Draft Status Quo Report for the Pixley Ka Seme ... - SRK Consulting

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 47 DIRECT USE - Consumptive e.g.food, timber - Non-consumptive e.g. tourism TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE USE VALUE OPTION VALUE NON-USE VALUE INDIRECT USE - Regulating services e.g. carbon sequestration QUASI-OPTION VALUE Future use or delaying decisions until optimal decision may be reached BEQUEST VALUE -Payments for future generations Figure 3-5: The TEV framework EXISTENCE VALUE - Knowledge that a resource exists natural environment. The water environment is important given the area’s importance for a number of major catchments. Services associated with natural terrestrial environments and the biodiversity that they support are also prominent and help to maintain land productivity. The link between ecosystem services and continued sustainable production are clear. Option values and future use values are key to the EMF, particularly for areas that are growing rapidly. These values and their implications are therefore assessed for all major resource uses (Van Zyl, 2010). The interrelatedness of the environment, human welfare and economic development is shown in Figure 3-6. Figure 3-6: The link between Ecosystem Services and human well-being in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Key direct (consumptive and non-consumptive) resource uses identified for the study are: • Agriculture; • Tourism (focused on eco-tourism and heritage tourism) and recreation; • Mining (primarily coal); • Forestry; • Harvesting of resources from the natural environment; and • Aesthetic and cultural values not captured in tourism and recreational value. Key indirect uses or ecosystem services in the area are those associated with a healthy and sustainably utilised 3.6.1 Overall economic trends and land use Economic development in PKSLM is primarily driven by the agriculture, forestry, mining and tourism sectors. Growth of the economy has approximately matched that of the national economy (Van Zyl, 2010). 3.6.2 Agriculture The robust commercial agricultural sector, as well as the subsistence sector, are central to the economy of both PKSLM and the region. Agriculture is the Province’s largest employer, especially for low-skilled workers. It is likely that between 2,700 and 2,725 direct agricultural jobs are currently supported in the study area (Van Zyl, 2010). Additional water availability for irrigation agriculture is limited and further access would most likely involve costly transfers. Thus significant expansion of irrigated agriculture would most probably require increased water efficiency. Opportunities for agricultural expansion can be found through, for example, the development of niche markets and products, the development of a strong agro-processing industry and agro-eco tourism development. Institutional constraints also play a key role in the development of agriculture (Jordaan and Jordaan, 2010). 3.6.3 Tourism and recreation The national tourism industry has exceeded the growth of virtually all other sectors in the post-apartheid era. With indirect spending taken into account, tourism contribution to gross domestic product is about 8.3% (Van Schalkwyk, 2009). The Mpumalanga Tourism Growth Strategy (MTGS) notes that direct employment KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 48 represents just under 2% of formal employment in the Province, underestimating the wider tourism sector contribution. At a regional level, the municipal areas fall within the Grass and Wetlands tourism region or ‘route’. Its attractions include a varied mixture of natural and heritage attractions (PKSLM, 2008). Visitor numbers to the municipality are probably between 150,000 and 300,000 per year (Van Zyl, 2010). Table 3-17 provides a summary of the number of beds available in PKSLM. Table 3-17: Bed numbers and likely accommodation related employment in the study area Municipality/town No of beds - Low Income No of beds - Middle Income No of beds - High Income Total Wakkerstroom and surrounds 64 192 64 320 Volksrust and surrounds 160 480 160 800 Other parts of Pixley ka Seme 20 60 20 100 Total beds in study area 244 732 244 1220 Ave jobs per bed 0.2 0.35 0.5 Total jobs in accom 49 256 122 427 Data on accommodation and other tourist-focused commercial activities in the study area indicates an estimate of between 636 and 776 total direct tourism jobs at present (see Table 4-5). Table 3-18: Total tourism related employment in the study area Estimated employees in the municipal area Low Medium High Accommodation 385 427 470 Restaurants 108 120 132 Tourist products and shops 72 80 88 Other tourist services and activities 71 78 86 Total 636 705 776 There has been a highly impressive localised increase in tourism. Anecdotal evidence and interviews with stakeholders indicates that there has been around 7 to 10 times growth in the Wakkerstroom area over the last 6-7 years based largely on birdwatching. This has been a major contributor to employment growth in the area (Van Zyl, 2010). Even with this level of growth, tourism is still relatively small both in absolute terms and relative to the rich tourism assets offered by Wakkerstroom and the wider region. It is thus likely that growth should remain high for some time particularly if the area is marketed well and appropriate steps are taken to ensure the protection of tourism assets (Van Zyl, 2010). Despite its growth, the tourism sector remains underdeveloped in the Province and certainly in the study area and GSDM as a whole. Besides the Important Birding Area status of Wakkerstroom, the Volksrust area has significant potential for high levels of cultural tourism. Farm and game farm tourism focused on the eastern PKSLM has had increased interest and growth. The MTGS emphasizes that much more can be done to translate the Province’s natural, historical and cultural resource base into a significant tourism industry. Wakkerstoom is highlighted in the MTGS both as one of ten tourism development nodes in Mpumalanga, and as a key place of interest out of 15 such places identified throughout Mpumalanga. 3.6.4 Mining Mining in the study area is dominated by relatively small scale coal production, with some sand and dolerite mining. The economic benefits associated with coal mining are not particularly significant in the local area, although there most likely has been expansion since 2001. Employment is estimated between 100 and 200 persons (Van Zyl, 2010). Current levels of mining activity in the area are particularly low considering the large extent of coal underlying PKSLM. The sizable deposits are at deeper levels and therefore often uneconomical at present prices. Small-scale coal mining is occurring in the east of the municipal where seams are close enough to the surface to support this level of exploitation. Over the longer term demand for coal is likely to remain relatively high which may result in currently uneconomical deposits being mined. The use of UCG technology shows high levels of promise and may drive demand for deep-lying coal deposits. UCG allows access to otherwise non-viable deep coal deposits by gasifying the coal underground and pumping it out as gas. Environmental benefits of the UCG include 15- 25% less carbon emission per megawatt generated due to greater efficiencies and lower particulate sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions (in Van Zyl, 2010). KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
Page 2 and 3:
SRK Consulting in association with
Page 4 and 5:
Page 6 and 7: SRK Consulting in association with
Page 10 and 11: SRK House 265 Oxford Road, Illovo J
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
show all

Draft Status Quo Report for the Pixley Ka Seme ... - SRK Consulting

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?