21) Community Festival
in October exposed the people of Manenberg,
Atlantis, Khayelitsha and Elsies River to local activities and projects, but also to social interaction
through soccer, netball, cricket, a cycling tour and
mural painting workshops.
The festival is the result of a partnership, established between the City of Cape Town and the
City of Aachen in Germany in 2000, that promotes
sustainable development and the principles of
LA21. LA 21, a document developed in 1992 at
the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (also known as the Rio Earth
Summit), is a global plan of action to stop environmental degradation and promote equitable
development.
duce people to bikes – and to demonstrate how
well they work as a mode of transport.
“Cycling is quicker than walking and yet you still
get the feel of the local community and its flavour,”
Wheeldon said.
The bikes were hired at R25 for the two hours of
the tour. BEN took 50 bikes to the event and all 50
were returned at the end of the ride. “But we took
only 39 back to the warehouse,” said Wheeldon.
BEN gave one away in a lucky draw and 10 were
given to Selfhelp Manenberg to use on future
tours.
The LA21 Partnership also collects bicycles in
Aachen; these are then sent to Cape Town distributed through BEN to promote non-motorised
transport.
Environmental education scores with soccer workshop
T
he City’s first ‘soccer and environment’ workshop was held at the
Local Agenda 21 festival in Manenberg. And although the links
between soccer and the environment may seem remote, the connections
soon became clear.
The Environmental Resource Management department and Youth
Unlimited have developed a simple and creative workshop to teach
the message of sustainable development through the illustration and
language that football offers. In this way, soccer can be used as a tool for
learning and communication well beyond the game itself.
Elements of football, such as saving a goal, can be equated to saving
the environment, explains Joint Xingashe, one of the City’s environmental
educators. The captain on the field is a vital component in any game
– this is the player who will lead by example and encourage others to play
well. Likewise, we need environmental leaders who set an example to
others and encourage others to live in a more sustainable way.
Almost 1 200 people attended the various community festivals, says
Xingashe. “The youth were especially excited to be part of the workshops
and gave us tips on how to attract even more people so that we can
better spread the environmental message.“
“Young people love soccer, and a good way to attract them to an
environmental message is through this passion,” he says.
“Atlantis for sustainable tourism”
T
he Atlantis environmental community festival
mural was painted as part of the LA21 festival,
with funding of R2 500 from the City’s Arts and
Culture Department. The West Coast Environmental
Co-operative identified an appropriate wall on City
property in Mountview, one of the poorest areas in
Atlantis. Through consultation with the Mountview
Integrated Forum (the local organising body), the
residents took ownership of the project and the
results. Two unemployed people first prepared and
plastered the wall. The artists were 10 art students
from Saxonsea Secondary School, who worked
under the supervision of their teacher, who had
first pencilled in the design. The mural’s theme,
“Atlantis for sustainable tourism”, reflects Atlantis’s
recent listing on the Cape Care Route as a tourism
destination (see Enviroworks Vol 2/06 p.20).
For more information, please contact Grace Stead, Local Agenda 21 Coordinator,
on 021 938 8422 or email: grace.stead@capetown.gov.za
or visit the partnership website on www.aachen-kapstadt.de
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
23
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Revived squares
to shape a vibrant city
T
hree public spaces in central Cape
which people can watch passing life.
Town are undergoing significant
In relation to the City as a whole, the
improvements. And these developments
square will act as a simple and flexible
– at the Grand Parade, St Andrews
space that adds to the character of
Square and Church Square – promise
the CBD. It has not been planned as
benefits that are more than cosmetic.
a major tourist destination but rather
The upgrades will assist with
as a space that will be ‘stumbled upon’
improving safety and security, creating
by visitors and much used by locals.
a greater range of recreational options
The project, a joint initiative of the
for inner-city residents and a reinforced
sense of memory and identity.
