Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><TABLE STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><TBODY><TR><TD STYLE="padding:0 0 0 0;"><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>Degradation is the process of destruction of productive land mainly because of misuse or overuse. </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>Degradation and the subsequent loss of species, habitats and ecological functions not only threaten the long term sustainability of natural systems, but also the capacity of all terrestrial systems to support human livelihoods and lifestyles (Balance 2001). </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>Since degraded land may lead to a decline in the productivity of land, as well as the loss of vegetation and resources to support human livelihoods and commercial activities, this map indicates a measurement of the extent of land degradation as indicated by three classes, namely: barren rock, degraded vegetation and dongas. It also indicate levels of soil erodibility. </SPAN></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
Copyright Text: South African National Biodiversity Institute, www.sanbi.org.za, WRC (WR90).
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><P><SPAN>The newly defined groundwater SWSAs cover around 9% of the land surface of South Africa (see map). They account for up to 42% of the river baseflow generated by these water source areas and have a key role in sustaining surface water flows during the dry season. The total groundwater recharge (replenishment) for South Africa is estimated to be 34 912 million m3/a, and the recharge generated within surface water SWSAs is 11 675 million m3/a (33%) whereas the groundwater SWSAs generate 5397 million m3/a (15%). The relatively low value for groundwater SWSAs is due to the method used in their delineation, in which only the areas of overlap between high recharge and high levels of use or dependence were identified at national level.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><P><SPAN>The 2018 national and transboundary surface-water SWSAs (refer to the map that follows) cover about 124 075 km2 (10% of the region) and provide a MAR of 24 954 million m3 (50% of the total). The greatest volume of MAR is generated by the Southern Drakensberg (9% of national and transboundary MAR), followed by the Eastern Cape, Northern Drakensberg and Maloti Drakensberg, and the Boland. The Boland has the highest MAR per unit area (3588 m3/ha/year), followed by Table Mountain, the Northern Drakensberg and the Mpumalanga Drakensberg.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Seven of these SWSAs are transboundary areas because Lesotho and Swaziland include portions of important SWSAs for South Africa. The portions of the SWSAs that fall within Lesotho (Eastern Cape, and the Southern, Northern and Maloti Drakensberg) cover 18 570 km2 and generate a MAR of about 3522 million m3. This MAR sustains the Orange and Caledon Rivers and supplies water to Gauteng via the Lesotho Highlands water supply system. In the case of Swaziland, the portions of the SWSAs falling in this country (Ekangala Drakensberg, Mbabane Hills, Upper Usutu) total 9376 km2 and produce a MAR of about 2053 million m3. In total, the SWSAs in these two countries produce about 11% of the total MAR, which is a substantial contribution that needs to be protected.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>SWSAs for surface water and groundwater in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. SWSAs for groundwater were not identified in Lesotho and Swaziland because no suitable data were available</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The South African Protected Areas Database (SAPAD) contains spatial data for the conservation estate of South Africa. It includes spatial and attribute information for both formally protected areas and areas that have less formal protection. Data is collected by parcels which are aggregated to protected area level. Only outer boundaries are defined in this public release.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN /></P><P><SPAN>SAPAD is updated on a continuous basis. It forms the basis for the Register of Protected Areas which is a legislative requirement under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, Act 57 of 2003.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
Service Item Id: fdd08dd357b645af9e89f052420bef29
Copyright Text: Depratment of Environment Affairs, DEA
Description: <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><TABLE STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><TBODY><TR><TD STYLE="padding:0 0 0 0;"><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN STYLE="font-weight:bold;"><SPAN>Ecosystem status of vegetation types </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>was derived from the new vegetation map of South Africa (see Mucina, L and Rutherford, M.C. 2004). Ecosystem status consists of the following categories: critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or least threatened. Ecosystem status was calculated based on the percentage of remaining vegetation area (i.e. not transformed by agriculture, mining, forestry plantations, roads and urban areas) and the biodiversity target set for each vegetation type. The ecosystem status of vegetation types which cannot longer meet its biodiversity target due to habitat transformation was set to “critically endangered” that means the percentage of remaining vegetation type is less than what is required to capture species diversity (biodiversity target). The ecosystem status of other vegetation types was set as follows: </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>- if % of remaining area <60% of original area then status = endangered - if % of remaining area <80% of original area then status = vulnerable - if % of remaining area >80% of original area then status = least threatened. </SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>The protection level quantifies the extent to which vegetation types are protected within conservation areas. The protection level was expressed as the percentage of the biodiversity target met in statutory protected areas (type 1 protected areas). A value of 100% and above means that the vegetation type is adequately conserved in protected areas, while a value of 0 means that the vegetation type is not represented at all in any protected area (SANBI, 2005). </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN>“The health of terrestrial ecosystems determines their ability to provide ecosystem services such as water purification, prevention of erosion, carbon storage, supply of medicinal plants and pollination of commercial crops,” (NSDP, 2006). </SPAN></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><DIV><P><SPAN /></P></DIV></DIV>
Copyright Text: South African National Biodiversity Institute, www.sanbi.org.za