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LAB: Wetlands SA
Version 1: February 2017
1
Frances Baard District Municipality
Wetland Strategy and Action Plan
(2017- 2022)
Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB): Wetlands South Africa
LAB: Wetlands SA
Version 1: February 2017
2
Full Program Title: Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetland Management in a
Changing Climate
Sponsoring USAID Office: USAID/Southern Africa
Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-674-A-14-00014
Contractor: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa Secretariat
Date of Publication: February 2017
Author: R. Fisher
Version History
VERSION DATE COMPLETED APPROVED BY DATE APPROVED
Draft 24th February 2017
DISCLAIMER
This Wetland Strategy and Action Plan was made possible by the support of the American People
through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the
sole responsibility of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and do not necessarily reflect
the views of USAID or the United States Government.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... 4
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... 5
List of Figures & Tables ............................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 6
1. Wetlands in the Frances Baard District Municipality .......................................................................... 8
1.1. What is a Wetland? ..................................................................................................................... 8
1.2 The Value of Wetlands to the Frances Baard District Municipality ...................................... 8
1.3 Threats to Wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality ....................................... 10
2. Governance & Management ................................................................................................................ 12
2.1 Policy framework ............................................................................................................................ 12
2.2 Wetland management within the municipality .......................................................................... 14
3. Developing the Frances Baard Wetland Strategy and Action Plan ................................................. 15
4. Frances Baard District Municipality Wetland Strategy and Action Plan (2017- 2022) .................. 16
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The compilation of the Frances Baard District Municipality Wetland Strategy and Action Plan
(WSAP) would not have been possible without the significant contribution and support from the
many active stakeholders who currently work within the District.
ICLEI Africa Secretariat (ICLEI AS) and Frances Baard District Municipality would like to specifically
thank the United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID), the funders of the Local
Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) project, without whom the
compilation of the WSAP would not have been possible. ICLEI AS and Frances Baard District
Municipality would also like to thank the LAB: Wetlands SA Project partners, namely the
Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), South African Local Government Association (SALGA),
Working for Wetlands as well as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) for the
unfailing support received to date for the development of this WSAP.
In addition, ICLEI AS and Frances Baard District Municipality would like to acknowledge the
meaningful contributions from all other stakeholders within Frances Baard District Municipality,
both public and private, which have culminated in the Frances Baard District Municipality WSAP.
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L IST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AS Africa Secretariat
DEA Department of Environmental Affairs
DEA&DP Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
FBDM Frances Baard District Municipality
IAP Invasive Alien Plant
ICLEI ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability
LAB: Wetlands SA Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa
LM Local Municipality
SA South Africa
SALGA South African Local Governments Association
SANBI South African National Biodiversity Initiative
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WFW Working for Wetlands
WSAP Wetland Strategy and Action Plan
L IST OF F IGURES & TABLES
Figure 1: Mottled soils indicative of a wetland.
Figure 2: Specially adapted wetland vegetation.
Table 1: Ecosystem services identified that have been provided by wetlands found
in Frances Baard District Municipality.
Table 2: Threats to wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality.
Table 3: Legislation governing wetland management in the Frances Baard District
Municipality.
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INTRODUCTION
South Africa is endowed with a rich wealth of biodiversity, which offers an immense opportunity
to support the country’s development path by providing many goods and services which
contribute to municipal service delivery, water and food security and quality of life, especially
under a changing climate.
The Frances Baard District Municipality (FBDM) is located in the Northern Cape Province of South
Africa and covers an area of 23, 331 km², making it the smallest district in the Northern Cape;
however, it accommodates the largest proportion of the population of the province estimated
at 382 0881. The district comprises of four local municipalities namely Dikgatlong Municipality,
Magareng Municipality, Phokwane Municipality, and Sol Plaatje Municipality. Kimberley, located in
Sol Plaatje Municipality, is the capital of the province, and also the home of the District Municipality
head offices. Key environmental features in the district include two of the largest rivers in South
Africa, the Orange and the Vaal, which both flow through and meet in the Frances Baard district.
There is still a lot to learn about the wetland systems in the district. Various organisations and
initiatives are emerging around studying the systems in the Northern Cape as a whole, as is the
case in other parts of the country.
