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International Environmental Policy NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OF: SOUTH AFRICA HARI SRINIVAS ROOM: I-312 / 079-565-7406 South Africa at a glance South Africa is the powerhouse of Africa with the most advanced, broad-based economy on the continent; a thriving democracy; and good infrastructure. •Population: 50.59-million •Area: 1 220 813 square kilometres •Nominal GDP est (3q 2011): R755-billion •GDP growth rate: 4.1% (ranked 26th worldwide) •Labour force: 17.32-million Basic Data About 42-43 million people (90% of whom are ‘people of color’) Thirteen recognized national parties (both a republic and a monarchy) Nine provinces, three capitals (Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town) Eleven Official Languages in four major groupings Population statistics 1996 Population 40, 583, 611 2003 Population 42, 768, 678 Population Growth Rate = .01% Reasons for Low Population Growth Rate: Life expectancy = 46 years 50% live below poverty 20% of adults have AIDS Ethnicity in South Africa 14% 3% 9% 74% Black White Asian Colored • “Colored” is a term used for mixed black, Malayan, and white descent • Asian population is mainly of Indian ancestry A short History of South Africa History of South Africa Pre 1600s – south Africa was dominated by many different local tribes 1652 – Portuguese and Dutch became the first white settlers. Created the “boer” community and spoke the “Africaans” language 1795 – arrival of the British. By 1910 they had occupied the whole territory of the then South Africa. Boers were pushed northwards. Eventually, a common British colony was put in place History of South Africa By mid 1950s, the black-white separation policy of Apartheid became official policy, splitting the country into two parts Apartheid seriously affected the socio-economic, cultural and economic landscape of the country until well into 1980s. (Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during this time). In 1989, there was a huge movement of people to dismantle apartheid. After this happened, a democracy was born, which continuous today. History Timeline 1806 – British seize Cape of Good Hope 1867 – Discovery of Gold 1886 – Discovery of Diamonds 1889 – 1902 – The Boer War (British and Dutch settlers) 1902 – The beginning of apartheid 1990’s – The end of apartheid The end to Apartheid Massive people’s movement to abolish apartheid and free all prisoners took place in early 1980s Nelson Mandela was freed in 1986 Apartheid and Environment International Sanctions Apartheid Decreased Labour Force Low Foreign Investment Lack of Jobs Lack of income and finance Economic stagnation Increase in poverty and development problems Overuse of natural Resources Dependence on local environment Apartheid and Environment US and American Indians Apartheid in South Africa BUT?!! Europe and the Roma Australia and the oboriginals Most colonized countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America saw various forms and intensities of racism and apartheid. It was only in South Africa that it was systematic and made part of the law and “growth” of the country. Biodiversity: Environmental Heritage South Africa occupies only 2% of the world's surface area but is home to: • nearly 10% of the world's plants (approximately 24 000 species), • around 7% of the world's vertebrate species • 5,5% of the world's known insect species (only about half have been described). In terms of the number of endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, South Africa ranks as the fifth richest country in Africa and the 24th-richest in the world. The Mounting Problems Water Pollution Urbanization Air Pollution Industrialization Solid Waste Mining Population Growth Deforestation Energy use Land degradation 1600s 2000s Timeline Mining in South Africa South Africa's mining industry is one of the most progressive in the world and has access to a host of resources. These range from 80% of the world's manganese, 41% of gold and close to 90% of the platinum It is the fourth largest producer of diamonds Mining – Extended Problems Deforestation CO2 and GHG emissions Mining Industry Major role in the country’s economy Water Pollution High energy use Air Pollution Industrial accidents (toxic and hazardous materials) Energy use Since 1970, South Africa has consumed the most energy and carbon per dollar of GDP among major energy consumers in Africa. Urban pollution has increased Estimates suggest that energy costs represent about 14% of South Africa's GDP Sustainable Development • The National Framework for Sustainable Development (NFSD) in South Africa outlines the vision for Sustainable Development (SD) as follows: “South Africa aspires to be a sustainable, economically prosperous and self-reliant nation state that safeguards its democracy by meeting the fundamental human needs of its people, by managing its limited ecological resources responsibly for current and future generations, and by advancing efficient and effective integrated planning and governance through national, regional and global collaboration.” Link to Global Initiatives South Africa has taken several concrete steps to implement the United Nations' Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development. For example, these include – reforming environmental policies, ratifying international agreements participating in many global and regional sustainabledevelopment initiatives. “State of the Environment” Reports Economy, Trade, Finance, and other national ministries and local agencies Environmental Situation Annual “State of the Environment” Report Ministry of Environment and Tourism Other civil society organizations working on environmental issues DPSIR framework for policy making South Africa develops its environmental policies using the DPSIR framework The DPSIR looks at - social and economic developments exert pressure on the environment and, as a consequence, the state of the environment changes. This leads to impacts on e.g. human health, ecosystems and materials that may elicit a societal response that feeds back on the driving forces, on the pressures or on the state or impacts directly, through adaptation or curative action. Challenges for South Africa Development challenges 1. Poverty 2. Unemployment 3. HIV and Aids Environmental challenges 1. Air, climate change 2. Land 3. Water “Balanced link”?? Example: Eco-labelling and CSR • Economic benefits – – – – Price premium for green products Access to new markets Safeguarding existing markets Preferred supplier status • Environmental benefits – Promote and communicate environmental benefits to consumers – Promote continuous improvement for process and product optimisations – Raising environmental awareness Blue, Brown and Green Policies BLUE ISSUES Environmental Issues • Water quality • Water pollution • Ocean pollution BROWN ISUES GREEN ISSUES • Air Pollution • Solid Waste • Land degradation • Deforestation • Mining and natural resources Contact me … Class website: http://www.gdrc.info/iep Prof. Hari Srinivas Room: I-312 Tel: 079-565-7406 Email: [email protected]