the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 93 The Conservancy is bordered on the northeast by a large section of the Orange River, and perhaps the most undisturbed stretch of the river. The Orange River is the largest river in South Africa and Along its 2300 kilometre length, it passes through large farming regions where it is tapped for agriculture and human settlement and polluted by fertilizer and waste. The result has been continually lower river water levels, impacts on fish species and the inability of the river to flood and flush along its course. The Orange is undisturbed along its entire course along the Conservancy, which serves to protect one of the last remaining wilderness stretches of the river. However, cumulative impacts from upstream activities affect the overall health of the river. Grazing of livestock has been carried out in the Richtersveld for two thousand years, leaving the land largely in tact. Numbers of stock are generally low, as a result of low carrying capacity of the land. However, certain areas require strict monitoring to ensure that grazing does not impact heavily on the flora. Some areas in the broader Richtersveld have substantial damage from erosion and overgrazing. The Conservancy through its Management Plan and the in-process GEF-funded Grazing Plan for the Conservancy and communal grazing areas will largely ensure that grazing is practiced sustainably. 4.b (iii) Natural Disasters and Risk Preparedness The Richtersveld Community Conservancy falls under the Disaster Management Plan (DMP) of the Richtersveld Municipality. The Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000 and the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 places an obligation upon each municipality to prepare a Disaster Management Plan as part of their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). The Richtersveld Municipality published their DMP in 2004 with jurisdiction over the Conservancy area. The DMP of the Richtersveld Municipality identifies the following as the greatest risks for the entire municipality which includes the Richtersveld Community Conservancy: • Desertification • Drought
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 94 • Domestic fires • Flooding Road accidents and erratic electricity and phone services to the remote parts of the municipality were also identified as areas where intervention is required. Surveys were carried out in Eksteenfontein and Kuboes with regards to the immediate needs relating to Disaster Mitigation and Risk Preparedness. Natural disasters which face the Richtersveld Community Conservancy are not of a great enough scale to pose a significant threat to the property. Occasional brush fires are controllable due to the terrain, lack of dry undergrowth and succulent nature of the plant species. Flooding of dirt roads occurs at times rendering the more remote roads as inaccessible, but the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T) and the municipality have already begun repairing roads in the two towns as well as access roads to the Conservancy. It is noted that crime is not identified as a priority area, as the Richtersveld has the lowest crime rates in the entire country. The DMP also outlines a Disaster Response Plan which is being compiled to set forth contingency planning for the prioritized possible disasters. In light of the envisioned emergency facilities needed for a World Heritage Site and in general being demanded by the residents of Eksteenfontein and Kuboes, telephone services and electricity supplies are being upgraded. A new tar road is being constructed linking Kuboes with Alexander Bay (with hospital facilities) and Oranjemund, Namibia (with airport facilities) and cell phone coverage is ever expanding in the region, currently available in Kuboes, but not yet in Eksteenfontein. 4.b. (iv) Visitor/Tourism Pressures The Richtersveld Community Conservancy is located in the most sparsely populated region of South Africa. While visitor numbers are increasing, the Conservancy and surrounding areas remain remote and subsequently do not face the same visitor pressures as do other protected areas of the country, such as Cape Peninsula National Park and Kruger National Park. The main pressures
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the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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