contents

Preface ................................................................................................... 2

durban’s Development context ...................................................... 4 - 5

Open space types ......................................................................................... 6 - 7

environmental goods and services ................................................ 8 - 9

Valuing open space .......................................................................... 10 - 11

Design of open space systems ...................................................... 12 - 13

using catchments for open space planning and management ........................................... 14 - 15

open space planning in durban .................................................. 16 - 19

the open space plan ......................................................................... 20 - 21

management framework ............................................................ 22 - 23

securing and managing the open space system ................................................................ 24 - 25

implementation of the EESMP 2002 ........................................... 26 - 27

conclusion and glossary ................................................................... 28

acknowledgements ............................................................................... 29

1

dr

22 23

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DURBAN’S VISION FOR 2020‘By 2020, the eThekwini Municipality will enjoy the reputation of being Africa’s most caring and livable city, where all citizens live in harmony. This Vision will be achieved by growing its economy and meeting people’s needs so that all citizens enjoy a high quality of life with equal opportunities in a city that they are truly proud of’.

To achieve this stated vision for the city of Durban it is essential that the municipal area is planned, developed and managed in an integrated and sustainable way that does not exceed the carrying capacity of the natural environment. This point is recognised and articulated in the eThekwini Municipality Integrated Development Plan for 2002-2006. Chapter Four describes the city’s Sustainable Development Plan, one of the desired outcomes of which is:

‘quality natural environments and resources that provide the basis for both

economic prosperity and social well being’.

The implementation of the eThekwini Environmental Services Management Plan (EESMP), or open space plan, will therefore contribute signifi cantly to:

• achieving the aims and objectives of the city’s Integrated Development Plan, • improving the quality of life of the residents of Durban, and • meeting national and international environmental commitments.

This ‘popular’ publication has been prepared to document the history of open space planning in Durban and facilitate and promote a wider understanding and knowledge of the value of open space and the benefi ts it delivers to all our people and communities. It supplements more detailed technical reports that have been prepared to record the city’s evolving approach to open space planning, development and management.

Note : The City of Durban is managed and administered by the local government entity known as the eThekwini Municipality.

2

preface

WHAT IS A CATCHMENT?A catchment can be defined as the land area situated between two major watersheds or landform ridges, dr

22

Xyththt

Probably needs a caption, this would be the suggested style to go across the bottom of the illustration like this, set right, like this, sort of thing.

3

4

Durban’sdevelopment contextThe city of Durban in South Africa is located on the eastern seaboard of Africa within the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and covers an area of 2 297 km2. The municipal area is characterised by diverse topography from steep escarpments and rolling hills in the west, to a relatively fl at coastal plain in the east. It has 98 kilometres of coastline and contains 18 major river catchments.

The plant and animal communities of the south-eastern parts of South Africa (KZN and the Eastern Cape) are made up of three distinct elements: a tropical complex entering from the north, a warm temperate complex entering from the south-west and a relatively small transitional complex indigenous to the area. Due to its location and varied landscapes, the biodiversity of the eThekwini Municipal Area (EMA) is made up of a wide variety of terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems and associated fl ora and fauna and genetic resources.

The city occupies only 1.4% of KZN’s land area, but supports just over a third of the province’s population and 60% of its economic activity. It is a key industrial, commercial and transport centre in the southern African region and is an important tourist destination. This development profi le, combined with high levels of poverty and unemployment and a large housing backlog, has placed high demands on the local ecosystems and impacted negatively on biodiversity. For example, of the 11 plant species thought to be extinct in the wild in KZN, six were known from the Durban area only.

Lovu River

Umkomaas River

N3 HILLCREST

Umhlatu-zana River

UMLAZIIsipingo River

MPUMALANGA

CATO RIDGE

TRIBAL AREAInanda Dam

UMKOMAAS

5

AMANZIMTOTI

ISIPINGO

DURBAN CBD

BLUFF

UMDLOTI / LA MERCY

TONGAATUmhloti River

Tongaat River

INANDA / KWAMASHU /NTUZUMA

Umgeni RiverPINETOWN

UMHLANGA ROCKS N2

Umlaas River

Inanda Dam

Hazelmere Dam

UMKOMAAS

6

The open spaces that are normally found within a city have a wide range of physical and biological characteristics and can be categorised into a number of types. The diversity in the character of open space enables it to perform a wide variety of functions which benefi t human settlements. This is because open spaces contain a number of ecosystems, made up of both living and non-living elements, which co-exist and produce environmental goods and services. These include soil for agriculture, drinking water, building materials, fl ood control, and prevention of soil erosion.

