Study to fast-track forestry ramp-up in former Transkei

The study should lead to significant reductions in costs and time during the licensing process says the development agency which is prioritising the former Transkei.

The identification of 100,000 hectares of land for new forestry plantations in the Eastern Cape is being fast-tracked through a landmark biodiversity study which will help focus on areas of relatively low biodiversity value and substantially reduce the ordinarily lengthy license approval process.

The joint study was conducted and partially funded by the Grasslands Programme and co-funded by AsgiSA EC, a provincial development agency, focusing on the former Transkei. The Grasslands Programme is funded by the Global Environmental Facility and administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

“The first phase of the GIS-based study has assessed an area of 1,8 million hectares for its levels of degradation and potential to contribute to the Eastern Cape’s biodiversity conservation objectives. Through this study, the Grasslands Programme wishes to ensure that areas of potential high biodiversity are excluded from any future forestry development,” says SANBI grasslands forestry coordinator Steve Germishuizen.

To-date, six projects are being screened for potential hydrological, biodiversity and agricultural conflicts. These are also being scoped in terms of operational and financial projections to help create awareness and provide information for consultation with affected communities.

“The study is a first for the area which has little readily available biodiversity data. Early feedback from the provincial Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, which is the EIA authority, is that the biodiversity screening tool may include sufficient detail for it to be used in the biodiversity assessment component of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This will help to identify areas where further development will not compromise biodiversity,” explains Germishuizen.

Typically, the biodiversity assessment is done during the EIA, which forms part of the licensing process for new plantations. The possibility of using the tool in the EIA process was an unintended consequence of the project, and if approved by the authorities, would assist significantly to reduce the resource intensity.

“The study will lead to significant reductions in costs and time during the licensing process. It will assist in managing community expectations, and save time and money since it will obviate other expert studies for areas that would have been screened early on as unlikely to be licensed,” says Keet.

He says that the screening tool will assist AsgiSA EC to steer the focus of forestry development into areas where there are sufficient water resources, low potential for conflict with the province’s biodiversity conservation objectives and no conflict with community’s use of land for residential or agriculture purposes. 

“Effectively, this will reduce the probability of incurring unnecessary costs and raised community expectations in areas that can be screened at early stages as being unlikely to be successful in license applications,” adds Keet.

Germishuizen explains a second phase for an expanded area is underway. This phase is to be completed during September.

He adds that consideration is now being given to the possibility of its application in all land use change decisions and to extend it to the other provinces by working with the environmental authorities.

Companies or individuals who are planning plantation development in the Eastern Cape, should contact Richard Lechmere-Oertel on (email) richard.bpm@gmail.com, requesting a biodiversity profile of their area of interest to ensure it does not conflict with important biodiversity areas. Such a proactive approach could well prevent problems during the EIA phase of the development, saving both time and money in the application process.