Within Frances Baard District Municipality, a significant number of the wetlands are under threat
or have already been lost. This is largely due to the spread of invasive alien plants (IAPs) deliberate
draining of wetlands to make way for development and agriculture, inappropriate development
within the close proximity to the wetlands, poorly regulated agricultural practices (overgrazing and
ploughing) and contamination through chemical, sewage and stormwater seeps. Degraded
wetlands are unable to function to the same degree as healthy wetlands and as such ecosystem
service provision from these wetlands is severely hindered or even lost altogether.
In light of this, there is an urgent need to increase awareness of wetland importance and to
incorporate natural wetland resource considerations into municipal governance mechanisms and
planning. Careful management as well as the investment in the maintenance of healthy wetlands
and the rehabilitation and restoration of damaged or degraded wetlands is also needed. This will
ensure the continued provision of these vital ecosystem services to the municipality.
Frances Baard District Municipality is implementing the Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands
South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) programme with support from ICLEI Africa Secretariat (ICLEI AS).
The LAB: Wetlands SA project aims to ensure the protection of priority natural wetland resources,
thus enabling the supply of ecosystem services, and promoting resilient communities and
sustainable local economies under a changing climate within South African local governments.
Through the development of this Wetland Strategy and Action Plan (WSAP), ICLEI AS will assist
Frances Baard District Municipality in identifying the gaps in management and support with
devising new and better wetlands management strategies going forward.
1 Statistics South Africa, Census 2011 (http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964)
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Supporting Documentation:
This document relies heavily on two supporting documents: The Frances BaardDistrict Municipality
Wetland Report (2017) and the Wetland Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines (2017).
These can be downloaded from http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-wetlands-sa/
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1. WETLANDS IN THE FRANCES BAARD D ISTRICT
MUNICIPALITY
1.1. What is a Wetland?
In simpler terms, a wetland is a feature in the landscape which is saturated with water for a long
enough period that the soil conditions change (mottling as a result of the anaerobic conditions)
and the vegetation shifts to respond to these changes.
Figure 1 & 2: Mottled soils indicative of a wetland (left) and specially adapted wetland vegetation
(right).
For more detailed information regarding wetlands within the Frances Baard District Municipality.
Please refer to the Frances Baard District Municipality: Wetland Report (2017) which can be
accessed here: http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-wetlands-sa/
1.2 The Value of Wetlands to the Frances Baard District
Municipality
All wetland types can be classified as high value ‘ecological infrastructure’ due to the large number
of ecosystem services that they provide. Wetland ecosystem services can be classified into four
separate categories namely ‘provisioning services’, ‘regulating services’, ‘cultural services’ and
‘supporting services’. Provisioning services can be described as the products one can physically
obtain from wetlands. Regulatory services can be described as the benefits one receives from the
“Wetlands are land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the
water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow
water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically
adapted to life in saturated soil”.
National Water Act No. 36 of 1998.
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wetland. Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits that one can obtain from wetlands. Lastly
supporting services are the services provided that are necessary for the production of all other
ecosystem services. Please refer to Table 1 below for a detailed description of the ecosystem
services that wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality provide.
Table 1: Ecosystem services identified in the Frances Baard District Municipality.
Ecosystem
Service Type
Ecosystem Service Description/ Case Study
Provisioning Food and medicinal
plants
Local communities living within Frances Baard District
Municipality harvest local plants and fish to support their
diets.
Raw materials
supporting local
economies and
livelihoods
Wetlands provide a significant number of raw materials
which directly contribute to local livelihoods and income.
Local communities living within Frances Baard District
Municipality harvest reeds from the wetlands to make
baskets and furniture and grasses for thatching.
Clean drinking
water
Local communities living within Frances Baard District
Municipality, particularly those located in the more rural
areas, use clean water supplied by the wetlands for
drinking purposes.
Regulatory Water storage and
stream flow
regulation
The local wetlands within Frances Baard District
Municipality store stormwater runoff and slowly release
the water as the water table drops. This contributes to
sustained streamflow throughout the year.
Flood attenuation
and control
Wetlands and the associated plants play a crucial role in
flood attenuation as they have the ability to absorb flood
water and reduce the velocity of the water moving
through the system. This contributes to the protection of
agricultural land as well as infrastructure downstream.
