National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project (NFEPA)
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Transcript of National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Project (NFEPA)
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National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas
Project (NFEPA)
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Freshwater ecosystems are in a shocking state• Present ecological status 1999
– Only 30% intact (Class A or B)
• River Health Programme
– Ongoing deterioration over a 12 year period
• National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004
– 84% threatened, 50% critically
53
2520 22
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CE E V LT
Ecosystem status
Nu
mb
er o
f ri
ver
sig
nat
ure
s
CR EN VU
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Mandate for water:
Department of Water Affairs
Mandate for biodiversity:Department
of Env Affairs
Shared mandate for freshwater biodiversity
The shared mandate for freshwater biodiversity
NFEPA identifies freshwater ecosystem priority areas – the biodiversity sector’s input into DWA-led water resource planning and management
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NFEPA aims
1. To identify National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas
2. To develop an institutional basis to enable effective implementation
• National component – aligning conservation & water sector policy mechanisms
• Sub-national component – building capacity to use products at local levels
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Co-production of knowledgeCollective experience of almost 1000 years!
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NFEPA project outputs
1. Atlas and NFEPA DVD: packages map products and data
2. Implementation manual: how to use FEPA maps in existing planning and decision-making processes, along with freshwater ecosystem management guidelines
3. Technical report: documents science and stakeholder engagement process
4. GIS data and associated metadata: in shapefile format
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WATER POLICY CONTEXT
(National Water Act)
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NFEPA provides biodiversity sector input on:
• How many rivers, wetlands and estuaries should be designated for high protection?
• Which are best suited for conservation purposes?
Vaal
Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area
(E.g. hard-working Vaal River needs healthy tributaries to sustain the ecosystem services it provides – how many and which ones?)
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Integrated Water Resources Management in SA (National Water Act)
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BIODIVERSITY POLICY CONTEXT
(Protected Areas Act& Biodiversity Act)
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BIODIVERSITY GOALS
• Representation• Persistence
STRATEGY 2Conservation of
ecosystems in priority areas outside the PA
network
Biod
iversity A
ct
STRATEGY 1Expand and consolidate
protected areanetwork
Pro
tect
ed
Are
as
Act
Range of new tools, including…
• Listing threatened ecosystems• Listing threatened species• Bioregional plans• Biodiversity management plans• IAS regs
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Systematic Biodiversity Plan(usually provincial)
New ones in future?
Map ofCritical Biodiversity Areas
(CBAs)
Mu
lti-sectoral
planning tools, framew
orks, assessments etc
Bioregional Plans (e.g. at district
level)
IDPs
EMFs
SEAs
EIAs
CMSsWRCS
SDFs
Bioregional plans
NFEPA feeds into provincial
biodiversity plans and CBA maps
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CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFYING FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
PRIORITY AREAS
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Criteria• Represent river, wetland and
estuary ecosystem types
• Represent free-flowing rivers
• Maintain water supply areas– High water yield areas
– High groundwater recharge areas
• Represent threatened fish Represent NB migration routes – Fish corridors
– Wetland clusters
• Represent estuary species
• Identify connected systems
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Sub-quaternariesRiver types
Wetland delineations
Wetland clustersFish sanctuaries
Free-flowing rivers
River condition
Wetland condition
Groundwater recharge
Water yield (MAR)
Wetland types
Landforms
Estuaries
Input data
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NFEPA map products
• WMA level1. FEPA map (Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas)
• National level2. Density of FEPAs by Water Management Area3. Density of FEPAs by sub-WMA4. Free-flowing rivers5. Fish sanctuary areas6. Water supply areas
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MAP 1: FEPA map (one for each WMA)
• Incorporating a conservation vision into Catchment Management Strategies
• Biodiversity sector input into scenario planning in water resource classification
•Planning by national & provincial conservation agencies
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Biodiversity planning outputs underpinning map products
Wetland FEPAsRiver FEPAs
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MAP 2: Density of FEPAs per WMA
• Biodiversity responsibility not equal across country• What
mechanisms support implementation of biodiversity goals
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MAP 3: Density of FEPAs per sub-WMA
• Biodiversity responsibility not equal within a WMA• What
mechanisms support implementation of biodiversity goals in the WMA
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MAP 4: Free-flowing rivers – rivers without dams
• Only 63 free-flowing rivers left in SA• Water flowing out to sea is not “wasted”
• e.g. important for healthy estuaries – fish nurseries
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MAP 4: Free-flowing rivers – rivers without dams
• 63 rivers• of which 24 ≥
100 km
• Acknowledge need for some development
• 20 FLAGSHIPS
Free-flowing riversFlagships
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MAP 5: Fish Sanctuary Areas
• Number threatened endemic species per sub-quaternary
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MAP 6: Water Supply Areas• High water yield areas
(Mountain Catchments)
• High groundwater recharge areas
3 x higher than rest of catchment
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Key findings
• Tributaries are in a better condition than main rivers
• Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are highly threatened
• Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas comprise only 22% of river length
• There are only 62 large free-flowing rivers, representing only 4% of our river length
• Only 18 % of our water supply areas are formally protected
• By protecting only 15% of our river length we protect all our fish on the brink of extinction
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Key messages
• Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas are a valuable national asset
• Freshwater inputs are critical to estuarine and marine environments
• Free-flowing rivers are part of our natural heritage
• Healthy tributaries and wetlands support the sustainability of hard-working rivers
• Healthy buffers of natural vegetation mitigate the impact of land-based activities
• Groundwater sustains river flows particularly in dry seasons
• Mountain catchment areas play a critical role in securing our water supplies
• Healthy freshwater ecosystems support resilience and adaptation to climate change
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Key recommendations
• Employ aquatic ecologists in provinces, Catchment Management Agencies and municipalities
• Set up mechanisms to support uptake of FEPA maps, especially by provincial conservation authorities and Catchment Management Agencies.
• Use FEPA maps in assessing EIA applications, in water resource development processes, and in applications for mining and prospecting
• Pilot formal mechanisms for the management and protection of FEPAs
• Revive the Mountain Catchment Areas Act,
• Review general authorisations of the National Water Act in relation to their impact on FEPAs.
• Strengthen and expand the scope of the River Health Programme to include wetlands and actively target FEPAs as new monitoring sites.
• Strengthen collaboration of DWA and DEA around managing and conserving freshwater ecosystems.