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FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
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RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4156
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001207
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DEPT FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, AND AF/S
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TAGS: SENV SOCI ETRD SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY
QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS, JANUARY TO MARCH 2007
PRETORIA 00001207 001.2 OF 003
1. (U). Summary: This is the first issue for 2007 of the South
African Environment, Science and Technology newsletter, January to
March Volume 1, Number 6, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria,
South Africa.
Topics of the newsletter:
-- SA Leads an Afro-Euro Team to Prestigious EU Science Award
-- Nuclear Plant Blamed for Ill Health and Environmental
Degradation
-- Africa's Only Green Bank - Nedbank
-- Limpopo Communities Encouraged to Learn About Climate
-- South Africa Builds a New Dam and Celebrates National Water Week
-- Environmental Minister Defies Public and Bans 4x4 Vehicles on SA
Beaches
-- South Africa's Busiest Landfill Site to Generate Clean
Electricity
-- High Waters Break Down Barrier Between Ocean and Lake St. Lucia
-- South African Government Rejects the Planting of GM Maize for
Bi-Fuels Industry
-- Strong Sea Waves Batter Durban Coastline and Create Business
Losses
-- U.S. Scientist Encourages SA Youth to Join Race to Mars
End Summary.
2. SA LEADS AN AFRO-EURO TEAM TO PRESTIGIOUS EU SCIENCE AWARD
A team of South African scientists working in cooperation with
counterparts from Africa and Europe have won the European Union's
prestigious "Descartes Prize for Science" for their pioneer research
work on the Milky Way galaxy using the High Energy Stereoscopic
System (HESS) gamma rays telescopes. The four "Chervchenko"
telescopes based in Namibia but owned by SA, are able to detect
faint bursts of blue light emitted by the high energy gamma rays as
they pass through the atmosphere of the earth. In three years of it
existence, the HESS has proven that cosmic rays originate from old
exploding stars, a concept that remained only a theory until the
telescope revealed the solid supporting evidence. The telescope has
also located other sources of gamma rays in the Milky Way central
region; these sources were seen clearly for the first with the HESS
telescope.
3. NUCLEAR PLANT BLAMED FOR ILL HEALTH AND ENVRIONMENTAL DEGRADATON
Mashile Phalane, a representative of the Nuclear Energy Costs the
Earth (NECTEC) led a group of Atteridgeville residents worried about
the impact of a neighboring nuclear plant on their health and
environment. Phalane said that they have also discussed supporting
a potential lawsuit by nine laid off former workers of the nuclear
plant, who allege that they became ill from exposure to radiation
from nuclear waste. Phalane argues that the National Environmental
Management Act allows "participation of all interested parties in
the environmental governance." The Nuclear Energy Regulatory Act,
however, only allows participation by communities living within a
five kilometer radius from a nuclear plant to participate in the
decision-making process. Phalane describes this regulatory
contradiction as a "miscarriage of the constitution". NECTEC, an
anti-nuclear community-based group, has been trying to raise
community awareness and involvement in the decisions regarding the
development nuclear power plants and nuclear waste smelters.
4. AFRICA'S ONLY GREEN BANK - NEDBANK
Nedbank financier and environmental lawyer Justin Smith announced
that Nedbank has become the first and only bank in Africa that has
adopted an environmental benchmark for promoting sustainable
development, known as the "Equator Principles." Nedbank's
environmental advisor, Christina Wood defines the Equator Principles
as "a comprehensive set of environmental and social guidelines for
the financing of projects". Forty-one financial institutions have
adopted the principles worldwide representing 80 percent of this
year's global project financing. The benchmark is aimed at
promoting socially responsible development, and to ensure that
projects financed by the banks reflect sound environmental
management practices. Nedbank has begun recycling programs for
paper and water, and has also adopted the use of a variety of low
energy devices. A Nedbank study reports that over 70 percent of the
staff is proud to be working for a bank with a commitment to the
community and the environment. Smith notes that most South African
leading firms are not participating in this initiative. He said that
more than 40 percent of the top 40 companies in the Johannesburg
Security Exchange do not have an environmental officer, and about 16
percent have either weak or no sustainable development reports.
Smith also opines that the SA government has not worked well on
PRETORIA 00001207 002.2 OF 003
commercially sustainable development policies. He notes that the
government did not include sustainable development in the Black
Economic Empowerment (BEE) charters. He also commented that the
civil society has remained too silent on the issue of sustainable
development promotion within financial institutions.