Erosion control Wetland plants, strengthen the banks of wetlands and
thereby contribute to sediment stabilisation and soil
retention within the catchment.
Water filtration Wetlands and wetland plants contribute substantially to
improving water quality by filtering and purifying water
as it moves through the system. Wetlands have the ability
to modify or trap a wide range of substances commonly
considered to be pollutants including suspended
sediment, excess nutrients, phosphorus, nitrogen,
pesticide residue, industrial effluent, pathogenic bacteria
and viruses.2 As such, high concentrations of the above
are prevented from reaching groundwater supplies or
surface water downstream thus contributing to clean
drinkable water.
2 Kotze, D. 2015. Wetlands and water quality enhancement.
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Cultural Recreation The wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality
are used extensively for recreation purposes. Activities
undertaken within these wetlands include, birding,
frogging, canoeing, bike riding, and hiking, picnicking
along the banks of the wetland systems and fishing.
Tourism Due to their natural beauty and diversity of plant and
animal life, the wetlands, particularly Kamfers Dam,
within Frances Baard District Municipality are popular
tourist destinations.
It should be noted that the numerous ecosystem services provided by wetlands come at no cost
to the municipality and as such, all that needs to be done to ensure continued provision of these
services is to protect and maintain local wetlands. However, the inappropriate management of
wetlands, can cause a loss of wetland area and subsequent loss of ecosystem services. This results
in the municipalities having to invest in expensive infrastructure (e.g. water filtration plants or
flood barriers) to ensure the same level of service delivery.
1.3 Threats to Wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality
Despite the huge benefits that wetlands provide in terms of ecosystem services, 50% of wetlands
in South Africa have already been lost and 48% of the remaining wetlands are critically endangered
and/or degraded.3 This loss is a direct result of historical degradation, pollution and deliberate
draining of wetlands to make way for development and expansion (both urban and agricultural).
Damage to wetlands results in increasingly limited functionality and subsequently a decrease in
the ability to provide valuable ecosystem services.
Following verbal communications with active stakeholders working within Frances Baard District
Municipality, it has become clear that wetlands face a significant number of threats within the
municipality, all of which have the ability to severely compromise function and provision of
ecosystem services or degrade the wetland entirely. The key threats to the wetlands located within
Frances Baard District Municipality have been identified as follows:
Table 2: Threats to wetlands within Frances Baard District Municipality:
Threat Description
Sewage Sewage spillages and flow are impacting wetlands across the
country, no more so than in the Frances Baard area. Looking at
the Kamfers Dam wetland in particular, who receives water from
the HWWTW, the wastewater from residential and industrial
areas occasionally exceed the hydraulic capacity of the plant,
causing millions of litres of unacceptable waste water quality
entering Kamfers Dam daily (Hill et al. 2013) and that result in the
rise in water levels and an increase in water pollution. There is a
real pressing need to investigate and address the issue around
3 SANBI. 2011. National Biodiversity Assessment.
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the quantity and quality of water entering the wetland by all
relevant stakeholders.
Mining Mining is arguably the biggest sector in the Frances Baard area.
Mining for diamonds and other minerals have been a primary
source of income to the population for many years. The activities
associated with mining, particularly excavation and stockpiling of
discarded soil, have irreversibly destroyed many of the wetland
areas within close proximity of these mines.
This threat to wetlands is increasing however as a rising number
mining applications are continuously being submitted,
particularly for areas near to the important wetland ecosystems
within the district. If these applications are granted and the
mining activities are not properly regulated, it will result in further
irreversible wetland loss within Frances Baard District
Municipality.
Historical degradation Historically, due to limited knowledge on the value of wetlands
and their ecosystem services, wetland areas were seen as waste
lands. As such, wetlands throughout Frances Baard District
Municipality were deliberately drained and infilled in order to
‘reclaim the land’ for commercial, agricultural and even urban
uses.
Urban development Wetlands throughout Frances Baard District Municipality are at
risk from both formal and informal urban development and
expansion. Due to increasing population, particularly in areas
such as Kimberley, development is being taken right up to, and
sometimes beyond, the urban edge threatening wetlands near
the vicinity of the urban edge. Additionally, due to limited
knowledge of where wetlands are on the ground both within and
outside of the urban edge, the development process often entails
the accidental draining or infilling of wetlands to make room for
these developments.