Two broad categories of open space can be identifi ed:

Urban Open Spaces are the human-made or formally designated areas that are developed for community use. They include formal parks, sports fi elds, agricultural fi elds, town squares, private gardens, road reserves, servitudes for services such as electricity transmission lines, and dams.

Natural Open Spaces are the less disturbed, natural and mostly undeveloped areas within the city. They contain terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems that are, in turn, made up of a number of land cover types such as grasslands, forests, beaches, estuaries, rivers, and wetlands.

All open space types are important in ensuring quality of life within a living environment. The natural areas, however, accommodate the least disturbed and most functional ecosystems, and therefore produce and supply most of the environmental goods and services within a city. It is for this reason that open space planning focuses on the protection and management of Durban’s natural open spaces. The long-term sustainability of the city’s environment and quality of life requires that the land, water and air resources that are contained within its open spaces are planned and managed as critical socio-economic and ecological assets of the city.

open space types

urban

NATURAL

• sandy• rocky • estua• sand

• near shore ocean• reefs

Mar

ine

Ecos

yste

mPo

tent

ial

Ecos

yste

ms

Recr

eation

al

• parks• race courses• golf courses• sports fi elds

• quarries• mines• landfi ll sites

7

open space types

OPEN SPACE TYPES

• forests• grasslands• woodlands

• rivers• fl oodplains• wetlands

Terr

estr

ial

Ecos

yste

ms

Fres

hwat

er

Ecos

yste

ms

Coas

tal

Ecos

yste

ms

Recr

eation

alOpe

n Sp

ace

Utilit

yOpe

n Sp

ace

Privat

eOpe

n Sp

ace

Agr

icultu

ral

Ope

n Sp

ace

• community gardens• cane fi elds• orchards• forestry

• private gardens• golf estates• offi ce gardens

• road reserves• rail reserves• electricity servitudes• pipeline servitudes

beaches shores ries dunes

8

Environmentalgoods

and services

WHAT are Environmentalgoods and services?

People in the city benefi t from a range of environmental or ecosystem goods and services that are delivered by open spaces and the plants and animals that they contain. These benefi ts include:

• Direct benefi ts – i.e. the direct consumption or use of resources, e.g. water for consumption and plants for fuel and food.

• Indirect benefi ts – i.e. the indirect or non-consumptive use of resources to provide a cost saving or benefi t to urban residents, e.g. wetlands reduce fl ooding and trees provide shelter.

• Option benefi ts – some resources can be protected for future use. For example, an attractive coastline can be used to ensure tourism growth in the future or a plant may yield a medicinal remedy.

• Existence benefi ts – the existence of un-spoilt landscapes may give people a feeling of well-being, identity, sense of place and improve their overall quality of life.

how are environmental services supplied?

The various types of open space supply different quantities and types of environmental goods and services, e.g. rivers supply water, and grasslands supply grazing. In general, large, functional, intact and connected open spaces and associated ecosystems deliver most of the environmental goods and services to the city. The more diverse the types of land cover within an open space, the more productive it is as an environmental service provider.

what is the demand for environmental services?

People in urban and rural communities demand environmental goods and services on a daily basis, e.g. water in streams for drinking and industrial processes, soil for agriculture and building, and rivers and the sea for fi shing and recreation. The different activities that people undertake create a continual demand for different sets and quantities of environmental goods and services. Human activities and land uses put pressure on the service producing ecosystems and, if not managed, they can destroy or damage these services.

9

10

Because the goods and services provided by open spaces are not easily or frequently valued in monetary terms, there is a general failing by many people to understand the value of open space systems in cities. In most instances the people who benefi t from the city’s natural resource base do so without having to pay for the goods and services that they use. International research has, however, made signifi cant progress in estimating the replacement cost of the goods and services supplied by different ecosystems.

If open space systems are conceptualised as a piece of ‘green infrastructure’ containing ecosystems that deliver a service much like a municipal water system, city road system, or community health system, then it becomes possible to value the open space system in terms of its replacement cost as a city asset. In other words, what would it cost to build a canal to prevent fl ooding following the destruction of a wetland (i.e. a natural, existing and free fl ood attenuation asset)?