City of Cape Town and the Cape Town
For example, the upgrading of the
Partnership, is an example of publicsquares will transform the city from a
private partnerships with surrounding
place dominated by motor vehicles to
businesses
and
stakeholders.
one that has a better balance between
Agreements to fund the later phases
motorists, pedestrians and cyclists (see
of the project have been given and
p.26).
further development on the square
An improved public environment will
should occur soon.
also help make the city’s street life
more vibrant. Having more people use
these areas will in turn improve safety
and security. Too often public spaces
become neglected and abandoned
St Andrews Square was originally
areas that facilitate anti-social activities;
planned as an urban space and
they do not accommodate a wide range
pedestrian connection from the CBD
of uses and are not used intensively
to the Waterfront and broader Green
throughout the day and evening.
Point area. This echoes the historic
The upgrading of these public spaces
incorporates elements of our past to
use of this space as a forecourt to
reinforce a sense of place, memory
the St Andrews Presbyterian Church
and identity, and to protect and The three public squares undergoing improvement are spaced throughout central – which still exists – along which also
celebrate the city’s unique character Cape Town.
ran the old tramlines into Green Point.
and qualities.
However, the vision for the square was expanded
A range of economic activities are encouraged
after the discovery of the remains of some
on the squares, from cafés and specialist markets,
5 000 graves at two construction sites in nearby
to concerts, exhibitions and cultural performances.
Church Square has been converted from a
Green Point.
The intention is not just to generate income to
parking lot to an active public square, designed to
After a lengthy process of appeal, a ministerial
maintain the spaces, but also to make the central city
accommodate a range of functions and uses.
a place that is inclusive, safe, inviting and exciting.
instruction was given to the City of Cape Town
The rich cultural history of the square, with the
The recent increase in inner-city residential
Slave Lodge and the Groote Kerk on its edges, was
to find an appropriate site within the Green
development has created a need for more
a strong design influence. Later, a memorial will be
Point area for the re-interment of the bones and
recreational spaces in the CBD. The squares
constructed to celebrate slave history.
a memorial garden. The graves are believed to
provide an opportunity for social exchange that
Several new residential buildings surround the
be 17th and 18th century burial grounds for the
is not possible in small, urban apartments. These
square, which will provide opportunities for social
city’s poor, including sailors, slaves, servants and
spaces will also revive streets that were previously
activity: there will be restaurants, markets, events
indigenous people.
abandoned after working hours.
and exhibitions, as well as simple benches from
St Andrews Square
Church Square
24
SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
Completed work on St Andrews Square.
The City’s plan for the Grand Parade, with details of parking and plantings.
The City, together with the South African
Heritage Resources Agency, the District Six
Museum, the Prestwich Place Project Committee
and Heritage Western Cape, has since forged a
partnership to facilitate an appropriate process
to honour these ancestors of the city. A project
to develop a re-interment facility (ossuary) and
a visitors’ centre is under way, and a memorial
garden is being designed. The memorial garden
will be designed as a blank ‘canvas’ which will be
able to receive memorials and sculptures beyond
the completion of the project.
An artist’s impression of the completed Church Square.
Grand Parade
The Grand Parade Precinct Revitalisation process
aims to tackle the rundown state of the Parade and
create a space that will meet the needs of its many
users. The design will focus on improving the space
and linkages with the surrounding area, as well as
providing increased opportunities for pedestrian
and tourist activity.
The removal of parking, to make way for a
‘people’s place’, has been suggested as a way to
make the space a multi-functional one that can
accommodate trading, sporting events, music,
food festivals, supervised youth activities and
competitions or similar events. The Parade’s scale
and grandeur, the result of its historic context and
setting, will make it the first public space of its kind
for the City.
The project planning and stakeholder consultation
phase has begun and work on the first phase is
intended to start by July 2007.
For more information, please contact Cedric Daniels: Manager of the Urban Design Branch,
on 021 400 2492 or email: cedric.daniels@capetown.gov.za
SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT
25
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
City really moving on non-motorised transport
Funding has recently been approved for 14 new NMT projects, which
include the improvement of pedestrian access to Nolungile and
Nonquebela Station, provision of pedestrian and cycle facilities
along a section of Spine Road in Khayelitsha, Bosduif/Petunia
Street and Hazel Road in Silvertown, Liesbeeck Parkway in
Mowbray, Cape Town CBD, NY1, Emms Drive and NY3 in
Guguletu, Salt River and Woodstock Station Precinct and the
provision of a pedestrian bridge in Heideveld.
