Department of Environmental Affairs- Overview

1. Department of Environmental Affairs-Overview 11

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW • Legislative framework • Overview of the functions and Structure • Progress on MDGs • Strategic Overview • Vision, Mission & Values • Strategic Goals & Objectives 22

3. Mandate Section 24 (b) of the Constitution: All South Africans have a Constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations 3 TOP SECRET

4. Legislative Framework • National Environmental Management Act, 1998 – regulatory framework for the management and protection of environmental resources and coordination in relation thereto. • National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003- regulates protected areas in South Africa. • National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004- regulates air quality • National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 - regulates and sets out the mechanisms for managing and conserving South Africa’s biodiversity, its components and institutions • National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008- regulates waste management; provides for national norms and standards for regulating the management of waste by all spheres of government; and provides for the licensing and control of waste management activities. • National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008 (Act No. 24 of 2008) -establishes a system of integrated coastal and estuarine management in the Republic; ensures that development and the use of natural resources within the coastal zone is socially and economically justifiable and ecologically sustainable; determines the responsibilities of organs of state in relation to coastal areas; controls dumping at sea, pollution in the coastal zone. 44

5. Overview of Functions/Programmes • Administration: provision of strategic leadership, centralized administration & executive support, corporate & co-operative governance and, international co-operation services • Environmental Quality and Protection: protect and improve the quality and safety of the environment to give effect to the right of all South Africans to an environment that is not harmful to their health and wellbeing • Oceans and Coastal Management: manage and protect South Africa’s oceans and coastal resources • Climate Change: Facilitates an effective national mitigation and adaptation response to climate change • Biodiversity & Conservation: promotes the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources to improve economic growth and poverty alleviation. • Environmental Awareness and international Relations: create conditions for effective corporate and and implementation of expanded public works 55

7. …..Progress on MDGs 77

8. INTRODUCTION TO THE MDGs • In September 2000, the world’s leaders signed the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit • The eight MDGs with 20 targets and 60 indicators call for • a dramatic reduction in poverty and marked improvements in the health and well-being of the poor. • Where possible, the MDG targets are given as quantified, time-bound values for specific indicators to better facilitate the monitoring and reporting process. • Countries report to the UN Secretary General on a 5 year basis leading up to the 2015 target (reference year 1990 while for SA it is 1994) • The 8 MDG Goals are: • To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger • To achieve universal primary education • To promote gender equality and empower women • To reduce child mortality • To improve maternal health • To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases • To ensure environmental sustainability (underpins the achievement of the majority of the other seven goals) • To develop a global partnership for development 88

9. SUMMARY OF GOAL & TARGETS WITH INDICATORS 99

10. DEA’s RESPONSE TO TWO TARGETS UNDER GOAL 7 • Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources • Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss • Specific indicators focussed on include: • CO2 emissions, total, per capita & per $1 GDP • Consumption of ozone depleting substances • Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected • Number of species (vegetation) threatened with extinction • Number of legally designated landfill sites (Domesticated indicator) • Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits (not reported on in 2010 country report as no methodology available at time) 1010

11. DEA’S INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSE TO TARGET 7a AND 7b • Section 24 of the Constitution: All South Africans have a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations. • The Department is compelled to take reasonable steps to prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation and secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources • Developed National Framework for Sustainable Development (NFSD) • Developed the draft National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD) • Various policies and Acts developed and implemented to protect and enhance the environment • National Environmental Management Act • National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act • National Biodiversity Framework • National Environmental Management: Waste Act & National Waste Management Strategy • White paper on Climate Change Policy 1111

12. Current status, targets and actions as related to each indicator 1212

13. CO2 EMISSIONS, TOTAL, PER CAPITA & PER $1 GDP Earliest available data at the time 1313

14. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN(CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)) • Long Term Mitigation Scenarios in place – climate change policy direction • Greenhouse Gas Inventory • 2nd National Communication • White paper on Climate Change Policy • Integrated Resource Plan • Fiscal Instruments draft policy & the Carbon Tax discussion paper 1414

15. CONSUMPTION OF OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES 1515

16. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Consumption of ozone-depleting substances • ODS Regulations and the hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) survey and management plan • Report and database on ODS consumption • Development of an Integrated Permitting System for export/imports under MEAs: • Allows for International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) to become the point of contact for all importers and exporters, and relevant regulatory departments to be consulted as required in the process. • System for implementation of the Harmonised System (HS) codes is underway. 1616

