Land, Air and water

policies

Land

Under the National Environmental Management Act the following guidelines have been published:

In terms of section 6 of National Environmental Management: Waste Act (NEMWA), the Minister was required to establish a national waste management strategy for achieving the objects of NEMWA, which must include:

  • objectives, plans, guidelines, systems and procedures relating to the protection of the environment and the generation (including the avoidance and minimisation of such generation), reuse, recycling, recovery, treatment, disposal, use, control and management of waste;
  • mechanisms, systems and procedures for giving effect to South Africa’s obligations in terms of relevant international agreements;
  • practical measures for achieving cooperative governance in waste management matters;
  • guidance on raising awareness regarding the impact of waste on health and the environment;
  • approaches for securing compliance with the requirements of NEMWA, including the monitoring of compliance; and
  • any other matter that the Minister considers necessary for achieving the objects of NEMWA.

You can access the National Waste Management Strategy here.

There are two important strategies under the National Environmental Protected Areas Act: National Protected Area Expansion Strategy and the Biodiversity policy and strategy for South Africa: Strategy on buffer zones for national parks.

Air

In terms of section 7 of National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEMAQA), the Minister was required to establish a national framework for achieving the objects of NEMAQA, which must include:

  • mechanisms, systems and procedures to attain compliance with ambient air quality standards;
  • mechanisms, systems and procedures to give effect to South Africa’s obligations in terms of international agreements;
  • national norms and standards for the control of emissions from point and nonpoint sources;
  • national norms and standards for air quality monitoring;
  • national norms and standards for air quality management planning;
  • national norms and standards for air quality information management; and
  • any other matter which the Minister considers necessary for achieving the object of NEMAQA.

You can access the National Framework for Air Quality Management here.

In terms of section 9 of NEMAQA, the Minister was required to establish national standards for ambient air quality. You can access these standards here: National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Water

In terms of section 5 of the National Water Act a national water resource strategy was required to be developed and needed to address:

  • Strategies, objectives, plans, guidelines and procedures and institutional arrangements relating to the protection, use, development, conservation, management and control of water resources;
  • Provide for at least:
    • the requirements of the Reserve and identify, where appropriate, water resources from which particular requirements must be met;
    • international rights and obligations;
    • actions to be taken to meet projected future water needs; and
    • water use of strategic importance;
  • Establish water management areas and determine their boundaries;
  • Contain estimates of present and future water requirements;
  • State the total quantity of water available within each water management area;
  • State water management area surpluses or deficits;
  • Provide for inter-catchment water transfers between surplus water management areas and deficit water management areas.

You can access the National Water Resource Strategy here:

In terms of section 33 of the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (NEMICMA), the Minister, was required to develop and publish a national estuarine management protocol, which needed to:

  • determine a strategic vision and objectives for achieving effective integrated management of estuaries;
  • set standards for the management of estuaries;
  • establish procedures or give guidance regarding how estuaries must be managed and how the management responsibilities are to be exercised by different organs of state and other parties;
  • establish minimum requirements for estuarine management plans;
  • identify who must prepare estuarine management plans and the process to be followed in doing so;
  • specify the process for reviewing estuarine management plans to ensure that they comply with the requirements of NEMICMA.

You can access the National Estuarine Management Protocol here.

In terms of section 44 of NEMICMA, the Minister, was required to develop and publish a national coastal management programme which needed to:

  • be a policy directive on integrated coastal management; and
  • provide for an integrated, coordinated and uniform approach to coastal management by organs of state in all spheres of government, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector and local communities.

You can access the National Coastal Management Programme here.