SA gets new biosphere reserve
May 30, 2009
Posted in Conservation
Unspoilt bush stretches to the horizon in the Vhembe area of South Africa's Limpopo province. Picture courtesy www.golimpopo.com
The Vhembe region of Limpopo province became South Africa’s sixth biosphere reserve this week, when Unesco announced the addition of 22 new sites to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
These sites, part of Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, are used to experiment with and learn about conservation and sustainable development. In other words, they are “living laboratories” in finding ways to improve people’s relationship with their environment and to reconcile economic development with the conservation of biodiversity.
A golden rhinocerous found at an archaeological dig in the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site. Pic from www.golimpopo.com
Vhembe is in north-eastern Limpopo, a region of bushveld dotted with iconic baobab trees and abundant animal and bird life. It also has a rich cultural history that dates back to the San and includes the ancient African kingdoms of Mapungubwe and Thulamela.
The new biosphere reserve includes the northern part of the Kruger National Park, the Makuleke Wetlands Ramsar Site, which lies mostly in the Kruger Park, the Soutpansberg and Blouberg biodiversity hotspots, the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site – an area of mystery and legend which contains the remnants of an ancient African civilisation – and the Makgabeng Plateau, which has more than 1,000 rock art sites.
The main economic activities in the biosphere reserve are agriculture, including subtropical fruit and vegetable farming, cattle and game farming and hunting.
Biosphere reserves share their experience and ideas nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. There are 531 sites worldwide in 105 countries.
BIOSPHERE RESERVES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Vhembe joins five other biosphere reserves in South Africa. The first, Kogelberg in the Western Cape, was declared in 1998, followed by the Cape West Coast reserve in 2000, the Waterberg reserve and the Kruger to Canyons reserve in 2001, and the Cape Winelands in 2007.
Steenbras river in the Kogelberg biosphere reserve. Pic by Coda (www.flickr.com/photos/coda). Licenced under Creative Commons
KOGELBERG
This 100,000-hectare reserve extends from around Gordon’s Bay (about an hour from Cape Town up the east coast) to the Bot River (map) and extends inland to include the Elgin basin and the town of Grabouw. It is at the heart of the Cape floral kingdom and is home to about 1,800 plant species, 77 of which occur nowhere else on Earth. The biosphere includes about 25,000 hectares of marine environment. The main economic activities in the area include apple farming, commercial plantations of pines, and tourism.
A colony of gannets at Lambert's Bay in the Cape West Coast biosphere reserve. Pic www.sanparks.co.za
CAPE WEST COAST
The biosphere stretches northwards from the Cape Town suburb of Diep River up the west coast to the Berg River, covering 380,000 hectares of coastal lowland plains that are part of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Langebaan lagoon, a Ramsar site, and Dassen Island, a pelican breeding site and African penguin colony, are part of the reserve. Interestingly, it claims to be the only biosphere that has a nuclear power station, an oil refinery and a toxic dump site. The main economic activities are agriculture and fishing.
The Waterberg biosphere reserve. Pic from www.golimpopo.com
WATERBERG
The Waterberg savannah biosphere reserve is an area of about 400,000 hectares in Limpopo province, about 2 hours north of Johannesburg. The area forms a wide basin in which the four main rivers of the province originate. It is home to 125 mammal, 300 bird and a number of endemic or Red Data butterfly, fish and reptile species. The area is said to be one of the most important San rock art areas in South Africa. Tourism is the major source of income. People also farm cattle and grow crops, but are many are switching to game farming for ecotourism.
Cape winelands. Pic by Deon Maritz (www.flickr.com/photos/deonmaritz). Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
CAPE WINELANDS
The Winelands biosphere reserve extends northwards from the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and includes the historic towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, in the Cape’s internationally famous wine-growing region. It protects areas of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The main economic activities include agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and forestry.
Giraffe in Kruger National Park. Pic from www.golimpopo.com
KRUGER TO CANYONS
This reserve covers nearly 2.5-million hectares and encompasses the Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. Three of the Southern African biomes occur in the reserve: grasslands, Afro-montane forests, and savanna. Alongside the extensive tracts of conservation areas there are large, rural developing communities living on tribal land. Economic activities include mining for gold, phosphate and copper, forestry and fruits and vegetable farming.
Read more about biosphere reserves here.
Wanted: Research and publications officer
May 28, 2009
Posted in Business
Organisation: Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Project (SECCP), a project of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg
Location: Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Type: Full-time
Application deadline: 29 May 2009
Gross Salary: R180,000.00 to R150,000.00 per annum, depending on experience
Job Description:
The SECCP is a progressive and campaign-orientated organisation specialising in energy and climate change issues, and with a history of solid and quality research. This position is to produce research materials that inform the SECCP’s campaigns and its policy positions, both nationally and internationally.