17. PROPORTION OF TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE AREAS PROTECTED 1717

18. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected • National park expansion strategy • National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act • National Protected Areas Database • National Biodiversity Framework: • providing for an integrated, co-ordinated and uniform approach to biodiversity management in South Africa, • It highlights the major pressures on biodiversity in South Africa, • identifies priority actions for conserving biodiversity , • and sets out the implications of these priority actions for agencies that will lead their implementation. The NBF forms the blueprint for conservation of biodiversity in South Africa. 1818

19. NUMBER OF SPECIES (VEGETATION) THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION • Please note that due to a change in calculation methodology these values differ slightly from those presented in the official MDG report 1919

20. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Proportion of species (vegetation) threatened with extinction • National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in place • National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act in place • Lists of threatened species & those needing protection • Protected Species Regulations • regulate the movement and subsequent activities involving listed wildlife species on a national basis. • National park expansion strategy in place (protecting habitat for species) • Contracting private/communal owned land as conservation areas 2020

21. NUMBER OF LEGALLY DESIGNATED LANDFILL SITES • Please note that this indicator is a Domesticated Indicator (reported on in the 2010 MDG report but not part of the original MDG goal 7 indicator list) 2121

22. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN Number of legally designated landfill sites • National Environmental Management: Waste Act & National Waste Management Strategy • Training programmes being rolled out for landfill site managers • Currently, there are approximately 300 landfill sites that are unlicensed. • So far DEA has assisted municipalities to have 117 waste disposal sites licensed. • Criteria to reduce this backlog through means that include: a) exempting qualifying sites from full EIA processes; b) pursuing the less capital intensive authorization routes; and c) dealing with some of the sites through the contaminated land provisions of the waste act to save costs. • meeting the target of 80% landfills licensed will depend on the availability of resources, currently estimated at R980million. 2222

23. INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES FACED DURING REPORTING • Unavailability of methodology on some indicators • No permanent reporting structure - StatsSA is in a process of establishing a permanent coordinating body • Unavailability of data (relating to frequency of data updates) 2323

24. ….. STRATEGIC PLANNING 2424

25. On the basis of the mid-term review which indicated that there is a steady progress in various areas such as health, education, the fight against crime, human settlements, energy, water provision, rural development and others. The department will continue with implementation of programmes linked to all Priority areas and intensify interventions in the following areas which still pose major challenges:HEALTH: Large % of child mortality still linked to poor indoor air quality (respiratory illnesses), waste management practices (diarrhea & vector borne diseases)EDUCATION: Implementation of the Sector Human Capital Development Strategy with targeted interventions at schools & higher education institutionsFIGHT AGAINST CRIME & CORUPTION: Strengthen compliance and enforcement initiatives, promote & uphold DEA Values. HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: Basic waste services provision (finalisation & implementation of outcomes of the Waste Services study) , Climate change adaptation and resilience programmesWe will contribute to the national development plan which focuses on the elimination of poverty and inequality through targeted inequality aversion measures through the Green Fund, Green Cities and EPWP programmes • On the basis of the mid-term review which indicated that there is a steady progress in various areas such as health, education, the fight against crime, human settlements, energy, water provision, rural development and others. The department will continue with implementation of programmes linked to all Priority areas and intensify interventions in the following areas which still pose major challenges: • HEALTH: Large % of child mortality still linked to poor indoor air quality (respiratory illnesses), waste management practices (diarrhea & vector borne diseases) • EDUCATION: Implementation of the Sector Human Capital Development Strategy with targeted interventions at schools & higher education institutions • FIGHT AGAINST CRIME & CORUPTION: Strengthen compliance and enforcement initiatives, promote & uphold DEA Values. • HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: Basic waste services provision (finalisation & implementation of outcomes of the Waste Services study) , Climate change adaptation and resilience programmes • We will contribute to the national development plan which focuses on the elimination of poverty and inequality through targeted inequality aversion measures through the Green Fund, Green Cities and EPWP programmes

26. Response to SONA

27. VISION, MISSION & VALUES • Vision: • A prosperous and equitable society living in harmony with our natural resources. Mission • Providing leadership in environmental management, conservation and protection towards sustainability for the benefit of South Africans and the global community. Values: • Driven by our Passion as custodians and ambassadors of the environment, we have to be Proactive and foster innovative thinking and solutions to environmental management premised on a People-centric approach that recognises the centrality of batho-pele, for it is when we put our people first that we will serve with Integrity, an important ingredient in a high Performance driven organisation such as ours 2727

28. GOALS : 2012/2013 - 2016/2017 • Goal 1: Environmental assets conserved, valued, sustainably used, • protected and continually enhanced. • Goal 2: Enhanced socio-economic benefits and employment creation for • the present and future generations from a healthy environment • Goal 3: A Department that is fully capacitated to deliver its services • efficiently and effectively • The Department has maintained the same goals 2828

29. END THANK YOU 2929