5. LIMPOPO PROVINCE COMMUNITIES ENCOURAGED TO LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) official
Moses Rannditsheni urged all South Africans to become more aware
about climate change and its potential impact on the weather and
people's lives. Rannditsheni said that the livelihoods and food
security of many rural and some poor communities depended on
favorable weather conditions. Extreme drought and floods are
disasters which impact on agriculture, the main source of livelihood
for rural communities. Because rural communities are the most
vulnerable, they have to be equipped with practical knowledge on
weather dynamics, to allow them to survive and adapt to changing
environmental circumstances. DEAT and the South African Weather
Services (SAWS) have embarked on an awareness and teaching program
for the communities of Thohoyandou in Limpopo province,
concentrating on polar meteorology and its impact on global weather
conditions. The program coincided with the March 23 celebration of
World Meteorological Day. Senior SAWS officials presented the
latest seasonal weather forecast (April to June); University of
Pretoria (UP) academics and students participated in a weather
awareness project with a local college and a primary school to
launch the teaching program. The Limpopo Provincial Minister of
Agriculture Ms. Dikeledi Magadza presented the Tshawona Primary
School with a SAWS-donated Stevenson Screen, a weather observation
instrument. UP students taught primary school students how to draw
fresh drinking water from low-lying clouds using fog net
technology.
6. SOUTH AFRICA BUILDS A NEW DAM AND CELEBRATES NATIONAL WATER WEEK
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) Minister Ms. Lindiwe
Hendricks launched South Africa's National Water Week (March 19-24)
at a sod-turning ceremony for a new dam building project in Limpopo
province. The Minister said that National Water Week raises
awareness about the need for sustainable use and management of this
scarce resource. The theme of the 2007 Water Week campaign was
"Water is Life - Protect our Scarce Resources". Minister Hendricks
said that the new Limpopo dam project will address water shortages
in Limpopo province. It will provide water to towns, industries and
poorly serviced rural communities, as well as to mines which are
expected to unlock vast mineral deposits in Limpopo province. Over
800,000 people based in the project area could benefit through
improved and secured water supply from the dam. The dam
infrastructure project is anticipated to cost government over $750
million and has the potential to create many jobs. Construction of
the dam will commence in the first quarter of 2007, while DWAF
expects the first impoundment of water during the 2009/2010 rain
season.
7. ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DEFIES PUBLIC AND BANS 4x4 VEHICLES ON SA
BEACHES
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus Van
Schalkwyk defied public outcry and announced a total ban of 4x4
vehicles on all South African (SA) beaches. DEAT has commissioned a
study on the use of 4x4's on the beaches which concluded that the
use of 4x4's had a negative impact on tourism, the presence of 4x4's
led to increased crime and recreational vehicles should not be
allowed on public beaches. The study was conducted in the Greater
St. Lucia Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal province. According to the
study, the number of tourists began to climb once a ban on 4x4's was
announced in the summer of 2003/2004. Tourism had increased 59
percent by July 2006. Scientists also reported a significant
increase in endangered seabird breeding in 2003. DEAT first
introduced the ban on the use of recreational vehicles on SA beaches
in 2001, but it was met with strong public opposition. DEAT then
revised the regulations in 2004 and the Minister commissioned the
study in St. Lucia to ascertain weather or not there was sound
evidence to support a continued ban.
8. SOUTH AFRICA'S BUSIEST LANDFILL SITE TO GENERATE CLEAN
ELECTRICITY
The Municipality of Ethekwini (Durban) has obtained environmental
approval to commence extracting methane gas to generate electricity
from South Africa's busiest landfill site in Bisasar Road, Kwa Zulu
Natal (KZN) province. The landfill site which handles over 5,000
garbage/tons per day, and has the potential to generate up to eight
megawatts (MW) of electricity from the methane gas extracted.
According to experts, the methane gas generated from garbage, which
is regarded as more potent than carbon dioxide, is drawn at low
pressure from the landfill and blown into a flare to generate
electricity. The manager of the clean development mechanism
project, Lindsay Strachan, said that there were two earlier projects
which are already producing 1.8 MW at Marianhill and La Mercy in KZN
province. The projects were built at a cost of $2.7 million, with a
projected revenue of $2.9 million from carbon credit sales, and $1,8
PRETORIA 00001207 003.2 OF 003
million from electricity sales during a 14-year period. Strachan
said that the first phase of the project will cost $5.5 million, a
part of which is to be funded from the sales of carbon credits. The
Ethekwini municipality has secured an $8.2 million loan from the
French Development Bank (AFD), while the Department of Trade and
Industry will provide $2.45 million for the construction of the
necessary infrastructure.
