SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY MONTHLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 002453 DEPT FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, AND AF/S DEPT PASS EPA/OIA, SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV SOCI ETRD SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY MONTHLY BRIEFINGS, OCTOBER 2009 PRETORIA 00002453 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) Summary: This is the South African Environment, Science and Technology Monthly Briefings Newsletter, October 2009, Volume 4, Number 10, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa. Topics of the newsletter: -- Super-Thin Film Solar Panels Readied for Production in South Africa -- BUSA Calls for Balanced Outcome at the December Climate Change Conference -- Fallow Deer and Rabbit Culling Underway on Robin Island -- SANParks to Team Up with the Military against Poachers -- Blue Flag Beaches on the Rise in South Africa -- South Africa and Zimbabwe Partner to Clean Up Borders -- SA Opposition Party Warns of Hazardous Waste Threat -- Air Pollution Costs South Africa Billions in Healthcare -- MONTHLY FACTOID -------------- Super-Thin Film Solar Panels Readied for Production in South Africa -------------- ¶1. (U) A public-private partnership (PPP) between the Central Energy Fund, the National Empowerment Fund, and private investors such as petrochemicals giant Sasol and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has been set up to commercialize super-thin film solar technology in South Africa. The Thin Film Solar Technology (TFST) partnership plans to build a facility that will produce thin-film solar modules. The European Investment Bank agreed to invest 40 million ($59 million) in the South African plant, which will be located in the Western Cape. TFST was researched and developed in South Africa, patented in 2003, and further developed at UJ from 2004 to 2006. The energy pay-back for TFST is two to three years, compared with about seven years for crystalline photo-voltaic panels. -------------- BUSA Calls for a Balanced Outcome at the December Climate Change Conference -------------- ¶2. (U) Business Unity of South Africa (BUSA),which represents a large segment of the business sector in the country, has joined in the call for a balanced outcome at the climate change conference in Copenhagen, in December. For BUSA, a balanced outcome will recognize both the development challenges faced by developing countries and the positive role that business can play in creating a sustainable agreement that will be more successful than the Kyoto Protocol has been. BUSA maintains that a successful agreement has to be built on the principle that climate change is a fundamental issue that would have a major impact on society, especially in the developing countries. National studies have shown that climate change would impact negatively on agriculture, biodiversity, health and water supply in South Africa. According to BUSA, climate change needs to be addressed in an integrated manner, encompassing key issues in society such as economic development to alleviate poverty, energy security and affordable access to energy, job creation and the protection of biodiversity. The international community needs to take urgent action on this matter, and business as usual is no longer an option according to the organization. Business must also commit to a low carbon emission growth path. -------------- Fallow Deer and Rabbit Culling Underway on Robin Island -------------- ¶3. (U) The Robin Island culling project to control exploding rabbit Q3. (U) The Robin Island culling project to control exploding rabbit and fallow deer populations is underway, the Island's Heritage Museum manager James Makila announced in October. He said over 1,600 rabbits and 174 fallow deer have been culled in the last three weeks of October. Makila said the culling is being carried out by a team of experienced professionals who only operate when no tourists are present. The carcasses of the rabbits are buried on the island, while deer are shipped to the mainland by a private company that uses the meat. Robin Island's environmentalists blamed the rabbit PRETORIA 00002453 002.2 OF 003 and deer for having eaten most of the island's edible vegetation, including stinging nettle. ¶4. (U) The rabbits, estimated at over 25,000, were introduced to the island by early sailors as a source of meat. The deer, which number more than 500, were brought in from Europe in the 20th century. Cats were initially on the culling list, but they will instead be trapped and shipped to the mainland. Cats have been blamed for eating penguin chicks, the swift tern, Hartlaub's gull and the highly endangered bank cormorant. The activist group, Animal Rights Africa raised concern and outrage at what they called an "illegitimate" killing of animals. They accused the island authorities of violating the Animals Protection Act and appealed to the public to help them institute legal proceedings against the authorities. Meanwhile Makola stated that they were acting on the advice of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Cape Nature. He also added that culling was the best option given the conditions and challenges faced by the island. -------------- -------------- SANParks to Team Up with the Military Against Poachers -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) South African National Parks (SANParks) Executive Director David Mabunda has announced that the Kruger National Park (KNP) was planning to use military patrols to intensify the fight against poaching in the park. Mabunda, who was speaking at the pass-out parade of 57 new field rangers in Skukuza inside the KNP, stated that poachers have killed 94 rhinos around the country this year. He said 38 rhinos were lost in the KNP, 21 in Kwa-Zulu Natal, 10 in the North West, nine in Limpopo, seven in Gauteng, five in Mpumalanga and four in the Eastern Cape provinces. Mabunda said the rangers would work with law enforcement agencies to combat poaching, and he was already engaged in advanced