The various types of open spaces and ecosystems in the city provide varying quantities and mixes of environmental goods and services, each of which have specifi c values, e.g. wetlands are worth around R 160 000 per hectare per annum while forests have a value of around R 21 000 per hectare per annum. In general, more diverse natural landscapes have greater value since they provide a wider range of services. Research in the fi eld is ongoing, but currently available fi gures are widely accepted as a useful guide and tool for providing ‘order of magnitude’ estimates of the value of open space to humanity.

Using the outcomes of this research it has been estimated that the total replacement value of the environmental goods and services supplied by the 2002 open space system is R 3.1 billion per annum. It is noteworthy that this excludes the value of the role of open space in the tourism industry of Durban which itself was estimated to be worth R3.3 billion in 2001.

valuing open space

Alien Vegetation

Recreational

Forest

Tree Crops

Grassland

Field Crops

Disturbed Woodlands

Dry Valley Thicket/ Broadleav

Beaches and Rock Outcrops

11

289ha

3787ha

10581ha

14ha

2828ha

741ha

2823ha

18306ha

1712ha

30,2

0,5

24,8

33,7

195,3

1108,8

29,5

837,2

0,7

428,8

267,5

116,4

6,8

6,4

0,2

0,0

4,1

Rand valuein millions

1039ha

50000ha

5485ha

201ha

865ha

3093ha

11145ha

203ha

Alien Vegetation

Recreational

Utility

Forest

Tree Crops

Grassland

Field Crops

Disturbed Woodlands Near Shore Ocean

Extractive

Settlements

Wooded Grasslands

Water

Wetland Forest

Wetland (Non-woody)

Dry Valley Thicket/ Broadleav ed Woodland

Beaches and Rock Outcrops

TOTAL VALUE: R3,1 billion

12

A well-connected and diverse system of healthy and functional ecosystems is essential to ensure the long-term, sustainable supply of environmental goods and services within Durban.

The effective functioning of the open space system will be best achieved by maintaining:

• As many functional ecosystems as possible. • The widest range of open space types (e.g.

grassland, forests, wetlands, etc.).• Physical links between open spaces to allow

for the fl ow of genetic material, energy, water and nutrients.

• Physical links to and between signifi cant continental sources of biodiversity (e.g. Pondoland and Maputaland centres of plant diversity) to prevent local species extinctions in the eThekwini Municipal Area (EMA).

• Physical links along the coast connecting river catchments to marine sources of biodiversity (e.g. Eastern Cape (former Transkei) marine biodiversity centre).

Key elements of the Durban open space system include:

• Large, relatively undisturbed areas, including nature reserves (e.g. Silverglen, Virginia Bush, Beachwood Mangroves, and Shongweni Resources Nature Reserves) and upper catchment areas (e.g. Inanda Dam and surrounds and the hinterland of the Umlaas River catchment).

• River corridors and the land and vegetation immediately adjacent to these riparian zones.

• Coastal areas including estuaries and the sea-shore.

the Design of open space systems

Continental Source

Functional Ecosystem

Cross-Catchment Corridors

Isolated Pieces of Ecosystems

Partly Functional Ecosystem

Biogeographic Transition Zone

Marine and Ocean Corridor

In-River Corridors

13

14

WHAT IS A CATCHMENT?

A catchment can be defined as the land area situated between two watersheds or landform ridges, drained by a common river valley system. There are 18 major river catchments in Durban.

Each catchment has a different physical capacity for accom-modating and/or absorbing the impacts generated by human development by virtue of its size, shape and cross-section, the quantity and quality of environmental assets, and the levels of settlement it contains. Each needs unique and specific planning and management inputs.

WHY ARE CATCHMENTS IMPORTANT?

Catchments are important in planning for the following rea-sons:

• They provide a way of understanding the direct physical links between urban development and its impacts on the adjacent natural environment.

• They provide a means of describing and understanding the spatial links and ‘causes and effects’ between activities upstream and their impacts downstream.

• They exist as discrete, logical and interconnected physi-cal systems that are useful for integrating spatial planning, development, and management of both urban develop-ment and natural assets.

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

The National Water Act 1998 provides for the establishment of Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs) by the Minister of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. This legisla-tive provision is part of the Department’s strategy of delegat-ing water resource management to the regional or catchment level, and of involving communities in resource management. CMAs will contribute to ensuring that the nation’s water resources are conserved, developed and used in a sustainable manner.

