South Africa’s second SOE-report launched

South Africa’s National State of Environment Report, was launched recently in Pretoria, by the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa. Topics covered in the report include: forces driving environmental change in South Africa; environmental pressures experienced; the state of the environment; impacts of environmental change; and responses.

The report gives the general perception of a worsening environmental degradation with pressures such as increased demand for resources and increased generation of pollution and waste. According to the report the total population in South Africa was 40.6 million in 1996, with an average annual population growth rate of about two percent per annum.

In summarising the state of the environment, the report outlines three scenarios, where the first scenario represents continued population growth and overexploitation with ecological, social and economic collapse as a consequence; a second scenario where sustainable development strategies are developed, but lack of human and financial resources means they cannot be implemented fully and a third scenario with a preferred outcome characterised by newly developed sustainable development strategies supported by political will and human and financial resources. “This will ensure improved quality of life for present and future generations”, says the report. The report also states that South Africa now has the opportunity to further the role as an international leader in participative democracy by promoting sustainable development programmes.

The report was put together by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism with inputs from over 20 research institutions and specialist consultants, more than 200 stakeholders, and comments from the general public. The National State of the Environment Report for South Africa is available on Internet:

http://www.ngo.grida.no/soesa/