Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
December 2011
widespread lack of resources and skills for coastal management, particularly in smaller local
authorities and District or Regional Councils in rural areas. This means that proactive coastal
management efforts are especially difficult to initiate. In attempts to boost their capacity,
some local authorities co‐operate with nature conservation agencies and are involved in co‐
management initiatives with community groups.
C.4.2 COASTAL MANAGEMENT
In terms of the White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development in South Africa (2000) the
following agents are responsible for the management of the coastal region:
National:
The Chief Directorate: Marine and Coastal Management of the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) will act as national lead agent for coastal
management and undertake certain executive functions, for example, preparing
State of the Coast reports and running national education and training programmes.
Co‐ordination with other national departments and the Provinces will occur through
a Coastal Management Subcommittee to be established under the Committee for
Environmental Co‐ordination (CEC).
Provincial:
In the four coastal Provinces a provincial lead agent for coastal management is
defined, e.g., the planning department. Responsibilities of the lead agent include
reviewing provincial legislation and monitoring the state of the coast in the Province.
It is proposed that a Coastal Working Group be established in each Province as a sub‐
structure of the national CEC, in order to improve co‐ordination of coastal
management at provincial level through involving governmental and
nongovernmental role‐players.
Local:
Local authorities will continue to carry out many day‐to‐day responsibilities for
coastal management above the high water mark, for example, planning, engineering,
beach management and tourism. In some areas local coastal forums may need to be
established to promote dialogue between governmental and nongovernmental
coastal role‐players, as well as to improve co‐ordination.
Achieving the ideal of sustainable coastal development is dependent on the establishment of
partnerships and co‐responsibility between government, the private sector, parastatals and
other statutory management bodies, civil society organizations and the research community,
all of whom have a key role to play in coastal management.
C.4.3 COASTAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Coastal planning and management should be undertaken proactively to optimise sustainable
development opportunities. Our coast provides many social and economic development
opportunities that are dependent on maintaining the diversity, health and productivity of
coastal ecosystems. We need to proactively identify and realise these opportunities, in the
interests of current and future generations. In particular, there is an urgent need to
streamline coastal development approvals, to make sure that costly delays are avoided,
whilst ensuring that the environmental impacts of proposed developments are carefully
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
37
Dennis Moss Partnership