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Garden Route Environmental Forum

29 November 2024 Media Release: Marine Protected Areas – an ecosystem treasure chest

Media Release: Marine Protected Areas – an ecosystem treasure chest

29 November 2024

“The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and a team of specialist consultants responsible for drawing up the management plans for the Garden Route Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) wrapped up their public participation effort on 27 November and will be collating the input received into a final report going forward”, says Chairperson of the Garden Route Marine and Coastal Committee Cobus Meiring.

Besides the demarcated Marine Protected Areas along the scenic Garden Route coastline, there are two seamounts located some four hundred kilometres offshore of Mossel Bay and two more east of Cape Agulhas. The seamounts are large submarine landforms that rises from the ocean floor without reaching the water surface and sustain invaluable marine ecosystems.

Because of their elevated position in the water interaction between seamounts and underwater currents attract plankton, corals , fish and marine animals alike. Seamounts are fish factories and their sustained survival is vital to South Africa’s commercial fisheries and future ocean economy.

Coastal Marine Protected Areas along the Garden Route coast are well controlled and monitored by the powers that be and serve as vital breeding ground for all marine life and eco- systems.

The seamounts deep in the Indian Ocean is, however, in a perilous position as South Africa no longer has the human capacity, littoral patrol and navy vessels nor aircraft capable of  monitoring and safeguarding the country’s natural infrastructural assets in the open ocean from plundering.

As the 2024/25 festive season is approaching recreational fishermen are encouraged to make sure they have their relevant permits in place, stay clear of Marine Protected Areas and stick to the rules that apply when practicing their sport. This is needed to ensure that our South African marine life has a sustainable future.

Happy fishing!

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is an environmental and climate change think- tank (www.grefscli.co.za).

29 October 2024: Media Release: Is the Garden Route better prepared to deal with disasters? Yes it is!

Media Release: Is the Garden Route better prepared to deal with disasters? Yes it is!

29 October 2024

“The June 2017 wildfire disaster, which caused immense damage to Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, and surrounding areas, served as a rude awakening for Garden Route residents and authorities alike,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

A recent open-air expo at Wilderness, featuring all relevant entities involved in firefighting and fire management in the Garden Route, showcased an impressive array of regional firefighting assets.

The Garden Route is fortunate to have world-class firefighting equipment, highly trained personnel, early warning systems, and a fully functional disaster management centre, which has repeatedly proven effective in managing not only wildfire events but also a wide range of serious disasters.

Awareness of fire risk among Garden Route communities has increased significantly since the Knysna wildfire disaster. Residents outside the urban edge are generally making serious efforts to ensure their properties are protected with fire breaks and standard precautions in place. Many residents have joined the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), whose preventative measures continue to help limit exposure to wildfire disasters.

The fuel load from unacceptably high levels of invasive alien plants on the Garden Route landscape remains the biggest threat for repeat wildfire disasters, and landowners are not doing enough to reduce its expanding footprint. Outeniqua mountain catchments, previously managed under formal plantations, have not been responsibly maintained over the past five years. The exponential spread of invasive plants over large areas continues to be a serious concern.

Ultimately, the power of nature should never be underestimated. The Garden Route’s history of natural disasters serves as a reminder that the threats posed by a changing climate are ever-present, including runaway wildfires, storm surges, floods, and drought.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a climate change think tank. (grefscli.co.za)

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16 October 2024 Media Release: Water security the most important need

Media Release: Water security the most important need

For immediate release
16 October 2024

“Forget about load shedding and bad roads, the lack of water security is without a doubt the most serious problem South African communities can face,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

The installation of water tanks to harvest rain water from rooftops coupled with measures to reduce consumption do contribute to water security, but consistent availability is critical to all.

Dam levels in the Western and Southern Cape is presently looking good going into summer with no immediate threat to water security. The long term challenge facing the region is exponential population growth and the pressure it will put on finite water resources.

Johannesburg and Pretoria are increasingly plagued by long water outages with reservoirs running dry despite storage dams being at acceptable levels and sufficient run- off from primary catchments. The water crises facing Gauteng is serious, was entirely preventable and is the result of poor planning, failure to upgrade infrastructure and incompetence at many levels of the water management chain.

Water supply infrastructure can be fixed and it is vital that it is approached with urgency, because a more serious threat to water security is the global change in climate and unpredictable rainfall patterns.