Whilst the National Water Act deals specifically with water resources, the catchment management approach has direct application in the planning and management of open spaces, land use planning, as well as the planning and operational activities of municipal departments such as Waste Water Management and Drainage and Coastal Engineering.

using catchments for open spaceplanning and management

15

using catchments for open spaceplanning and management

16

Open space planning began in Durban more than 20 years ago. The fi rst open space plan was produced in 1979 and has been transformed over the years by new approaches to environmental and land-use planning. It also had to respond to the incorporation of new areas into the municipality’s area of jurisdiction.

Phase 1 1979 Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS)

A fi rst attempt at city-wide open space planning was made by the then Wildlife Society as members of the society where concerned about the loss of important natural areas to ad hoc urban development. In 1979 the society produced a Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) plan, aimed at protecting conservation-worthy areas of the city. This plan was further developed and refi ned by a researcher appointed by the Natal Town and Regional Planning Commission who produced a more detailed iteration of the plan in 1987.

Phase 21989 Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS)

Building on the work undertaken by the Wildlife Society, the then Durban Municipality, in conjunction with the University of Natal, undertook a detailed ecological evaluation of the open spaces within the municipal area. This resulted in the production of the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS) report in 1989 by the Director: Parks, Beaches and Recreation. This report recommended the creation of an open space network of nine park systems within the municipal area and focused on the design of a system that was ecologically viable and self-sustaining. This more holistic approach resulted in the inclusion of areas that previously would not have been regarded as having conservation signifi cance.

open space planningin durban

Phase 31999 D’MOSS Framework Plan

The democratisation process of the 1990s resulted in local government in Durban establishing new priorities. In terms of open space planning, this meant a shift away from a primary concern for conservation and ecological viability, to the need for the implementation and management of a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable open space system. This was supported by the city’s commitment to the international Local Agenda 21 programme in 1994.

During this period open space was re-conceptualised as an important asset that has social, economic and ecological value and which needs active protection, conservation and management. It was recognised that far from being an elitist concern, the protection of a sustainable open space system would ensure that the natural resource base of the city would continue to supply environmental goods and services (e.g. waste treatment and provision of water) in the long-term. This sustainable delivery of environmental services is critical in meeting the needs of all of the city’s communities, but most importantly the basic needs of the urban and rural poor. International research in the fi eld of resource economics was used to quantify the value of the environmental goods and services delivered by the city’s open space system.

This approach meant that the metropolitan open space system was designed to ensure the sustainable delivery of these environmental goods and services. In order to facilitate data collection and management, the system was mapped digitally using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The spatial footprint of the system was calculated to be 45 090 ha. This represented 33% of the metropolitan area, but 52% was considered to be undevelopable due to physical constraints such as steepness, fl ooding, instability and/or legal constraints in the form of property zoning.

17

Phase 42001 eThekwini Environmental Services Management Plan (EESMP)

In 2000, demarcation of new local government boundaries during the fi nal stages of local government transformation resulted in a 67% increase in the size of the Durban municipal area. This necessitated the extension of the 1999 open space system into the newly incorporated areas. This culminated in the production of the eThekwini Environmental Services Management Plan 2001 (EESMP).

Using the same mapping approach employed in 1999 resulted in the delineation of an open space system covering 123 000 ha. This represented 54% of the new municipal area (now referred to as the eThekwini Municipal Area – EMA) and was considered to represent the optimal open space system for the city. Growing development pressures in the city, however, made it imperative that the size of the system be reduced in order to ensure long-term political support for the plan. The spatial footprint was accordingly refi ned through the exclusion of agricultural land and rural settlements as it was felt that these areas could be adequately protected through means

other than the open space plan. This resulted in a reduced area of 76 000 hectares made up of two key components. Firstly, areas that were regarded as critical to the ecological viability of the system and the sustainable supply of open space services (62 000 ha or 27% of the EMA) and secondly, other smaller, isolated open spaces (14 000 ha) that were considered to add value to the system. Only 15% of the areas regarded as “critical” were considered to be physically developable.

Running parallel to this refi nement process, a group of planning, environmental and legal professionals was appointed to identify and recommend tools that would ensure the successful implementation, development and management of the emerging open space system. During this process both national and global best practice in the fi eld was reviewed. This highlighted the fact that while the open space system needed to be managed as a land use type in its own right, this had to be complemented by the appropriate management and development of all other surrounding urban land use types. A range of possible implementation tools including land development rights transfers, property rates rebates, environmental charges, zoning regulations, incentivising landowners and land acquisition were proposed as suitable for use in Durban.