Key Tasks:
The production of primary research into energy and climate change issues
The production of briefing and campaign materials
Management of outsourced research
Assisting in the dissemination of this work
Essential Requirements:
Proven research skills and history
Fluency in written and spoken English
Ability to work to deadline and self-manage
Commitment to progressive and environmental politics
Solid understanding of basic physics, chemistry, economics and biology
To Apply:
Please send CV with letter of application (2 pages max.)
Please include three contactable references
Please provide a sample (no more than 1,500 words) of written work
Please send all materials to: seccp@earthlife.org.za
ALL APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE (www.earthlife.org.za) BEFORE MAKING AN APPLICATION FOR THIS POSITION
Two ‘climate friendly’ urban developments for Gauteng
May 21, 2009
Posted in Green News
Artist's impression of the Menlyn Maine 'green' precinct to be built in Pretoria
Two large-scale development projects in Gauteng – one in Johannesburg, one in Pretoria – are part of an international initiative to show that cities can grow in ways that are “climate positive”.
Anyone who drives between Joburg and Pretoria regularly could be forgiven for assuming that someone has decided that no clod of earth should be left unpaved between the two cities. News that moves are afoot to set “compelling environmental and economic examples” among all that concrete comes as something of a relief.
The two “climate positive” projects are Zonk’izizwe, a new town centre which will be situated between Gallagher Estate and Grand Central Airport in Midrand, and Menlyn Maine, which is described as a “mixed-used precinct” in the eastern suburbs of Waterkloof Glen Ext 2 and Menlyn Ext 3, Pretoria.
The projects are among the 16 founding projects of the Climate Positive Development Programme that will strive to reduce the amount of on-site carbon dioxide emissions to below zero and set an example for sustainable urban growth. The global initiative was announced this week by Bill Clinton, the former US president, at a four-day summit to discuss cities and climate change in Seoul, South Korea. The programme is a collaborative effort of the Clinton Climate Initiative and the US Green Building Council.
“As the Earth’s population increases and our cities grow, we need to ensure we have the models in place to sustain our way of life in an increasingly urbanised world,” Clinton said at the launch.
To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of these projects to below zero, property developers and local governments will agree to look at implementing innovations in building; generating clean energy; waste management; water management; transport; and outdoor lighting systems.
Last year, for the first time, half the world’s population (3.2-billion people) lived in cities, and that figure is expected to grow to 70 percent by 2050. Cities occupy just 2 percent of the world’s landmass, yet are responsible for more than two-thirds of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. How cities change and grow is a critical component to tackling the climate crisis.
MENLYN MAINE
Artist's impression of Menlyn Maine's high-density residential space. The buildings will have energy and water efficiency systems and will be connected to a fibreoptic network
The developers describe Menlyn Maine as South Africa’s first “green living precinct”. Built on 135,000 m2 of land, it will have offices, shops, restaurants, hotels, residences and entertainment facilities all within easy walking distance of one another to promote living, working and playing in a centralised area.
It is designed around ease of accessibility, says Anton van Wyk, managing director of Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings. “It removes useless hours spent in traffic, which makes more sense from an environmental perspective, and results in happier and more productive employees and customers.”
The development is also close to the new Gautrain rapid rail link between Pretoria and Johannesburg.
To bring some scenery and a breath of fresh air, parklands will run through the middle of the development, in all 5 700m² will be devoted to indigenous landscaping, say the developers.
The buildings will comply with the Green Star Rating System recently launched by South Africa’s Green Building Council. This means they will incorporate energy efficient systems, locally produced or recycled building products, and water saving appliances (such as low-flush loos), water-efficient irrigation systems and stormwater harvesting.
An added attraction is that Menlyn Maine will have an internal fibreoptic network link to every building in the precinct.
Construction has begun and the first commercial sites are due for completion in late 2010.
ZONK’IZIZWE TOWN CENTRE
The Zonk’izizwe (which means “all nations”) project is part of a high-density, mixed-use development planned around the new Gautrain station in Midrand, to the east of the N1 Ben Schoeman highway. (see map)
The 220-hectare development will be a new town centre between Johannesburg and Pretoria and will include a lake, parks, outdoor shopping, a hotel, museums, an aquarium, themed-adventure experiences, a nightlife village, multiplex cinemas as well as residential, office and retail space.
Sustainable development and “green” architecture feature prominently in the Zonk’izizwe design, with innovations like bio-water recycling/purification and solar power energy contributions, energy efficient strategies and a conservation ethic, says the Development Design Group Inc, the US-based planning, architecture and design group, on its website.
The development also aims to minimise its environmental impact by reducing vehicle-use. Buildings will have access to public transport, bicycle paths, the lake and be within walking distance of basic services.