“Our strategy is to focus on areas in the City where there is
already a concentration of trips less than 8km, such as around
schools, CBDs and transport interchanges,” says Japhta. “In
other words, we are building NMT facilities where there is
already a need, before trying to ‘create’ a market.”
Nevertheless, the City is giving that market a push by working
with organisations such as the BEN to educate people about
cycling, to market the concept and to work with communities to
“create a passion” for two-wheeled transport.
Cape Town, along with other South African cities, took part for
the first time in international car-free day on 22 September.
More than 200 cyclists commuted to work along the main road
from Rosebank to the City, accompanied by Mayor Helen Zille
and Andrew Wheeldon of the Bicycle Empowerment Network
(BEN), a lobby group that aims to raise awareness about the
benefits of non-motorised transport for health, poverty alleviation and the environment.
C
ape Town’s plan for non-motorised transport (NMT) has won
international awards, but City Transport has no intention of
resting on its laurels.
Maddie Mazaza, the City’s director of Transport, is proud of the work
done to ensure that these plans are translated into action. “We know
that citizens grow tired of hearing about plans, plans, plans. But our
plans are good and comprehensive – and at least half of our projects are
already being implemented.”
And with its 14 new NMT projects, Cape Town is moving rapidly
towards its goal of being a city “where people feel free to walk and
cycle, space is shared and everyone has access to urban opportunities
and mobility”.
Non-motorised transport can address many environmental issues
in cities, says Daniel Japhta, the head of Universal Access and NonMotorised Traffic. Urban sprawl is a major contributor to higher transport
energy consumption and emissions. However, non-motorised transport,
although a sustainable form of transport, is not yet given the recognition
it needs.
The City’s vision is therefore to “increase cycling and encourage
walking by creating a safe and pleasant bicycle and pedestrian network
of paths to serve all the citizens in Cape Town”.
Already 90km of bicycle paths are spread throughout the City, such as
between Ocean View and Kommetjie, and Khayelitsha and Klipfontein.
26
Councillor Elizabeth Thompson, the Mayoral Committee member for
Transport, Roads and Stormwater, celebrated an event to promote the
use of NMT in the City by testing a bike cart intended for shopping,
carting water or transporting goods. She is being towed by Louis de
Waal, Chairman of BEN.
The objectives of the City’s NMT strategy are to:
• Increase cycling as a mode of travel
• Create confident and secure pedestrians and cyclists
• Develop a high quality, attractive and dignified environment
• Promote a culture that accepts the use of bicycles and walking as
viable means of moving around in the City
• Integrate land-use development appropriately suited for NMT
• Promote social and economic empowerment through improved NMT
• Promote a safer road environment that allows NMT users their fair
share of the available road space
TRANSPORT
City Transport is working with urban
developers to raise awareness of and
respect for non-motorised transport
– hence the 10 bicycle stands at the
newly completed Church Square in
Cape Town’s CBD.
The bicycle pictured is one of four
commuter bikes purchased by the
City from the Bicycling Empowerment
Network and branded in City colours.
City staff are able to use these bikes
during working hours for activities
such as going to meetings, delivering
documents or even buying lunch!
Daniel Japhta says it took him a
mere seven minutes by bike to get to
Wale Street from his office in the Civic
Centre. “I was so energised when I got
in there and ready for action.” He had
no problems looking for parking, of
course – he simply took his bike into
the building with him!
The City’s proposed bicycle routes through Long and Loop streets, to the sporting precinct in Green Point
and the Waterfront.
For more information, contact Daniel Japhta, head of Universal Access and
Non-Motorised Traffic on 021 400 4722 or email: daniel.japhta@capetown.gov.za
TRANSPORT
27
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Less is always more
The wise use of waste means more costs savings,
more environmental preservation and more social benefits
A
re you sure that there is nothing more you can do in your
and information on waste minimisation, and encourage each other to improve
organisation to prevent waste of resources? Has someone conducted
process efficiency, save money and reduce their environmental impact.
a complete survey of all the costs of the waste streams and emis-
Minimisation means the prevention or reduction of waste and emissions
sions in your organisation? And are you absolutely sure that your organisa-
by taking preventive measures at the source (prevention is better than cure).