1999 20021989

changingmunicipalboundaryandopen space footprint

18

Phase 52002 EESMP – Programme to Secure the Open Space Asset

During the refi nement exercise done in Phase 4, it became clear that the areas of the system mapped during the 1999 exercise would have to be remapped. This was due to the improved quality and coverage of available aerial photography and because in the intervening period many areas had changed ecological status or been lost to development. This led to the remapping of the entire open space system by the Environmental Management Branch using a set of refi ned ecosystem and land-use types. Once again, in order to accommodate the city’s pressing development needs, only those areas vital to the viability of the system were included and the total spatial footprint was reduced from 76 000 ha to 63 000 ha. During this exercise the Branch also identifi ed 44 priority areas, i.e. upper catchments, dams, estuaries and the coastal zone, in order to focus later efforts aimed at securing the system.

A further team of planning, environmental and legal professionals was appointed to help determine which of these priority areas were most threatened by development. Indicators of threat or lack of threat included physical factors which infl uence developability (e.g. fl ood lines, slope, and unstable soil), planning status (e.g. zoning, proposed housing projects for the area, proximity to infrastructure), legal status (e.g. were areas formally protected or did they include protected habitats), and ownership. This information was used to rank properties located within the 44 priority areas based on development threat and level of protection.

Recommendations emerging from this study included:

a) the need to inform all affected land owners of their legal responsibilities to protect environmentally sensitive land,

b) a land or rights acquisition programme involving the State, Ingonyama Trust (tribal land) and the Municipality to ensure the protection of environmentally sensitive land, and

c) the establishment of an area-based agency for the management of the open space asset.

At the same time, an audit of the formal protection status of the 36 nature reserves located within the EMA was undertaken. It was found that only six of these were afforded formal provincial protection. The study recommended that specifi c actions be undertaken for each nature reserve ranging from consolidation of sites to rezoning and offi cial proclamation.

open space planning(continued from page 17)

19

2002

1989

1999

changingmunicipalboundaryandopen space footprint

20

The diagram and table, at right, indicate the size of each major river catchment of the EMA as well as the type and quantity of open space within each. Each catchment has a different capacity to supply environmental goods and services based on the area and diversity of the open spaces found within them. Each catchment thus requires a specifi c and targeted management strategy in order to balance the supply of, and demand for environmental goods and services within its boundaries.

General Open Space Types/Habitats/Ecosystems

Grassland – Includes both undisturbed primary and disturbed secondary grassland. Primary grassland is very rare in Durban.

Wooded Grasslands – Includes coastal bush clump – grassland mosaic, acacia savannah, protea woodland and Faurea saligna woodland. It comprises a mix of grassland and tree species.

Dry Valley Thicket/Broadleaved Woodland – This vegetation type is common within the larger river valley systems, which are too dry for the establishment of forests. It is generally impenetrable and contains acacia trees interspersed with broad-leaved trees and succulent plants.

Disturbed Woodlands – This habitat type contains a varied mix of woody species, which because of human disturbance, is no longer typical of any natural habitat.

Forests – Includes dune scrub and forest, coastal lowland forest, riverine forest, coastal scarp forest and transitional forests. There is generally a canopy of large tree species and a distinctive under storey.

Wetland Forest – Includes swamp forest,

mangrove forest, Barringtonia racemosa forest, and Hibiscus tiliaceus forest. These habitats are located along rivers with a wide, fl at fl oodplain and within estuaries.

Wetland – Includes freshwater and estuarine wetlands associated with a high water table, and the rivers and their fl oodplains.

Water – This includes canalised rivers, bays and estuaries, artifi cial water bodies, e.g. dams, and natural water bodies.

the open space plan

21

Beaches and Rock Outcrops – Includes sandy beaches, rocky shores, and rock outcrops located within other habitat types, e.g. granite hillsides.

Alien Vegetation – Includes alien thicket (Triffi d weed/Lantana), alien woodland (Syringa) and feral plantations (Gums).

Field Crops – These include large scale commercial and subsistence agriculture.

Tree Crops – These include fruit tree orchards and formal plantations.

Utility – Includes cemeteries, nurseries, grassed reservoirs and road verges, and waste water treatment works.