Water security demands a holistic approach including the management of catchments and rivers free of invasive alien plants, planning and maintenance of water infrastructure, evaporation suppression and compliance by water users implementing water saving measures.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a climate change think- tank. (grefscli.co.za)

Photo: Supplied

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16 September 2024 Media Release: Explaining climate change is a challenge

Media Release: Explaining climate change is a challenge

For immediate release
16 September 2024

“It took scientists globally a very long time to convince governments to come to terms with the fact that climate change is a reality and that it is something to consider for the sake of the future well-being of communities and humanity as a whole,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

The effects of a changing climate are numerous and complex. Those charged with interpreting the changing climate for the sake of planning, experience considerable challenges in educating and informing affected communities. Present-day humanity can no longer regard climate as business-as-usual to provide a stable and consistent environment supporting life on planet Earth exactly as it has done for millennia, for it is posing many new threats.

Persistent and frequent drought, rising sea levels, severe storms and flooding, loss of vital biodiversity, and dramatic changes in rainfall patterns and volumes are but some of the issues communities must get to grips with if they are to survive and prosper entering an uncertain future.

Public communication and education hold the key to the well-being of humanity, and authorities globally must make a sustained and concerted effort to simplify the climate change message to ensure communities understand what is taking place and how they should respond in order to adapt in time to climate-related challenges.

An example of where communities suffered severely as a result of not responding to pending threats of climate change is where communities established informal settlements on Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal flood planes with deadly consequences as severe floods swept many to a watery grave and destroyed billions of Rand of infrastructure and property.

The take-home message is that governments must invest in developing and rolling out communication campaigns to inform and educate communities as climate change takes effect.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and a climate change think-tank. (www.grefscli.co.za).

Photo: Storm surges, damaging winds and waves are but some of the results of a changing climate, and communication is a vital tool in educating and informing communities about potential dangers.

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30 August 2024 Media Release: Spring approaches the Garden Route

Media Release: Spring approaches the Garden Route

For immediate release
30 August 2023

“Throughout the year the Garden Route was faced by significant cold fronts and certainly more of the same is on the way before the Southern Cape can say goodbye to the winter of 2024, but the natural environment is visibly wakening to spring,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

Favourable rains received throughout the year will ensure that springtime will bring all its splendour to the uniquely beautiful region with its unmatched biodiversity and splendour.  As incoming cold fronts decrease in number and strength and stop damaging infrastructure and the vulnerable coastline the famous Garden Route beaches will recover well in time for the approaching summer and festive season.

Tourism is one of the key drivers of the Garden Route economy and dependent on the steady influx of tourists. Comparatively to the average South African employment figure the Garden Route has a relatively low unemployment figure at below twenty percent, but it is still extremely high and pose a challenge to the region’s ability to provide an acceptable quality of life to its citizens.

Some of the general factors challenging regional prosperity is slow economic growth, insufficient energy supply and the unpredictable and damaging  effects of a changing climate to which the Garden Route is no exception.

Environmentally- speaking extremely high levels of invasive alien plants remain a threat to the Garden Route landscape and is something the community must address themselves as government lacks the means to address the scourge on private land.

Land owners and land managers are encouraged to comply to environmental legislation and clear their land of invasive alien plants where they can and promote the revival of indigenous vegetation. Indigenous vegetation is vital for the survival of critically endangered species such as coastal fynbos and other sensitive eco- systems, dramatically reduce fire risk and increase water security.

The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional environmental management and climate change think- tank.(www.grefscli.co.za).

Feature Image: Garden Route splendour adds to regional economy -JP Nel, Moontide

22 August 2024 Media Release: Early warning and planning important in coping with severe weather

Media Release: Early warning and planning important in coping with severe weather

For immediate release
22 August 2024

“The advent of public information platforms developed over the past two decades timeously informing populations of all incoming weather events has been a game-changer in dealing with direct climate change impacts such as record rainfall figures received in 2024,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

As climate change- related events such as storm surges, severe weather, damaging wind, flood and wild fire alerts affect the Southern Cape with increased regularity, the question begs if communities still pay sufficient attention to adverse weather advisories.

Running the risk of information saturation communities are urged to always take note of weather advisories and act in accordance as they are issued for good reason and can save lives and assets as environmental threats are on the increase.

Damaging weather- related impacts have become common- place as flooding events regularly wash away hard infrastructure, mountain passes are regularly closed and roads becoming inaccessible for extended periods.

Perhaps one of the most devastating results of changes in rainfall patterns and flooding in recent times were experienced by KZN and areas in the Western Cape where national and regional access roads and bridges were damaged and washed away leaving communities living in flood plains and along river banks severely affected.

Compounding matters further, the impact of a slow- growing economy is felt as municipalities across the board are suffering from diminishing budgets and restraints inhibiting them from rebuilding damaged infrastructure and impacting negatively on planned development.