tion makes the best possible use of energy, water, raw and auxiliary material
Waste minimisation leads to a more economical consumption of raw materials,
consumption?
and a reduction in energy and water consumption. In many organisations and
No? Then it’s time for you to make a plan of action to waste more wisely…
industries there are a number of opportunities to prevent waste and emissions
The City of Cape Town’s waste minimisation programme, WasteWise, is
and achieve environmental and financial benefits.
moving into its third phase of action. And Waste Minimisation Clubs, in local
Waste Minimisation results in a number of benefits:
businesses, organisations and industries, play a vital role in the wise use of
• Economic benefits by increased efficiency and quality;
waste.
• Environmental benefits, with reduced waste emissions;
A Waste Minimisation Club is a concept first developed in the Netherlands
about 15 years ago, to encourage industries to reduce waste and pollution. It
• Social benefits – such as improved company morale and communication,
and reduced health and labour risks.
involves a small number of organisations or departments, usually within the
And research has shown that cost savings and improved environmental
same geographical area, that work together on a voluntary basis to share ideas
performance can be achieved without major investments.
For more information, please contact Leander van Oordt, Solid Waste on 021 400 2292
or email: leander.vanoordt@capetown.gov.za
28
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Reduce your building’s ‘footprint’
City guidelines on the cards for green buildings
B
uildings and housing developments need not be detrimental to our natural or human
environment: it is perfectly possible to build in a way that has a small environmental
footprint, while providing spaces that are comfortable, efficient, attractive and
appropriate to local conditions.
The City’s departments of Town Planning and Environmental Resource Management have
therefore proposed that Cape Town adopt a Green Building Guideline to provide best practice
examples on the design, construction and operation of new or renovated buildings. The
guideline would include practical tools to encourage green buildings, reference material and
resource directories of expert professionals and suppliers, and an easy-to-read brochure.
“Already the current constraints on the provision of electricity in the Western Cape and the
recent water restrictions in Cape Town highlight the need for looking at alternative ways to
ensure that we reduce our dependency on these resources,” says Grace Stead, project manager
for the development of the green building guideline.
“Through promoting the construction of buildings that have a smaller impact on our natural
resources and promoting the use of solar water heaters and renewable technologies, we will
support a more sustainable future for our City.”
Incorporating principles of sustainable living into the design, construction, renovation and
operating cycles of new or renovated buildings offers designers and developers a unique
opportunity to minimise the environmental impact of a development at little or no cost, adds
Stead. Many sustainable interventions can actually save money for developers and operators,
especially in water and electricity charges.
‘Green Building’ or ‘Eco Design’ is a philosophy which embraces the idea that the built
environment need not be detrimental to the natural or human environments. It aims
to minimise the negative impact that building and development has on the biophysical
environment (a building’s ‘environmental footprint’), while providing living and work spaces
that are comfortable, efficient, attractive and appropriate to local conditions. It is intended that
the guideline be used by officials, practitioners
(such as designers, developers and builders),
businesses and private individuals.
Through the Integrated Metropolitan
Environmental Policy (IMEP), the City of Cape
Town already aims to reduce our human causes
of climate change by promoting the sustainable
use of energy and by identifying communities
and ecosystems most vulnerable to the impact
of climate change.
The Green Building Guideline and Solar
Water Heater Bylaw (see p.16) will support the
implementation of these agreements, policies
and strategies. The guidelines will eventually
be supported by implementation tools such as
by-laws and stipulations in the integrated zoning
scheme and building control regulations.
Sustainable Energy Africa’s offices in Steenberg
have been built using green building guidelines.
For more information, please contact Grace Stead, Local Agenda 21 Coordinator,
on 021 938 8422 or email: grace.stead@capetown.gov.za
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
29
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
Mfuleni leaks project a watershed for Cape Town
T
he City of Cape Town’s Water Services
directorate has saved millions of litres of
water a month by improving water-conservation awareness and practices among homeowners in Mfuleni.
