Bibliography: pages 65-68. / Oil spill contingency planning for the South African Coast undertaken by the Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Department of Environment Affairs, has revealed that alternative disposal methods for oily waste need to be investigated in order to cope effectively and timeously with a major oil spill. Current techniques dealing with oily waste disposal are reviewed. These include recovery for re-use, stabilisation of oily waste, biodegradative techniques such as landfarming, co-disposal with municipal waste, stimulated biodegradation in ponds and direct burial, as well as burning and incineration. The suitability of these techniques, taking into account legal constraints, availability of facilities, financial considerations and environmental implications are appraised for South African conditions. Recovery for re-use is the optimum disposal option, but the location of refineries in South Africa, the limited facilities available for oil recycling and the inability of the industries to cope with large quantities or contaminated oily waste limit the recovery application. Stabilisation of oily waste for disposal as landfill or for use in civil engineering works requires further investigation with the South African construction industry. Landfarming techniques are suitable for the disposal of large quantities of oily sand or sandy sludge, but careful site selection is required to limit environmental contamination. Co-disposal of oily waste with municipal refuse is only suitable for limited quantities of oily waste and will reduce the life of the landfill site. Direct burial or burning of oily waste are shown to be environmentally unsuitable options, but under certain conditions they may provide the only practical solutions. Facilities for incineration of oily waste are limited in South Africa. The study shows that there is no easy solution to the disposal of large quantities of oily sludge. A combination of disposal methods will need to be used. Treatment of the oily sludge, for example emulsion breaking or separation will reduce the volumes, but costs could be prohibitive. A strategy is developed to provide the decision maker with a framework within which the decision process towards finding the correct solution for the disposal of oily waste following an oil spill off the South African Coast can be undertaken.

Lake Sibaya (27°15'-21'25'S; 32°32'-32°44'E) is situated in the northern region of the Zululand coastal plain, and is remarkable in that it embodies a near-pristine· freshwater coastal lake preserving clear residual signs of its former estuarine origin. Despite the· fact that the lake constitutes perhaps the most intensively studied of all freshwater bodies in South Africa, little is known .of its geochemical character. The objective of this study was therefore to conduct an investigation of the waters and sediments of the lake system, which might then provide a chemical baseline against which the future environmental quality of the system could be gauged, and in terms of which the current functioning of the ecosystem can be better understood. In line with this rationale, water and sediment samples were collected from each of fourteen sampling sites located along three transects running, variously, S-N, SW-NE and W-E across peripheral arms of the lake. Waters in direct contact with the sediments were thoroughly agitated with the sediments and thereafter decanted for analysis. Since the lake is purported to be fed almost exclusively by groundwater flow, water samples were collected from three groundwater . . wells located north-west of the lake. The Department of Water Affairs (DW AF) databases for groundwater chemistry, and for lake level and chemistry over the period 1980 to 1998, were used to supplement this data, and to provide an indication of any medium-term parameter changes. A water sample was also· collected from the non-perennial Mseleni River, although the river is known to contribute minimally to the lake volume. The majority of laboratory analyses were conducted within the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, adhering to standard analytical methods wherever possible.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-88). / A shallow sandy aquifer, contaminated by petrol from an underground storage tank, was studied to determine if intrinsic bioremediation of the hydrocarbons is taking place. Groundwater samples taken from 32 monitoring wells were analysed for NO₃-,NH₄+, Mn²+, Fe²+, SO₄²-, and ΣH₂S. Portable electrodes were used to make field measurements of electrical conductivity, redox potential, and pH. The variation and distribution of these redox-sensitive groundwater constituents show that bioremediation via NO₃- reduction, Fe³+ reduction, and SO₄²- reduction (and possibly methanogenesis in the most reduced part of the plume) is occurring. In some cases redox processes are taking place simultaneously resulting in redox zones that overlap. Iron and sulphate reduction are the dominant processes taking place.

The world is currently facing a global climate crisis largely associated with growing greenhouse gas emissions, of which carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are a significant component. As the fourteenth largest emitter of CO₂ globally and the highest per capita CO₂ emitter in Africa, South Africa has a responsibility to implement legal and fiscal instruments to reduce its emissions. One instrument receiving growing global attention to reduce CO₂ emissions is carbon tax; a tax imposed directly on the emission of carbon or the use of products which generate carbon emissions. South Africa is following the global trend and has for the past decade sought to formulate a carbon tax regime which is effective in its operation, equitable in its impact across different sectors, and which does not result in the collapse of the country's economy. Whilst yet to be finalised, several policy documents have provided a clear indication of its anticipated form, and 2015 saw the publication of the Draft Carbon Tax Bill with the Bill being re-­released in 2017, which by all accounts is due to be finalised for implementation in mid-­2017. The time would accordingly appear ripe to critically review the country's anticipated carbon tax regime, and this forms the focus of this dissertation. This critical review was undertaken against several tax design elements identified by international commentators, namely: environmental effectiveness; tax revenue; support for the tax; legislative aspects; technical and administrative viability; competitiveness effects; distributional aspects and adjoining policy areas. The critical analysis of South Africa's imminent carbon tax regime against generally accepted tax elements has determined that it will be effective in its operation, equitable in its impact across different sectors and it will promote a more sustainable and resilient domestic economy.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-104).