Recreational – Includes golf courses, horse tracks, parkland and sports grounds.

Extractive – Includes rock quarries and sand quarries.

Settlements – These include both rural and urban settlements and have only been mapped when located within a larger natural area.

• All areas listed are in Hectares• Many catchments extend beyond the city boundary

22 23

Management strategies for the open space system must respond to the long-term need to secure the benefi ts (i.e. environmental goods and services) that can be delivered by the open space assets. Effective, effi cient and sustainable delivery of environmental goods and services requires that both the supply of, and demand for, services are managed through a system of integrated management operating across administrative sectors and across the geographical area of the city. This means that both the open space assets and the land and land uses that surround them must be managed as part of an integrated approach to land use and development management.

An integrated approach requires that all the city’s stakeholders recognise and understand the benefi ts of open space for people, as well as the impacts that their activities have on the natural asset base. It requires the co-ordination of the planning and management of human activities and associated land development at a strategic level. In this way the operational activities of all stakeholders and municipal departments will be guided by common and focused objectives and principles.

Creating Networks and Partnerships

Due to the size, distribution, ownership (i.e. mostly not municipal) and cost of maintaining the open space assets within the EMA, the municipality is unable to effectively manage the resource on its own. Many open spaces are already being managed by individuals, private corporates, public institutions, non-governmental and community-based organisations. All these stakeholders will have to collaborate in their efforts to achieve effective management of the open space system if the system is to be sustainable in the long term. Partnerships must be built between open space managers to facilitate capacity building and information sharing and to ensure the effi cient use of resources.

MANAGEMENTFRAMEWORK

Managing the Supply of Ecosystem Services (Open Space Management Principles)

Open space management action needs to focus on maintaining functional ecosystems and the following principles should be employed:

• Establish measurable goals so that the environment’s performance can be monitored.

• Invest in on-going monitoring and research to keep management up to date.

• Maintain biological diversity and ecosystem complexity to promote open space resilience.

• Allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to their constantly changing environment.

• Manage open space on a wide range of physical and time scales.

• Acknowledge human activity as part of the performance of open space ecosystems.

Managing the Demand for Services (Land Use Management Principles)

It has already been recognised that the manner in which settlements are designed and constructed and the manner in which land use is managed is critical in ensuring sustained environmental quality. New developments should therefore:

• Respect and take cognisance of the carrying capacity of the catchment they are located in, measured in terms of indicators that show pressures on the environmental systems, e.g. fl ooding frequency, extent of soil erosion, water pollution levels, and air quality.

• Recognise the collective impacts of individual developments. A single development on its own may not represent a signifi cant impact, but when evaluated together with other developments the impact is compounded.

• Recognise and avoid off-site impacts, e.g. soil erosion generated by site clearing results in

22 23

siltation of streams and estuaries.• Ensure adequate and appropriate management

of building sites during construction phases since this is when the land is most exposed to run-off and erosion.

• Respond to the inherent capacity and quality of the land, e.g. coastal locations should not accommodate industrial developments and valuable agricultural land should be protected for that purpose.

• Respond to the catchment profi les, i.e. shape, size, steepness and soil conditions to minimise impacts from run-off and soil erosion.

• Refl ect the need for lower density development in upper catchment areas in order to protect environmental quality of these areas as well as prevent impacts in

downstream high-value recreation and tourism areas located on the coastal plain.

In addition to the above:

The eThekwini Municipality should actively engage with adjacent municipalities and other spheres of government in managing land use and development occurring outside the EMA, but which generate impacts downstream within the EMA.

MANAGEMENT

balance

developmentopen space

24

Creative tools and measures are needed to enable all city stakeholders to contribute to the long-term protection and management of the open space system. These tools may be described as a set of incentives and regulations that can be put in place to infl uence the decisions that stakeholders make with regard to the development, use and management of their land and associated environmental assets. They can be applied either individually or collectively to suit the planning and / or development context at hand, and their employment will depend on the willingness and capacity of the municipality at any point in time to effect control over the environment.

Incentives for Conservation

Incentives are a way of providing benefi ts or encouraging landowners to practise sound and sustainable land management. These incentives can take a number of forms:

• Positive incentives infl uence the way people behave towards their environment. They include enhanced development rights, rates rebates, attitude change and motivation through environmental education and public recognition.

