Showing posts with label world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world. Show all posts

Monday, September 3, 2012

Mining in and around the iSimangaliso wetland park

The coal mining in the Hlabisa / Mtubatuba municipalities is becoming a bit of a hot potato and things are beginning to add up, why has the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) not put their IMP (Integrated Management Plan) or EMP (Environmental Management Plan) in place nor held PPP (Public Participation Process) meetings as is dictated in the many pieces of legislation governing the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) 

The first one is the WHCA (World Heritage Convention Act) which clearly dictates that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) must have an EMP (Environmental Management Plan) in place which reflects the wishes and aspirations of the local population in and around the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) 

read this article in the ZO (Zululand Observer)

Jobs and job creation are issues within the environmental tourism industry of the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) that need careful explanation , along with the many related  issues that are conveniently side stepped by the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) who are not telling the whole truth to the public.

How will the IWPA prevent the mining of the area, and what tools are at their disposal?

Contact the park directly for this information, as they have refused to discuss this at the Mtubatuba Municipality IDP PRF (Integrated Development Plan Public Representative Forum). Confirm this your self by reading the minutes of these meetings. contact The Mtubatuba Municipality for more details. phone 035 550 0069 or www.mtubatuba.org.za

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

IWPA negelects mandate in ICMA

The IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) as the custodians of the GSLWPWHS (Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park World Heritage Site) now called the IWPWHS (iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site) are running foul of the various items of South African Legislation which mandates the IWPA (iSimanagliso Wetland Park Authority) to implement
1) an EMP (Environmental Management Plan)
2) an IMP (Integrated Management Plan)

REGISTER YOUR CONCERN HERE 

Both the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management plan) and the IWPA EMP (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority Environmental Management Plan) are mandated planing instruments in terms of the  laws and legislation listed below amongst many others. Each of these mandates also requires that the IWPA (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority) hold meaningful PPP (Public Participation Process) meetings that follow guidelines as in the

1) ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act) view the ICMA
2) NEMA (National Environmental Management Act) view the NEMA
3) MSA (Municipal Systems Act)  view the MSA
4 WHCA (World Heritage Convention Act) view the WHCA
5) 4X4 ban (ROD A25 / 7 / 8 / 3 /2 / 4 ) view the 4X4 Ban

REGISTER YOUR CONCERN HERE

The IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) has to the best of my knowledge never been discussed at the Mtubatuba IDP PRF (Integrated Development Plan Public Representatives Forum) which is the mandated platform where all local municipality IDP's (Integrated Development Plans) are required to be approved by the public before being submitted to the KZN legislature and parliament for approval. If the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) is not discussed here, how can it be integrated into the local municipalities IDP (Integrated Development Plan) as is mandated by the above mentioned laws and legislation?

TO FORCE THE ISSUE SOME CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE STARTED A PRE REGISTRATION PROCESS OF THE IWPA IMP PPP (ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK AUTHORITY INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS. CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE IWA IMP PPP

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Factors to consider when thinking of the 4x4 ban

Driving on the beach is an issue that needs careful evaluation of all the relevant factors,  and there are many to consider when thinking about a total ban of all vehicles from all beaches.

We as recreational beach users are regularly confronted with the stories about damage that 4x4's cause on beaches when uniformed and naive drivers drive their vehicles over sand dunes with no care in the world.

Some basics about beach Driving: .

Off the beach and back in town there are other implications that effect the economy and social life style of the local residents in strange unintended ways. These impacts are felt more in the rural areas along the Elephant Coast of KZN than in any other coastal area, but most coastal areas feel the impact in a significant drop in the regional economy.

This is a knock on effect caused by the perceived difficulty of access to our well cared for beaches, that results in many would be recreational beach users deciding that they are not willing to walk great distances carrying their cooler box, umbrella, towels and other stuff, so they go else where, where they feel more comfortable.

In areas like the IWP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) this is a big issue, as these recreational beach users would have traveled great distances to get to the Elephant Coast tourism region, and many would spend a night or 2 in the surrounding towns or tourism destinations like St. Lucia, Sodwana Bay, Kozi Bay, Mapelane or Cape Vidal.


These same recreational beach users support the regional economy in other ways to, they are the ones who
With out the recreational beach users in the iSimangaliso wetland park many businesses have had to close their doors due to the total absence of a customer base. In short the 4x4 ban has caused a partial collapse of the domestic tourism market of the Elephant Coast and the iSimangaliso wetland park.

The regional economy of the Elephant Coast has not recovered, and will not recover until such time as the Authorities realise the total economic impact of the 4x4 ban, and include this in their Integrated Development Plans for all the local municipalities as well as include these issues in the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) through the mandated PPP (Public Participation Process) taking into account the definition of the term "ADVSERE EFFECTS" as defined in the ICMA (Integrated Coastal Management Act)

Definition copied from ICMA to help clarify matters here.

"ADVERS EFFECTS" means any actual or potential impact on the environment that
impairs, or may impair, the environment or any aspect of it to an extent that is more
than trivial or insignificant and. without limiting the term, includes any actual or potential impact on the environment that results in—
(a) a detrimental effect on the health or well-being of a person;
(b) an impairment of the ability of any person or community to provide for their
health, safety or social and economic needs; or
(c) a detrimental effect on the environment due to a significant impact or cumulative effect of that impact taken together with other impacts:

Register here to be included in the IWPA IMP PPP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan Public participation process)

Monday, July 30, 2012

dune mining versus beach driving

Why is it that there is such opposition to driving on our beaches, but there is so little opposition to mining the surrounding sand dunes?

read here http://greenheritage.blogspot.com/2012/07/hypocrisy-is-state-of-pretending-to.html

Are those who oppose beach driving Hippocrates?

I do believe many of the pro 4x4 ban group are Hippocrates.

I think you should read here before commenting on the beach driving issue, this may eliminate some of the Hippocrates, as they are mostly uniformed individuals who are self righteous fools that have not considered the impact of their attitudes on the many who have lost their livelihoods due to the  4x4 ban   

This issue needs to be discussed at the IWPA IMP (iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Integrated Management Plan) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan)  PPP (Public participation Process) meetings

Register here to have your say and make a difference