Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
SECTION C: THE ENVIRONMENT
SECTION CONTENT
December 2011
This section addresses the key aspects of the natural and cultural environment of the Northern Cape in terms
of the holistic definition of the ‘environment’ as put forward by the National Environmental Management Act
(NEMA) 107 of 1998, namely the aggregate of all external conditions and influences affecting the life of an
organism. In particular, ‘environment’ refers to the surroundings within which humans exist and that are made
up of:
a) the land, water and atmosphere of the earth;
b) micro‐organisms, plant and animal life;
c) any part or combination of (a) and (b) and the interrelationships among and between them; and
d) the physical, chemical, aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that influence
human health and well‐being.
NOTE: There is a significant gap in information relating to the biodiversity resources of the Province and the
associated environmental services. This shortcoming has to be addressed in order to ensure that the
requirements of the environment receive rightful and balanced consideration in land use planning and in the
adjudication of the desirability of land use applications in terms of the PSDF and municipal SDFs.
C.1 GENERAL BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
C.1.1 CLIMATE
The weather of the Northern Cape is typically that of desert and semi‐desert areas. It is a
generally hot and dry region with fluctuating temperatures and generally low rainfall.
Evaporation levels exceed the annual rainfall which varies between 50 mm and 400 mm (the
average annual rainfall over the Province is 202 mm). The western areas of the Province,
which include Namaqualand, portions of Boesmanland, and small areas of the Green
Kalahari, receive rainfall during the winter months (April to September). The central,
northern and eastern parts of the Province receive rain primarily during the summer months
(December to February). Map C.1 below illustrates the average rainfall of the Northern Cape
in context of the country as a whole. In January, average afternoon temperatures range
between 34°C and 40°C in the interior. Summer temperatures often top the 40°C mark in
most of the Province, with temperatures as high as 48°C having been recorded along the
Orange River. During winter (especially in June and August), average day temperatures are
mild (approximately 22°C). Night temperatures often drop below 0°C. In winter, snow often
falls in the mountainous areas of Sutherland. This town lies at an altitude of 1 500 meters
above sea level and is one of the coldest settlements in southern Africa with winter
temperatures often being between ‐6 to ‐9°C.
Table C.1: Monthly average temperature and rainfall for the Northern Cape (Source:
http://www.wheretostay.co.za/nc/info/climate.htm)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Temp (°C) 25.3 24.1 22.0 17.9 13.9 10.7 10.8 13.1 17.2 19.9 22.4 24.3
Rainfall (mm) 57 76 65 49 16 7 7 7 12 30 42 46
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
12
Dennis Moss Partnership