In addition to the expansion of formal, planned urban
development, there is also an increase in informal developments
expanding beyond the formally recognised urban edge as well as
an expansion of established villages in the more rural areas. Due
to lack of formal planning, these informal developments are more
often than not located inappropriately in wetland areas due to
the close proximity to water. This does not only increase the risk
and exposure of communities to environmental hazards such as
flooding, but the development of informal settlements within
wetland areas often brings with it waste disposal into and around
the wetland area. Expansion of the village areas also additionally
brings an increase in livestock grazing within the wetland areas as
well as clearing of the indigenous plants to make way for
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subsistence farming. This land use change compromises the
wetlands’ ability to perform valuable ecosystem services such as
water filtration resulting in poorer water quality moving
downstream.
Pollution and Dumping As a result of expanding urbanization in close proximity to
wetland areas, combined with ageing and failing waste water
treatment infrastructure and poor stormwater runoff monitoring
and management, the wetlands within Frances Baard District
Municipality are also at a very high risk from polluted stormwater
runoff as well as from sewerage seeping into wetland areas.
Dumping within wetland areas has also become increasingly
prevalent. The effect of this includes increased nutrient loads as
well as E.coli levels within in the wetland systems which negatively
affects both the water quality of the water moving through the
system as well as the delicate biodiversity depending on these
systems for survival.
Agricultural practices Unsustainable agricultural practices occur extensively
throughout the district, leading to numerous impacts on both
wetland and river systems. Crop production in particular is seen
as a huge concern as the associated nutrient runoff from
fertilisers and pollution from chemicals such as pesticides
contributes negatively on wetlands and rivers, destroying
vegetation and animal life in the process.
2. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
South Africa has an extensive legislative framework concerning the environment and biodiversity
is considered in both development planning as well as national government priorities. This section
outlines key legislation and policies as well as the governance structure within the Frances Baard
District Municipality which leads to the current wetland management strategy within the district.
2.1 Policy framework
Table 3 provides a comprehensive summary of all South African legislation, policies and strategies
pertinent for the management of wetlands. It is important to note that some of the legislation such
as the National Environmental Management Act provides specific instructions regarding wetland
management whilst other legislation indirectly supports management of wetlands such as the
National Environmental Management: Waste Act.
Table 3: Legislation governing wetland management in the Frances Baard District Municipality
LEGISLATION/ POLICY/ STRATEGY HOW IT RELATES TO WETLANDS
Legislation
South African Constitution Overarching principles of care for the environment.
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LEGISLATION/ POLICY/ STRATEGY HOW IT RELATES TO WETLANDS
Environmental Conservation Act and
associated By-Laws
Controls access to and activities within coastal and
wetland areas.
National Water Act Water use control, including extraction and
construction within the vicinity of a watercourse or
wetland.
National Environmental Management
Act
Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for the
development of a new or disturbed site within the
vicinity of a watercourse or wetland.
National Environmental Management:
Biodiversity Act
Protection of biodiversity and the formulation of a
number of tools (e.g. bioregional plans and
threatened ecosystem lists) that feed into land use
planning and EIA procedures.
National Environmental Management:
Biodiversity Act - Alien and Invasive
Species Regulations
All matters related to invasive species management
(both fauna and flora).
National Environmental Management:
Protected Areas Act
Protection of national parks, protected areas and
conservation sites. This includes the protection of
wetland site.
National Environmental Management:
Waste Act
Regulation of illegal dumping
Conservation of Agricultural Resources
Act
Protect the utilization of the natural agricultural
resources to promote the conservation of the soil,
the water sources and the vegetation and the
combating of weeds and invasive plants.
Municipal Systems Act Role of local governments and the requirements for
Integrated Development Plan (IDP), Spatial
Development Framework (SDF) and Disaster
Management Plans
Municipal Structures Act Promotion of regional planning and spatial planning
categories.
Municipal Health Act Monitoring of Waste Water Treatment Works
(WWTW) discharge
Policies
National Development Plan (NDP), and
associated Medium Term Strategic
Framework (MTSF).
