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

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SRK Consulting in association with BKS Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality EMF – Draft Status Quo Report Page 63 Asset Opportunity Constraint / Threat utilized and preserved. Historical towns Cultural heritage sites (e.g. historic buildings, cemeteries and memorials) The rich history of towns in the area affords an opportunity to expand the tourism activities in the PKSLM area. There are research opportunities for local historians and school children. Opportunity to expand the tourism product in the PKSLM area in a way that does not result in the damage and/or destruction of these sites. There is limited or no documentation of the history in rural areas. This makes it more difficult to identify places and sites of cultural significance that occur in these areas. Limited focus on the preservation of cultural heritage in towns in the PKSLM area. Most of these sites are in a poor state of repair. SAHRA database of heritage sites does not include all sites of cultural significance. There is little or no information regarding the location of sites, which means that it is difficult to determine whether the status of sites. Limits the opportunity to develop some of the sites as part of the tourism industry. Some of the sites are located on private land which makes it difficult to access and monitor their conservation. Source: Adapted from Van Vollenhoven (2010) Table 4-8: Assets, opportunities and constraints/threats associated with resource economics Asset Opportunity Constraint / Threat Sustainable economy Intact ecosystems The opportunity to establish a diversified, robust and sustainable economy that achieves a balance between the maintenance of natural capital and its use in agriculture, mining, tourism and forestry. Presence of tourism assets particularly around Wakkerstroom and in the form of heritage resources. The PGDS has set ambition goals and targets to improve the economic performance of tourism in recognition of its potential to deliver significant long term benefits. The target is to increase its contribution to Gross Domestic Product by 10% per annum (MTPA, 2007). Relatively low level of degradation as yet in many parts of the study area resulting in economic benefits from ecosystem services that can be sustained at relatively minimal cost. The opportunity to remain a critical area for the maintenance of water security in the region and further afield in South Africa. The opportunity to optimise the chances of being able to adapt to climate change (intact unfragmented and well-functioning ecosystems with adequate natural areas are more resilient to change and offer more opportunities for species movements and dispersal, a factor that will become increasingly important in the face of climate changes. Ecosystem services provision from areas Level of economic need can result in skewed focus on short term gains at the cost of longer term sustainable economic development. This can result in ‘quick fixes’ that are likely to be to the detriment of long term development. Low levels of awareness of the economic benefits associated with healthy environments tend to create a bias towards potentially unsustainable development. Careful consideration will have to be given the preservation of the assets upon which tourism growth relies. Tourism development seems constrained by a lack of resources and limited institutional capacity at a local and regional level. To this can be added a lack of a clear tourism strategy and dedicated tourism staff for PKSLM. The threat of serious ecological impacts in which the natural capital of the area is damaged to the point where it is no longer adaptable and no longer delivers economic benefits and can only be repaired at great cost, if at all. Exceeding environmental thresholds and having to pay a heavy price for rehabilitation and restoration of critical ecological functions. Pressure to allow coal mining and other land conversion in particularly sensitive areas containing significant natural capital. Allowing alien invasive plants to spread thereby threatening indigenous vegetation and water security. Low absorptive capacity of sensitive area such as the Wakkerstroom wetlands. Claims that mitigation of mining impacts is 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 64 Asset Opportunity Constraint / Threat containing natural capital and tourism are largely compatible. There is thus an opportunity to derive significant ecosystem and tourism values by limiting mining and other forms of land conversion in particularly sensitive environments (such as the Wakkerstroom area and others with important habitats). A key finding of the SDF is that valuable environmental resources which must be protected and linked to tourism to inter alia retain good environmental qualities and increase economic diversification and generate other income for the local communities (PKS, 2009b). possible do not seem to conform to the reality on the ground in other coal mining areas. The precautionary principle is thus particularly valid in sensitive areas where key ecosystem services are threatened along with other more sustainable land use options. Highly variable records of mining companies with respect to environmental mitigation makes it difficult to judge all companies and proposed mines in the same light. The most recent South African Mining Industry overview publication produced by Department of Minerals and Energy notes that “The small scale mining sector is, however, faced with many challenges such as lack of access to finance and markets, shortage of skills and inadequate or non-compliance with regulatory requirements” (Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), 2008). It is likely that these constraints are faced my small miners in the study area. From a sustainable environmental management perspective, non-compliance with regulatory requirements focused on the environment is particularly concerning. Degraded systems with limited connectivity between natural areas will be more vulnerable to climate changes not only impacting on species in natural areas but also on the agricultural systems that rely on natural areas for supporting ecosystem services. Economic data Critical input into strategic decision –making to maximize sustainability. The very limited availability of quantified estimates of the economic value associated with natural assets in the PKSLM. Although quantified estimates are not a pre-requisite for making strategic decisions, they can provide key insights and powerful arguments regarding the sustainable use and protection of natural assets. Their generation in the municipality and other parts of the country should thus be encouraged and ways found to channel better funding towards the required primary research. Source: Adapted from Van Zyl (2010) KILI/BEAT G:\404946_PIXLEY EMF\7REPORTS\Status Quo report\Draft report\Draft status quo report, July 2010.docx July 2010
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