The goal of the Mfuleni Integrated Water Leaks
Repair Pilot Project was a leak-free, affordable, equitable and sustainable water supply in
Mfuleni. In addition, the project aimed to:
• ensure that households consumed only what
they needed and what they could afford;
and
• use the lessons learnt from this pilot to roll
out the Integrated Water Leaks Project to
areas in the City that needed it.
Mfuleni consists of about 8 000 households
(formal and site-and-service), of which about 4
500 are billed.
As a result of the project, which concluded at the
end of July, average consumption dropped from
18,9 kilolitres per household a month to 11,4
kilolitres – a saving of 7,5 kilolitres per household a month. The total domestic consumption
dropped from an average of 147 megalitres a
month to 89 megalitres a month, a saving of
58 megalitres a month, or 40%.
More than 1 000 homeowners signed an agreement with the City to become responsible water
users and maintain use within expected norms.
Those who kept this up for six months will have
their water and sewer arrears written off as bad
debt. They also agreed to settle their accounts
regularly and to pay for future repairs.
During the course of the project, 20 community
liaison officers from Mfuleni were trained to identify water leaks and educate residents on how to
identify, stop and repair water leaks. They also
explained to people how to use less water.
Sixteen people living in Mfuleni were trained
as plumbers. They then repaired the plumbing on
3 355 properties at the City’s expense. Of these
properties, 2 524 (75,2%) had toilet cistern leaks.
Ten leak-free cisterns were installed to monitor
their effectiveness for future projects.
Trained community liaison officers from
Mfuleni educate residents on how to identify,
stop and repair water leaks.
For more information, please contact Cathrine Wilson, Communications:
Water Demand Management, on 021 761 0989 or email: cathrine.wilson@capetown.gov.za
30
WATER MANAGEMENT
The plan for Die Oog
The management plan for Die Oog has been endorsed
by interested and affected organisations and community groups, as well as by City Parks and Cemeteries;
Biodiversity Management; Environmental Management
(including Heritage); and Stormwater Management.
The plan is designed to ensure the site retains its historic
and botanical significance and that those elements that
require protection are not diminished or threatened. Key
overall management objectives are:
• to conserve the historic nature of the dam
and tree avenue;
• to rehabilitate the area in a manner sensitive to its historical and cultural context;
• to conserve the biological diversity present
at Die Oog;
• to develop and enhance the area as a protected habitat for indigenous birds; and
• to enhance the functioning of Die Oog as
part of the surrounding wetlands.
• to develop Die Oog as a place of natural
beauty and recreation for generations to
come; and
• to communicate the heritage and botanical
significance of the site.
T
he City of Cape Town, the Nature Conservation
Corporation and the Friends of Die Oog have
begun work to clear and rehabilitate the wetland area below Die Oog in Bergvliet, thanks to
funding received from the Rowland and Leta Hill
Trust at the end of August.
Die Oog is a natural spring or ‘eye’ around which
a dam was built, about 230 years ago, to supply
the Bergvliet Farm with water. This fenced area of
1 2665ha incorporates a remnant area of granite
fynbos vegetation (a critically endangered vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape), a seasonal wetland and a breeding site for the endangered
Leopard Toad. Die Oog is surrounded by houses,
public open space and a wetland corridor.
After clearing encroaching terrestrial vegetation
such as reeds, workers found steps descending
from the dam wall down to the seasonal wetland.
The steps are slabs of slate, which must have been
Grand vision
for Bergvliet’s
Die Oog wetland
transported quite a distance – they date back 150
years or more.
After the initial clearing, the seasonal wetland
will be reshaped by the City and the Working for
Wetlands programme will undertake a mass planting of indigenous wetland plants.
Ultimately, this seasonal wetland will become
more diverse: a home will be created for dragonflies, terrapins, frogs, mongooses, otters, wading
birds, kingfishers, vlei rats, owls, and many more
wetland creatures.
Workers clearing reeds at the site saw water
mongooses, mole snakes, Cape dwarf chameleons,
yellow-billed kites and an ‘alien’ painted reed frog
(such creatures occur naturally along the Garden
Route up the coast towards the Kruger National
Park).
The site was originally included in the City of Cape
Town Biodiversity Network, but its size and the
presence of larger areas of remnant fynbos meant
it was subsequently excluded from the network.