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leave 110-114). / The integrated development plan (IDP) has been described as a key tool to ensure the incorporation of sustainability considerations at the local planning level within government. In the South African context this suggests a linking of planning and environmental management functions within local level government. Various theoretical studies have been conducted regarding the incorporation of environmental and sustainability concerns in the integrated development planning process. Evidence from these studies indicates that consideration of the environment and sustainability issues is largely inadequate. Furthermore, the need to consider the environment as a cross-cutting issue has not been realized at the local government level, subsequently the environment is still considered as a separate sector or as an add-on after plan and project formulation. These findings are further indicative of the fact that a gap exists between policy and practice at the local government level. In terms of sustainability concerns and the integrated development plan, there are few empirical studies that provide evidence to support these claims. The broad aim of this study has been to determine to what extent sustainability concerns are being incorporated into Integrated Development Plans (lOP) at the metropolitan, district and local municipal authority level within the Western Cape Province of South Africa. To address the aim of this study, four main methods were employed. Firstly, a literature review was carried out to provide the theoretical and conceptual basis for the research. Secondly, the legislative and policy context in South Africa in terms of integrated development plans, environmental management and planning was examined. Thirdly, an analytical framework was developed based on a set of environmental and sustainability questions that need to be taken into consideration during each phase of the IDP process. Fourthly, this analytical framework was used to review and analyse a sample of lOP documents within the Western Cape Province. Lastly, interviews were conducted with various key officials at all three levels of government involved in different aspects of the IDP in the Western Cape.

Includes bibliographical references. / The need for a preliminary environmental impact analysis approach, able to identify secondary impacts, has been revealed by a broad literary review. Therefore, the component interaction technique has been developed which is able to structure a preliminary investigation of secondary impacts. The technique is based on a component interaction matrix. The environment is modelled as a list of environmental components, and direct dependencies between these components are then recorded. Computerized matrix powering procedures are able to structure the data to facilitate the investigation of the secondary impact potential in the system. By virtue of its construction, the technique ensures that a preliminary analysis of impact is based on a comprehensive and structured consideration of the environment. The procedure can also be used to substantiate and control the subjective content of an impact study. These two attributes of the technique support its application in conjunction with other methods of impact analysis. Various extensions to the technique have also been considered.

Bibliography: pages 83-86. / The Rietvlei wetland system, 10 km north of Cape Town, South Africa, supports 158 species of birds (Winterbottom,1960), and is the principal wetland for breeding waterbird numbers in the south-western Cape Province. It is an important collection, pairing and distribution centre prior to the breeding season. Emerging mudflats during evaporation in late summer are a major gathering point for waders before migratory departure. Increasing human pressure on open spaces is threatening this natural habitat of aquatic birds. For future waterbird conservation it is necessary to ascertain the impact of recreation and human disturbance in this area. Recreational activities on the northern of two dredged lakes in the northwestern corner of Rietvlei are therefore examined to investigate possible causal relationships between recreational activity and the numbers and behaviour of aquatic avifauna. Counts of waterbirds were carried out in the presence of people involved with various forms of recreational activity. These observations were made between February and May 1983. As a null hypothesis it is proposed that recreational activities on this lake and wetland system do not have a significant effect upon water birds in the area. The method used to test this hypothesis is based on statistical analysis by computer, with disturbance measured by means of correlation coefficients between recreational activities and bird numbers. The major findings (Chapter 5) and subsequent recommendations (Chapter 6) for waterbird conservation on the Rietvlei dredged lakes are presented, and proposals for further research in this field are suggested.

Wetlands cover a small portion of the world's surface a rea but they provide the most significant contribution to people for survival and sustainable development. In South Africa wetlands are considered the most threatened of all the country's ecosystems. South Africa's legal framework governing wetlands recognises the importance of natural infrastructure and its contribution to ecosystem services. Notwithstanding this recognition, the deteriorating status of South Africa's wetlands is evidence that the legal framework, dominated by a fragmented command and control approach, has not adequately addressed the risks or considered the integration of potentially innovative mechanisms to facilitate their protection and restoration. Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a market based instrument which has proven to be a successful mechanism in several developed and developing countries for restoring the functioning of the natural environment and providing economic returns to those responsible for having done so. This dissertation proposes that PES will provide a viable and effective tool to complement the existing regulatory mechanisms in the South Africa legal framework to conserve wetlands. Albeit there are several challenges which would need to be overcome such as land tenure in rural areas. The successful rollout of PES can be achieved through improved co - operative governance, an increased focus and improved legal regime in the agriculture sector and the successful implementation of existing policies and strategies. It is critical that policy and regulations specific to a PES scheme are introduced to enable effective integration with the existing legal framework, facilitate participation, specifically of rural communities and efficient and effective administration.

Pans comprise a large proportion of southern African wetlands and yet remain poorly classified. Very little data is available on the aqueous chemistry of southern African saline systems, and with the exception of a few publications dealing, in part, with the soil and associated materials of pan floors and margins, soil and sediment information on pans is similarly limited. Barber's Pan is a shallow, alkaline lake situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is a unique system in several respects, but is considered most valuable from the aspect of bird conservation, since it is perennial in an area characterized by shallow, seasonally filled pans. Its perennial state is the consequence of anthropogenic intervention in the early part of this century which resulted in the diversion of the Harts River back along its fossil course. The biogeographical importance of Barber's Pan is emphasised by its designation as the only RAMSAR site in the North West Province. The overall objective of this study was to provide a geochemical characterization of Barber's Pan. This was approached by reviewing pertinent literature on the origin and geochemical characteristics of pans and saline lakes through an investigation of the water and sediments of Barber's Pan. The study focused on four aspects of the pan geochemistry, namely: the levels of certain nutrients and potential pollutants in the pan; gaining an understanding of the dynamics of phosphorus, as well as other nutrients, in the pan; geochemically characterizing the sediments; and investigating the impact of evaporative concentration of the pan water on the overall geochemistry of the system. Comparative investigations were carried out on the sediments of the Harts River diversion and Leeupan, a neighbouring, actively deflational, ephemeral pan.