9. HIGH WATERS BREAK DOWN BARRIER BETWEEN OCEAN AND LAKE ST. LUCIA
Sea waves measuring over 3.5 meters high broke down a sand barrier
which had separated the ocean and Lake St. Lucia on the north coast
of the Kwa-Zulu natal province since 2001. According to local
ecologists, the sand barrier had been formed through a natural
process during the 2000 - 2001 drought. Heavy rain downpours, rough
seas and strong easterly winds blowing waves to greater heights
early also contributed to the destruction of the san barrier.
Seawater breached the sand barrier in five areas at the mouth of the
lake, creating channels of between 50 meters and 80 meters wide.
Wetlands Parks Authority CEO Andrew Zaloumis said that from an
ecological perspective, the natural breach at the mouth of the lake
is a positive event. He said large numbers of fish, prawns, crabs
and other marine life will enter the lake, while lake dwellers would
also venture out to sea. Water levels had receded to between 60 and
70 centimeters below sea level before the breach occurred, while 50
percent of the 36,000 hectare water surface was dry. The primary
negative aspect of the breach is that the submerged beds of
estuarine water plants which flourish on low salinity may die. Lake
St. Lucia is Africa's largest estuarine system, and a declared World
Heritage site and Wetland of International Importance under the
Ramsar Convention.
10. SA GOVERNMENT REJECTS PLANTING OF GM MAIZE FOR BIO-FUELS
INDUSTRY
The Department of Agriculture's executive council, which regulates
the Genetically Modified (GM) organisms, has rejected a seed
company's application to grow GM maize in South Africa for the
bio-fuel industry. US biotechnology company Syngenta wanted to
plant what is known as the first industrial GM maize in the world,
code named "Maize Event 3,272", but it has failed to convince the
South African government (SAG) that the maize was safe for food or
animal feed. Executive Council Chairman Julian Jaftha said that
they were concerned that the Event 3,232 maize could mix with maize
grown for food. The Council also stated that Syngenta did not use
the World Health Organization's (WHO) evaluation methods to test for
allergens. The African Biosafety Center, a watchdog organization
monitoring the GM industry announced support for the government's
decision. Syngenta had no public comment.
11. STRONG SEA WAVES BATTER DURBAN COASTLINE AND CREATE BUSINESS
LOSSES
Strong, heavy sea waves battered the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) province
coastline towards the end of March, affecting favorite tourist
beaches of north and south of Ethekwini (Durban). The popular
beaches of Golden Mile and Ballito on the Dolphin Coast and a string
of other famous beaches suffered extraordinarily strong tides
coupled with high waves of over seven meters high and strong winds.
This combination devastated beaches, roads, electricity, sanitation
and telecommunications. Deputy Head of Fire and Disaster
Management, Mark Te Water said that the beaches would remain closed
for a few days, but hopefully open in time for the long Easter
weekend. The two main ports of Durban and Richards Bay were also
shut down temporarily. City and provincial tourism officials report
that there have been only minimal tourist cancellations. One
official reported that self-catering accommodations were already up
to 70 percent full, while the other types of accommodation were 90
percent full. The Ethekwini city council began clean-up work
immediately, removing debris from the beaches and streets, putting
back the shark nets and repairing the damaged infrastructure.
Provincial Premier Sbu Ndebele said damage to the south coast alone
was estimated at about $69.4 million.
12. U.S. SCIENTIST ENCOURAGES SA YOUTH TO JOIN RACE TO MARS
Speaking at the annual Sasol ScieFest 2007, U.S. Dr. Donald Thompson
encouraged South African youth to compete for a place on the first
space voyage to Mars in the next 25 years. Thompson was encouraging
young people to take math, engineering and science very seriously,
because they could become the next generation of scientists headed
for Mars in the future. The International Space Station (ISS)
scientist who has been to four space missions said that fourteen or
fifteen more Shuttle missions are needed to complete the ISS work,
including return trips to the moon in 2014, and to Mars within the
next 25 years. Sasol ScieFest, an 11-year old national science
festival, promotes scientific learning. The annual festival has
over 600 events including lectures, interactive exhibitions,
workshops, inter-school math marathons, school quizzes, etc. The
festival also allows interaction between ordinary people and
high-profile scientists.
Bost