Ironically countries just north of RSA including Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe are suffering from severe drought effecting food security. Given the sustained rain received during the past few years the prospect of drought in the Garden Route may seem unlikely right now but it may well return towards the end of 2025 and is something to constantly be aware of in terms of planning for the needs of increased population and development.

In dealing with natural disasters, the well- being of natural infrastructure such as priority water catchments, feeder streams, riparian zones and wetlands are vital. Much of these invaluable natural systems fall within the borders of private land and are badly affected by invasive alien plant densities having a destructive effect on not only the functionality of these systems but also loss of critical biodiversity.

GREF is the premier public platform for regional environmental and conservation managers in the Southern Cape.

Issued by: Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)

Picture (Cobus Meiring): Sand and debris along the Botrivier N2 Highway crossing cleared to prevent a recurrence of the road being washed away as it did earlier in 2024.

 

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3 July 2024 Media Release: Take-Home Message from Climate Change Indaba: Prepare for What is Coming

Media Release: Take-Home Message from Climate Change Indaba: Prepare for What is Coming

3 July 2024

“The Annual Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) Climate Change and Environmental Management Indaba concluded on Thursday, 27 June, at the Nelson Mandela University George Campus. Presentations by provincial and local government representatives, climate change predictive modeling specialists, regional biosphere reserves, Cape Nature, and other significant contributors under the theme ‘Resilience in Action: Building Sustainable Communities Amid a Changing Climate’ reflected on what the future may hold for the Southern Cape with an unpredictable climate,” says GREF Convener Cobus Meiring.

The Garden Route is a disaster-prone area and increasingly falls victim to severe flooding, wildfire catastrophes, drought, and storm surges. As a direct result, damage to hard infrastructure, such as roads, is extremely costly to repair and has significant downstream implications when logistics are disrupted and communities are forced to use detours.

Disaster management practitioners Colin Deiner (Chief Director: Western Cape Disaster Management) and Gerhard Otto (Head: Garden Route District Municipality Disaster Management Centre) made comprehensive presentations showing the extent of the damage incurred by natural disasters in the Western Cape in the past decade. Repair costs run into millions of Rand and are set to increase as climate change impacts the environment and the populations dependent on its well-being.

Proactive planning and forward-thinking in dealing with climate-related natural disasters are crucial. Disaster management entities are constantly investing in better equipment, capacity, and resources to lend assistance when disaster strikes. Early warning systems play a vital role in ensuring the safety of communities, who are encouraged to pay attention when advisories are sent out, especially given that the severity of approaching storms cannot always be accurately determined in advance.

The GREF is a climate change think-tank and public platform for environmental managers to share knowledge and experience.

Chairperson of GREF, Cobus Meiring, addressing the attendees on the day.

Feature image: Presenters on the day of the GREF event.

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04 April 2024 Media Release: Future prospects of Garden Route Fynbos uncertain

Media Release: Future prospects of Garden Route Fynbos uncertain

For immediate release
04 April 2024

Conservationists and environmental management entities in the Garden Route share concern on the dual effect of climate change, expanding agricultural practices and rapid development on what remains of the region’s Fynbos species which are on the Red List of Terrestrial Ecosystems (Government Notice 2747).  “These species are critically endangered and unlikely to survive, given their limited prospects in isolation and all present threats,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

The 2017 Knysna wild-fire disaster was a wake-up call for conservationists and land-owners alike with fears that complete critically endangered eco-systems potentially could have been obliterated by the inferno, combined with the ever-present threat posed by fast-growing invasive alien plants.  Substantial seed bases are sprouting rapidly and completely taking over areas previously covered by Fynbos after the fire.

Despite the odds, there is still hope for the survival of Fynbos species in the Garden Route with the cooperation of state and private landowners, and dedicated conservationists and botanists from state and non-state entities e.g. SANParks, Cape Nature, Botanical Societies, private conservancies and entities such as CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) and George-based Outramps who regularly undertake efforts to find and document the presence of Fynbos LTRE systems in the Garden Route.

The natural wonders of the Garden Route is exactly what makes the region so special in global terms of its beauty and biodiversity. It is imperative that all those living in the region do their utmost in efforts to create more space for natural assets and all life it sustains to be able to survive and prosper well into the future.

Landowners are encouraged to make an effort to take note of and appreciate what kind of Red List and all other Fynbos species are present on their land and, where at all possible, protect them and possibly enlarge their footprint by removing invasive alien plant growth. Landowners are also encouraged to take proactive measures to prevent a repeat of the 2017 and 2018 regional wildfire disasters, because failure to do so can only accelerate the demise of one of the world’s most precious natural assets.