Sets out measures to protect natural resources in
South Africa. Through the creation of the MTSF and
associated ‘Delivery Agreements’, required outputs
and targets are set.
Municipal Planning
Provincial Strategic Development
Framework (SDF)
Overarching spatial planning guidelines for the
province.
Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Overall strategy document for the municipality.
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LEGISLATION/ POLICY/ STRATEGY HOW IT RELATES TO WETLANDS
District SDF Broad spatial planning guidelines for the district
(including a map of land use within the district).
Local Municipal IDPs Overall strategy document for the local
municipalities linking to the district level IDP.
Local Municipal SDFs Strategic plans to manage municipal land at the local
level.
Open Space Framework Demarcation of Open Space Areas.
Environmental Management Framework Map and land use guidelines for areas of
environmental importance.
Sector Plans This includes the Disaster Management Plan.
Strategies
The National Biodiversity Framework Provides biodiversity targets for South Africa.
National Water Resource Strategy Speaks to protection and rehabilitation of wetlands.
Other
Bioregional plans (draft or gazetted) Maps Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) and
Ecological Support Areas (ESAs).
Spatial Planning and Land Use
Management Act (SPLUMA)
Provides a framework for spatial planning and land
use management in South Africa. It also stipulates
that municipal planning is primarily the executive
function of the local sphere of government and
requires that biodiversity is adequately considered
in spatial planning.
Disaster Management Amendment Bill Outlines how ecosystems should be considered in
the updated Disaster Management Act.
2.2 Wetland management within the municipality
Currently there is no specific designated wetland management authority within Frances Baard
District Municipality.4 Instead, the management of wetlands is a collective but disconnected effort
between the various departments of the municipality, the four local municipalities within the
district, and other interested and affected parties’ including DENC, DWS, and SAEON.
At this stage, management of wetlands is extremely fragmented across FBDM. The district and
local municipalities work from separate IDPs with different mandates as such, environmental
management within the individual municipalities is not consistent.
4 Per comms with Kenneth Lucas, FBDM (2016)
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In light of the above, in order to ensure holistic and effective management of wetlands within
Frances Baard District Municipality, the same vision and standardised goals for the management
of wetlands need to be incorporated into the IDPs and SDFs of both the local and district level
municipalities.54 It would also be ideal if Frances Baard District Municipality could provide support
to the local municipalities where possible in order to assist with the identified capacity constraints
within these municipalities. Additionally, re-establishing platforms such as the Northern Cape/Free
State Wetlands Forum NC/FSWF will ensure improved communication between both the district
and local municipalities as well as the parastatals and private landowners to manage wetlands
collectively.
3. DEVELOPING THE FRANCES BAARD WETLAND STRATEGY
AND ACTION PLAN
Prior to the development of a WSAP, it is critical to undertake an extensive and inclusive
stakeholder engagement process in order to gather all relevant information and inputs from key
stakeholders for populating the WSAP as well as ensuring critical stakeholder buy-in.
In order to achieve this in FBDM, as part of the LAB: Wetlands SA project, ICLEI AS and FBDM
identified key internal and external role players. FBDM played the leading role in locating and
engaging with key stakeholders, who would both add value, as well as benefit from being part of
the WSAP process and project as a whole. Stakeholders include individuals and institutions from
national, provincial and local government, parastatals, NGO’s and the private sector. In addition,
ICLEI AS and FBDM co-developed a Wetland Report throughout the course of 2016. The Wetland
Report was a desktop study and aimed to draw together and include all the known information on
wetlands within the municipality. One on one interviews were undertaken with relevant
stakeholders. Some of the key stakeholders included Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS),
Department of Environment and Nature Conservation (DENC), The South African Environmental
Observation Network (SAEON), local municipalities as well as tertiary institution, the Sol Plaatje
University. This set the scene for the final stakeholder engagement – the WSAP Workshop.