The Local Structure Plan for Bergvliet,
Meadowridge and Diep River classifies Die
Oog as a regionally significant open space with
heritage significance. In terms of an archaeological
and historical impact assessment conducted earlier
this year, the site is regarded as a highly significant
example of an urban site within a specific historical
or cultural landscape.
Friends of Die Oog was founded in 2003 to rehabilitate and restore Die Oog with the aid of grants
from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund of the
United States and the Rowland and Leta Hill Trust,
managed by the World Wide Fund for Nature South
Africa. The organisation has initiated a number of
successful projects in collaboration with the City
of Cape Town’s departments of Environmental
Management and Nature Conservation.
For more information, please contact Natalie Newman of Environmental Management Services,
on 021 710 8049, or email: natalie.newman@capetown.gov.za
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
31
Volume 1/07 • February 2007
ERM staff volunteer at SANCCOB
T
hree members of the Environmental Resource Management Department
have volunteered to help the Southern African Foundation for the
Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), which recently rescued just over
700 abandoned penguin chicks from Dyer Island.
The parents had begun their annual moult while they still had dependent
chicks. Once the moulting process begins, the parents are not waterproof,
cannot fish and therefore cannot feed their chicks. Ultimately, the chicks
would not have survived dehydration and starvation if they had not been
rescued by SANCCOB.
Ruth Richards, Paul Arends and Max Dingaan assisted with daily tasks and
the feeding of the abandoned chicks for three months, until the penguins
were old enough to be released back into the wild.
Max Dingaan, left, and Paul Arends, right, of the City’s ERM Department.
BCA champion bags another award
C
lifford Dorse, the area manager north for nature conservation, has proved
yet again that passion is an essential part of doing a good job.
In October he was awarded the CAPTRUST Award (in the individual
category) for environmental conservation, in “recognition of his important
contribution to nature conservation in general, his passion for environmental education and the outstanding work he has done for the Blaauwberg
Conservation Area (BCA) and Zoar Vlei.”
Earlier in 2006 Dorse received a Rotary Award, also in recognition of his
work in the BCA (see Enviroworks Vol 2/06, p.32).
Dorse studied nature conservation at the Cape Technikon (as it was
known in 1997) and spent his internship year working with Dalton Gibbs,
the area manager south. In 1998 he managed the Zandvlei Estuary Reserve
and started the process of lobbying for nature reserve status. In 2003 he
started working at the newly founded BCA.
“The BCA is really a spectacular reserve – it can take quite a lot to achieve
success in nature conservation, but we’ve done so with this reserve and
many others in the City (see pages 10 to 11). I know it sounds like a cliché,
but I am passionate about biodiversity, and this keeps me motivated …!”
Bellville South forum cleans up
with emission-prevention award
T
he Bellville South Environmental Forum (BELSEF) has received the 2006
National Association for Clean Air Management Award for exceptional
effort in reducing emissions in the Bellville South region.
It was awarded in recognition of BELSEF’s effort in bringing air pollution
to the lowest possible levels.
The City of Cape Town’s Health Department is an important partner in
BELSEF, as a founder member and as the provider of air-quality monitoring
services and technical expertise.
BELSEF consists of various industries, public and residential organisations, and government representatives (the City and the Western Cape).
Its primary purpose is to promote environmental protection and public
health in the Bellville South area.
The Forum was founded in 2000, after the City’s Air Pollution Control
officials became increasingly concerned about the elevated levels of air
pollution in Belville South. The proximity of an industial area, with its
fuel-burning appliances on site, was identified as the main source of this
pollution.
Working with the Concerned Residents Associaton of Belville South, Air
Pollution Control called a public meeting to discuss how the local industries
could work together with the community and with local government to
reduce pollution in the area.
As a result of this meeting, BELSEF was established, bringing together
community representatives, local government officials and representatives
of industries in the area. Representatives from the provincial government,
the national government and a local university also became members of
the forum.
Environmental Resource Management Department, City of Cape Town
44 Wale Street, Cape Town, PO Box 16548, Vlaeberg 8018
Tel: +27 21 487 2319 Fax: +27 21 487 2255 E-mail: enviro@capetown.gov.za
Website: www.capetown.gov.za/environment
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