What is a Buffer Zone?

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Toko
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What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Toko »

I don't understand the Buffer zone concept -O-
What is the functionality and purpose of a buffer zone and what activities can and cannot take place?


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Lisbeth
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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Lisbeth »

You can find something here and in the following posts.


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Toko
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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Toko »

BIODIVERSITY POLICY AND STRATEGY FOR SOUTH AFRICA:
STRATEGY ON BUFFER ZONES FOR NATIONAL PARKS
Published under Government Notice 106 in Government Gazette 35020. Commencement date: 8 February 2012.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

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Richprins
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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

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\O


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Toko
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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

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GOAL 3: Discourage development in areas in which biodiversity and ecological function· would be adversely affected.
STRATEGY
Development outside a national park, and in its buffer zone, depending on its type may be controlled at any one of the three spheres of government. All development in the buffer zone which may have a negative impact on the national park will be strictly controlled. Development which may have a negative impact or effect on a national park include—
 Mining;
 Urban development;
 Industrial development;
 Large scale resort or housing estate development;
 Transport infrastructure development;Page 14 of 20
 Water resource development;
 Agricultural development;
 Forestry development; among others.

National park buffer zones, defined in the park management plans, will be considered special areas in terms of section 24(2)(b) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA). All development in the buffer zone requiring an environmental authorisation in terms of the NEMA, will be subject to an environmental impact assessment process at national level.
Everything is allowed in the buffer zone, provided EIA is done.

:shock:

What exactly then is the purpose of a buffer zone? Creating EIA jobs perhaps -O-


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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by leachy »

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

toko .....

that 2nd post is a buffer zone on its own...........

0*\ 0*\ 0*\


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Toko
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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Toko »

Lisbeth wrote:You can find something here and in the following posts.
PDZ and buffer zone a different issues ;-)

The buffer zone is outside!


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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Lisbeth »

Obviously it was not a question :evil:

And if you read some of the posts carefully, they are talking about buffer zones!!


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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Toko »

I think so far no buffer zones have been gazetted by DEA, but the designing of buffers must start soon.

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7 JULY 2014
NOTICE 528 OF 2014

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT, 203 (ACT NO. 57 OF 203)
NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS IN SOUTH AFRICA

I, Bomo Edith Edna Molewa, Minister of Environmental Affairs, hereby give notice of my intention to prescribe norms and standards for the management of protected areas in South Africa under Section 1(1) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 203 (Act No. 57 of 203), set out in the Schedule hereto.
Members of the public are invited to submit to the Minister, within 30 days after the publication of the draft norms and standards in the Gazette, written comments or inputs
9. Planing outside the boundary to secure the protected area

Purpose
The purpose for this norm and its standards is to [promote and or ensure] the positve involvement of the protected area management in planning outside the protected area which may affect its integrity.

Application
This standard applies to al protected areas declared in terms of sections 18 (special nature reserve), 20 (national park), 23 (nature reserve) and 28 (protected environment) of the Act, as well as their buffer zones.

9.1 Norm
A protected area has a determined buffer zone and is involved with planning outside planning structures to ensure integrity of the protected area.

a) Standard
An appropriate buffer zone for the protected area has been established.

Indicators
- The protected area has identified a buffer zone in its management plan;
- The protected area has mechanisms to facilitate the implementation of the buffer zone;
- The protected area management has proactively sought to encourage neighbours to introduce conservation-friendly land uses to enhance buffering of the protected area;
- A policy for controlling activities in the buffer zone has been developed and is implemented.

b) Standard
A protected area is integrated into land-use planning outside of the protected area.

Indicators
- Management authorites play an active role in land use planning affecting the protected area.
- The land-use planning takes cognisance of the protected area and the achievement of protected area management objectives.

c) Standard
Water-use planning outside takes into account he objectives of the protected area.

Indicators
- Management authorities play an active role in water use planning affecting the protected area.
- The water-use planning takes cognisance of the protected area and the achievement of protected area management objectives.

Link


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Re: What is a Buffer Zone?

Post by Richprins »

This whole thing sounds quite nice, in a sense, as in helping Parks to protect themselves against unwarranted development along their borders.

However as Lis says, the whole concept came about as a result of the Kruger PDZ shenanigans a couple of years ago.

There is no way that SP (Or officials in all 3 tiers of government) can constitutionally dictate how private landowners adjacent to Parks should run their business, end of story.

SP has not made much of a fuss regarding the Mapungubwe mining, for example.

The timing is simply out of kilter, and IMO this relates to future commercial developments just outside Park borders in the long term, such as hotels/lodges at Shangoni, Orpen, Punda Maria, Phalaborwa, Pafuri, and South of Numbi. Just my opinion.


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