• Disincentives aim to prevent poor land use. Development impact charges and laws or regulations with associated penalties are examples of disincentives. They require substantial human and fi nancial resources to implement.

• Perverse incentives lead to signifi cant biodiversity loss and need to be eliminated. For example, the practice of using property rates taxes to penalise owners of undeveloped land can have negative impacts on biodiversity conservation and the continued supply of environmental goods and services to the residents of the city.

Securing andmanaging the open space system

Legal Protection Framework

South Africa has many environmental policies and laws to ensure the protection of biodiversity and areas worthy of conservation. The legal framework of protection is based on:

• General environmental protection and management (‘laws of general application’), e.g. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996) and the National Environmental Management Act (1998).

• Protected areas legislation, e.g. Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance (1974).

• Specifi c environmental features identifi ed in legislation and afforded a measure of protection (seashore, forests, wetlands, estuaries and watercourses), e.g. National Forests Act (1998).

• Species protection, e.g. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Land Use Management System

As mentioned earlier, the management of activities and land uses in areas that abut or surround open spaces must be seen as an integral part of the overall strategy for protecting and managing the environmental assets within the open spaces of the city. This will be achieved in part by incorporating the open space system and appropriate associated land use and zoning regulations and controls into the Land Use Management System (LUMS) for the eThekwini Municipality that is required in terms of the Municipal Systems Act (2000).

25

REGULATIONS !

guidelin

es !

policy !

GIS !

LUMS !

reb

ates !

subsidies !

reduced

charges!

26

Signifi cant progress has already been made with regard to the implementation of the EESMP and the key achievements are outlined below.

Council Approval of the EESMP

In March 2003 the EESMP was approved by the eThekwini Municipal Council as their offi cial policy for the planning and management of the city’s open space system. This has paved the way for active implementation of the open space plan.

Building Open Space Management Capacity within Local Government

Presentations to municipal departments are being made to sensitise staff and to build capacity and understanding regarding the importance of the open space system plan, and how various line functions may play a role in ensuring its effective implementation. This process will ensure better co-ordination across the line functions involved in planning and development management within the city.

Further Development of the GIS Database

The continual updating and improvement of information sets and the photographic database on the GIS will assist in all aspects of the implementation of the EESMP. It is important that all line functions of the municipality have access to, and understand, the EESMP GIS database so that it can inform planning and decision-making at all levels.

implementationof the EESMP

Audit of Protected Areas within the Municipal Area

The preparation of the EESMP involved an audit of the formal protection status of the 36 nature reserves located within the EMA. It was found that only six of these were afforded formal provincial protection. The study recommended specifi c actions be undertaken for each nature reserve ranging from consolidation of sites to rezoning and offi cial proclamation. As such, these site-specifi c recommendations provide a programme of action for the municipality.

Acquisition and Expropriation of Land

In a very limited number of cases it will be necessary to intervene and acquire environmentally sensitive land of strategic signifi cance that is under threat from development. As a result capital funds totaling R 2.5 million were allocated in the 2002/2003 fi nancial year to begin the acquisition process. Due to the limitations of the municipal budgeting cycle, a willing seller will usually be required in order to complete the acquisition process within a fi nancial year.

landowner consultation

The important role that each landowner plays with respect to the management of open space assets located on their property needs to be conveyed to them in order to gain their support for, and management of, the open space system. Landowners need to be made aware of the responsibility they have as well as the contribution they can make towards sustainable environmental quality in the city. This is being achieved through the preparation and distribution of various forms of written material (e.g. posters, pamphlets, booklets, etc.), through contact with owners during various municipal planning and development procedures and during the evaluation of development applications made by private landowners and / or developers.

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inadequate management

adequate management

Integrated Open Space System

Poor linkages with Maputaland centre of biodiversity

Poor riverine linkages with hinterland

degraded drainage line

isolated piece of open space

Loss of coastal assets with negative impacts on tourism

Good quality coastal assets (beaches, dunes etc) promotes tourism development

Functional open space system which is able to deliver a full range of environmental goods and servicesStrong linkages with

Pondoland centre of biodiversity

Strong riverine linkages with hinterland

riverine corridor

linka

ge

low quality of urban lifegood quality of urban life

core

Fragmented Open Space System

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glossary

conclusion

The planning, development and management of the city’s open space system can no longer be regarded as secondary to other municipal functions if sustainability, effi ciency and equality are primary development objectives of the eThekwini Municipality. The role that open space plays, as the ‘engine’ that delivers the environmental goods and services that are vital to maintaining an acceptable

quality of life for all communities, can no longer be ignored.