GREF and SCLI are public platforms for conservation and environmental management entities in Garden Route

Feature Image: Christine Ridge- Schnaufer (Outramps)

13 March 2024 Media Release: Southern Cape Water Resources in the Spotlight

Media Release: Southern Cape water resources in the spotlight

For immediate release
13 March 2024

“The Southern Cape’s present and future water resources will be in the spotlight as stakeholders meet in George today (13 March 2024) to look at Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs). These identified areas  are crucial for their importance in providing water resources to downstream regions of which the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountains form part of,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

The event is sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF SA) in collaboration with the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP), and spearheaded by the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve (GRBR).

  1. SWSAs are areas of high biodiversity, high water yield, and high levels of ecosystem services. Protecting these areas is essential for ensuring water security for both human and ecological needs. The Garden Route is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and contains important water catchment areas for several rivers.

The workshop is aimed to inform policy makers, water resource managers, and conservation practitioners in order to be able to make informed decisions to safeguard the integrity of Strategic Water Source Areas in the Southern Cape and ensure the sustainable management of water resources for future generations.

The Garden Route is growing at a rate of just above four percent per annum, which is significant given the fact that the region is relatively resource- poor, including the availability of water in dry areas such as the Klein Karoo. As pressure mounts on available water sources due to development and demands posed by an increasing population, agriculture, forestry and industry alike there are several other impacts to consider, including climate change, drought, changes in rainfall patterns and a marked increase in extreme weather events leading to flooding and damage caused to both natural infrastructure such as rivers and streams and damage to man-made infrastructure such as property, roads and bridges and putting communities in harm’s way.

Over the years, a number of studies have been done focusing on understanding the water balance, hydrological processes, and water availability in SWSAs. This research will assist decision makers in managing water resources sustainably and predicting the impacts of climate change on water availability, identifying land management practices that minimize negative impacts on water quality and quantity and finding ways to mitigate their impact to be able to adapt in accordance.

Feature Image: The Garden Route is a home to one of only a few of South Africa’s Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) – Photo: George Herald.

Issued: The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF)

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The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a public platform for entities involved in environmental management and conservation.(ww.scligref.co.za)

25 January 2024 Media Release: Climate innovation catches the eye of corporate finance

Media Release: Climate innovation catches the eye of corporate finance

For Immediate Release
25 January 2024

Changes in rainfall patterns, floods, and droughts brought on by climate change coupled with unreliable energy supply leave citizens with little choice but to independently adjust and look for technology options to ensure sustainability,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

As technology options bring much-needed relief in terms of water and energy supply, they become part of general asset registers and are increasingly attracting the attention of finance institutions like Nedbank, Hortfin and others who are willing to finance green energy, water conservation and circular economy initiatives.

The use of alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind, has become a permanent fixture in South Africa in recent years. Not necessarily because of a changing climate and a move away from fossil fuels, but because of the erratic and unreliable power supply caused by mismanagement, a lack of skills and planning and timeous implementation of energy alternatives by central government and SOE’s.

Over time, water resource management in South Africa also had to adapt to compensate for crumbling infrastructure and erratic supply.  Consequently, urban water harvesting, covering swimming pools, and a general reduction in water use following the dreaded Day Zero crisis in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, as well as the current challenges in Gauteng, have become common practices.

Through modern technology, South Africa has developed evaporation prevention measures for stored water reservoirs and storage dams. It will soon become more popular as global temperatures rise and evaporation rates take their toll on stored waters, and will follow the same trajectory as energy alternatives in terms of implementation.

As a result of a lack of suitable sites and catchments, timelines to build, and exorbitant construction costs, the construction of new dams for agricultural, mining, and rural and urban water development is complicated. Considering the downstream impacts of free-flowing rivers on ecosystems and river health, all measures aimed at maintaining and conserving existing water sources are critical.

Dams supplying fast-developing towns such as George and Riversdale are rapidly approaching a point where it can no longer provide adequate supply to the increased demand and alternatives must be found. Oudsthoorn on the other side, is already extracting water from an underground aquafer to augment water security.

Agricultural practitioners need to continue taking measures to significantly reduce water use to ensure that groundwater supplies do not become depleted as a result of overexploitation and consider crops that are less dependent on constant watering to maintain sustainability over time.

GREF is a public platform for conservation and environmental management entities in the Southern Cape.

Featured image caption: Pivot irrigation – Water security in South Africa pose a bigger threat to South African communities than the energy crises.

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