The Frances Baard WSAP Workshop was held in Kimberley in November 2016. All stakeholders
identified during previous engagements were invited to attend. The workshop acted as an initial
engagement with a large portion of relevant stakeholders within Frances Baard District
Municipality, as well as providing a platform to introduce the LAB Wetlands SA project and creating
awareness and unity around wetlands in the region. This set the scene for the development of the
WSAP. The WSAP is outlined below and includes all identified wetland related issues, as well as
proposed solutions as developed by all stakeholders present at the WSAP workshop. The WSAP
was developed with close reference to the ICLEI Wetland Strategy and Action Guidelines which are
an ICLEI – developed tool freely available for download: http://cbc.iclei.org/project/lab-
wetlands-sa/
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4. FRANCES BAARD D ISTRICT MUNICIPALITY WETLAND STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN (2017-
2022)
VISION STATEMENT
“HEALTHY WETLANDS WITHIN FRANCES BAARD DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY WITHOUT THE NET LOSS OF VALUE.”
VALUES
GOAL DRIVEN
AWARENESS
CONSERVATION
OWNERSHIP (MULTI-SECTORAL)
KNOWLEDGABLE
ALIGNMENT
COMPETENCY
FOCUS AREAS (3 – 6 strategic interventions / priorities):
1. RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
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2. MONITORING & EVALUATION
3. POLITICAL & COMMUNITY AWARENESS
4. LEGISLATION
5. PRIORITISATION & OFFSETTING
6. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
(S.M.A.R.T.) GOALS FOR EACH FOCUS AREA
FOCUS AREA 1:
Research and Development
Goal 1.1: Determine (ecological) status quo of all wetlands within the FBDM by...
Goal 1.2: Prioritise FBDM wetlands in need of attention by…
Goal 1.3: Establish a wetland development strategy for FBDM by…
FOCUS AREA 2:
Monitoring and Evaluation
Goal 2.1: Develop a wetland monitoring and evaluation strategy for FBDM by…
Goal 2.2: Develop monitoring and evaluation tools.
Goal 2.3: Establish a monitoring and evaluation team.
Goal 2.4: Implementation and review strategy?
FOCUS AREA 3:
Political and Community
awareness
Goal 3.1: Identify FBDM capacity and training needs by…
Goal 3.2: Setup a training schedule by…
Goal 3.3: Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of FBDM and the LM Politicians.
Goal 3.4: Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of Communities within FBDM.
FOCUS AREA 4: Goal 4.1: Develop a FBDM wetland policy and/or strategy by 2019.
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Legislation Goal 4.2: Develop a FBDM wetlands bylaw by 2019.
Goal 4.3: Integrate compliance and enforcement by appointing and designating an Environmental Management
Inspector (EMI).
Goal 4.4: Develop FBDM wetland offset guidelines by 2019.
FOCUS AREA 5:
Prioritisation and Offsetting
Goal 5.1: Ascertain RAMSAR requirements and apply for RAMSAR status for complying wetlands by 2019.
Goal 5.2: Profile and classify detailed ecological/sensitivity information by 2019.
Goal 5.3: Establish wetland conservation fund/s by 2019. (Utilise Offsetting guidelines – Goal 4.4)
Goal 5.4: List cases of wetland offsetting – include knowledge of impacted wetlands by 2019.
FOCUS AREA 6:
Roles and Responsibilities
Goal 6.1: Develop a roles and responsibilities framework inclusive of Standard Operating Procedures.
Goal 6.2:
Goal 6.3:
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Focus Area 1: Research and Development
Goal 1.1:
Determine (ecological) status quo of all wetlands within the
FBDM by...
Collect baseline wetland data for FBDM.
Analyse collected data.
Compile a wetland from collected data for
FBDM.
SANBI/SAEON/NGO’s
Sol Plaatje University
Sol Plaatje University.
6 months
1 year
Goal 1.2:
Prioritise FBDM wetlands in need of attention by…
Develop prioritization criteria.
Identify and assess available resources.
TBC 3 months
F R A N C E S B A A R D D I S T R I C T M U N I C I P A L I T Y W E T L A N D S T R A T E G Y A N D A C T I O N P L A N 2 0 1 7 19
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Compile a report of findings.
Goal 1.3:
Establish a wetland development strategy for FBDM by…
Research relevant questions, needs,
elements for inclusion in the strategy.
Ascertain a relevant methodology.
Recommendations, opportunities, way
forward.
TBC
Focus Area 2: Monitoring and Evaluation.
Goal 2.1:
Develop a wetland monitoring and evaluation strategy for
FBDM by…
Goal 2.2:
Develop monitoring and evaluation tools.