Open space needs to be recognised as an asset that requires careful, continual, and deliberate management, and it must be afforded a status by all of Durban’s residents and decision makers that will lead to its continued protection and judicious use.

Biodiversity(Biological Diversity)

Biogeographic Transition Zone

Ecosystem

Functional ecosystem

Corridor

sustainable open space system

Resource economics

integrated management

Variety of different landscapes, ecosystems, communities, species (mi-cro-organisms, plants and animals) and genetic variability among individu-als within each species.

An area lying between biological regions of the earth’s surface, in the case of Durban between the temperate and tropical parts of Africa, which in addition to supporting elements from these two continental sources may support its own endemic fl ora and fauna.

Community of organisms interacting with one another and with the chem-ical and physical factors making up their environment. An ecosystem can be a large area of land such as a park or as small as a rotting log.

An ecosystem that has most of its elements (plants, animals, soil, etc.) interacting with each other in a healthy and productive manner.

A portion of the open space system that provides a physical link between different parts of the system and thus enables the movement of materi-als, nutrients, plants, animals, etc..

A system of linked open spaces that continue to provide environmental goods and services with limited human intervention.

A fi eld of study concerned with valuing natural resources.

A system of collective and collaborative management whereby all inter-ested and affected stakeholders are involved in, and benefi t from deci-sions regarding the use and distribution of resources.

mayor’s message

From His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Obed T. Mlaba

The planning of Durban’s social and economic upliftment agenda reliesto a large degree on the most appropriate usage of the city’s openspaces. These open spaces contain valuable natural resources, such aswater for sanitation and drinking, raw materials for building, and they protect citizens from natural disasters such as fl oods. Our open spacesalso represent key natural attributes that enhance Durban’s stature andattractiveness as a lifestyle city and a popular tourist destination.Visitors to the city are very often impressed by the abundant greeneryand well-maintained open spaces that are available for leisure,recreation and tourism.

In striving to meet the many challenges facing Durban, it is thusimportant that we have in place sustainable plans and programmes thatbalance the pressing need for economic development with the crucialrequirement to ensure that the carrying capacity of our environment isnot compromised.

To this end, the eThekwini Municipality has prepared an EnvironmentalServices Management Plan that aims to protect and enhance the value of anetwork of open spaces throughout the city precincts, and which willensure the continued supply of environmental services for the benefi t ofall residents. This Plan deserves the support of every citizen becausethe development path it promotes will benefi t this and futuregenerations by contributing to a better quality of life. The Plan alsorecognises the need to sustain an urban environment that satisfi esenvironmentally conscious consumers, tourists and investors and for thisreason represents a fundamental building block underpinning Durban’sLong Term Development Framework.

I encourage all Durban citizens to become acquainted with theEnvironmental Services Management Plan and to assist wherever possiblein its implementation throughout the city in order that we may enjoy thefull benefi ts to be derived from the preservation of our preciousenvironment.

Mayor Obed T. MlabaeThekwini Municipality

acknowledgements

Planning in South Africa has been transformed into an activity that is the responsibility of local municipalities and involves all of the country’s citizens. As such, planning processes require effort, patience and tolerance by all involved, and they can be extremely time consuming in order to ensure that all viewpoints are heard and everyone is given an opportunity to understand complex, but challenging issues.

It is with the above in mind that sincere appreciation is expressed by the eThekwini Municipality for the time and effort sacrifi ced, and for the goodwill displayed by all of the citizens of Durban over the past 20 years, in contributing to open space planning resulting in the preparation of the eThekwini Environmental Services Management Plan.

Additional information and/or enquiries relating to the EESMP can be obtained from the Environmental Management Branch of the Development Planning and Management Unit. Their contact details are as follows:

Physical Address: 166 Old Fort Road, DurbanPostal Address: P.O. Box 680, Durban, 4000Telephone: 031 300 2517/2877/2527Fax: 031 300 2225Email: robertsd@cesu.durban.gov.zaorboonr@cesu.durban.gov.za

Prepared by: The Environmental Management Branch of eThekwini Municipality and Urban Explorations

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Partners in PublishingPrinted on recycled paper - June 2003

2002

DurbanEnvironmental

services mangement plan

ethekwinimunicipality