discussions with the military authorities in that regard. According to Mabunda, SANParks has also been involved in cross-border patrol operations with the South African Police Services and Mozambican counterparts, which have yielded significant progress. He added that the SANParks rangers have arrested 22 poachers this year. Mabunda noted that his organization has invested R5.2 million ($690,000) for fighting poaching. The money was used to acquire bicycles, motorbikes, and a bantam aircraft for aerial patrols as well as high technology night vision equipment. -------------- Blue Flag Beaches on the Rise in South Africa -------------- ¶6. (U) The Minister of Tourism Marthinus Van Schalkwyk announced that 29 South African Beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag status this year. He noted that this was ten more beaches than last year, an important achievement for the country. The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches that have achieved the highest quality standards in water, facilities, safety, environmental education and management. Van Schalkwyk, who is also a former Minister of Environmental Affairs, said that the Blue Flag Beaches increased South Africa's desirability and reputation as a world class destination, which also demonstrated the country's commitment to taking care of the environment. South Africa and Morocco are the only African countries Qenvironment. South Africa and Morocco are the only African countries that participate in this international awarding scheme, which acts as guarantee to tourists that a beach they are visiting is one of the best in the world and is internationally certified. South Africa has been participating in the Blue Flag Awards program since 2001 and the number of beaches awarded the status is consistently on the increase. -------------- South Africa and Zimbabwe Partner to Clean Up Borders -------------- ¶7. (U)In an effort to heighten awareness of the need for environmental conservation among communities residing on the borders of South Africa and Zimbabwe, the South African Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Joyce Mabudafhasi, and the Zimbabwean Environmental Minister Francis Nhema launched a Clean-Up Campaign on the Beit Bridge border post. Mabudafhasi said the initiative would also be used to highlight other critical environmental issues such as climate change, air quality and the need for the continent to forge strong links on matters pertaining to sustainable development. The Deputy Minister said similar initiatives would be rolled out to other countries bordering South Africa such as Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. She stated that it was important for the continent to speak with one PRETORIA 00002453 003.2 OF 003 voice at the forthcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen, because Africa would bear the brunt of climate change. -------------- -------------- SA Opposition Party Warns of Hazardous Waste Threat -------------- -------------- ¶8. Only three out of nine provinces of South Africa have structured plans to deal with hazardous waste according to the Minister of the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA),Buyelwa Sonjica. The Minister made the statement in a written reply to a parliamentary question. She noted that the provinces of Gauteng, North West and Western Cape have developed hazardous waste plans. However, Sonjica also noted that provincial hazardous waste plans were yet to be submitted to and assessed by DWEA as this was not obligatory according to the law. A clause from the National Environmental Management Act stipulated that the provinces could develop such plans "should they elect to do so". Annette Lovemore, the environmental affairs spokesperson of the opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA),stated that this was a "dangerous lack of oversight and control" in the management of hazardous waste in South Africa. She said the waste included infectious, carcinogenic, toxic, explosive and radioactive substances which pose a grave threat to the environment and human health. Lovemore noted that a 1999 State of the Environment Report indicated that only five percent of the five million cubic meters of hazardous waste generated yearly reached hazardous waste disposal facilities. Lovemore emphasized that her party would pursue the matter. -------------- -------------- Air Pollution Costs South Africa Billions in Healthcare -------------- -------------- ¶9. Chief Director for Air Quality Management in the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) Peter Lukey stated that healthcare costs resulting from air pollution associated with burning fossil fuels in South Africa has amounted to R4 billion ($555 million). Peter Lukey told attendees at an Air Quality Governance Lekgotla (public gathering) that poor people were disproportionally affected by air pollution because they use coal fire for cooking and heating, and also lived in poorly ventilated areas. He attributed the poor communities' costly health situation to the policies of apartheid noting that poor people were often allocated living areas downwind from industrial plants as no one wanted to live there. Lukey said, "The poor carry a double burden because firstly, they are poor and secondly, they are sick." Meanwhile in the same meeting, the Deputy Minister of DEA Mrs. Rejoice Mabudafhasi launched the first South African State of the Air Report. The report provides a detailed and in-depth analysis of air quality in South Africa, and provides also a baseline on the levels of air pollution in the country. Some of the information contained in the report includes human health impacts related to inhalation of household coal and wood fire emissions and related direct health spending. Air quality in South Africa is regulated by the National Environmental Management Act: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004. -------------- Factoid -------------- In 1991 South Africa became the first country in the world to protect the great white shark. Qprotect the great white shark. Gips