F R A N C E S B A A R D D I S T R I C T M U N I C I P A L I T Y W E T L A N D S T R A T E G Y A N D A C T I O N P L A N 2 0 1 7 20
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Goal 2.3:
Establish a monitoring and evaluation team.
Identify relevant personnel/stakeholders
to be part of the team.
Develop M&E team Terms of Reference.
Goal 2.4:
Implementation and review strategy?
Focus Area 3: Political and Community awareness
Goal 3.1
Identify FBDM capacity and training needs by…
Develop survey/questionnaire to
ascertain FBDM personnel knowledge of
wetlands.
Train personnel accordingly.
FBDM
DWS
SAEON
DENC
DMR
1 year
F R A N C E S B A A R D D I S T R I C T M U N I C I P A L I T Y W E T L A N D S T R A T E G Y A N D A C T I O N P L A N 2 0 1 7 21
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Collaborate with tertiary institutions i.e.
Sol Plaatje University.
SPU
Goal 3.2
Setup a training schedule by…
Ascertain training requirements.
Ascertain who, how, where the training
will occur.
Identify funding/budget for required
training.
Goal 3.3
Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of
FBDM and the LM Politicians.
Conduct “in-house” training for
Politicians.
FBDM with support
from external
stakeholders.
Quarterly
Goal 3.4
Improve the wetland knowledge and understanding of
Communities within FBDM.
Implement awareness campaigns for
communities.
Disseminate wetland related information.
Collaborate with media platforms.
FBDM with support
from external
stakeholders.
Quarterly
Focus Area 4: Legislation
Goal 4.1
Develop a FBDM wetland policy and/or strategy by 2019.
Setup FBDM and or NC Wetland
Forum/Task Team
Conduct thorough stakeholder
engagement and public participation.
FBDM 1 year
Goal 4.2
Develop a FBDM wetlands bylaw by 2019.
Compile a draft wetlands bylaw for FBDM.
Gather stakeholder input.
Submit to Council for adoption.
FBDM 1 year
F R A N C E S B A A R D D I S T R I C T M U N I C I P A L I T Y W E T L A N D S T R A T E G Y A N D A C T I O N P L A N 2 0 1 7 22
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Goal 4.3
Integrate compliance and enforcement by appointing and
designating an Environmental Management Inspector
(EMI).
Identify relevant and suitable officials to
be trained and designated as EMI.
EMI(s) to conduct compliance and
enforcement.
EMI(s) to participate in the NC Crime
Forum.
FBDM
1 year
Goal 4.4
Develop FBDM wetland offset guidelines by 2019.
Compile draft FBDM wetland offset
guidelines.
Benchmark WOG to all relevant national,
provincial legislation.
Submit WOG to Council for adoption.
FBDM 1 year
Focus Area 5: Prioritisation and Offsetting
Goal 5.1
Ascertain RAMSAR requirements and apply for RAMSAR
status for complying wetlands by 2019.
Compile checklist of requirements for
RAMSAR site status.
Investigate RAMSAR application process.
Manage and rehabilitate wetlands
accordingly.
FBDM 1 year
Goal 5.2
Profile and classify detailed ecological/sensitivity
information by 2019.
Determine ownership/responsibility.
Setup database.
Review every 5 years.
FBDM 1 year
F R A N C E S B A A R D D I S T R I C T M U N I C I P A L I T Y W E T L A N D S T R A T E G Y A N D A C T I O N P L A N 2 0 1 7 23
HIGH LEVEL ACTION PLAN
FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS
RESPONSIBILITY TIME FRAME
Goal 5.3
Establish wetland conservation fund/s by 2019. (Utilise
Offsetting guidelines – Goal 4.4)
Identify funding streams available.
Develop the necessary and appropriate
business plans.
Identify body to register the WCF.
FBDM 1 year
Goal 5.4
List cases of wetland offsetting – include knowledge of
impacted wetlands by 2019.
Conduct desktop study to identify
relevant cases.
Compile report of findings.
Circulate to relevant stakeholders for
input.
FBDM 1 year.
Focus Area 6: Roles and Responsibilities.
Goal 6.1
Develop a roles and responsibilities framework inclusive of
Standard Operating Procedures.
Develop the SOP
Conduct classification