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Information system proposed for South Africa coastline

20.10.2004
Von Computing SA
The South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) commissioned the CSIR to develop an information system, based on marine and coastal indicators, which aims to support national decision-making and reporting on the coastal environment.

According to the CSIR, the information system will provide updates on the current condition of the coastal environment, and will highlight some of the reasons why changes have taken place. It will also help decision-makers to understand the implications of these changes, and what society"s responses should be. This project reportedly forms the foundation for a long-term monitoring and reporting strategy for the South Africa (SA) coastline, and will result in the production of the first State of the Coast report for SA.

?For the sustainable management of coastal resources, the coastal monitoring strategy needs to consider the biophysical environment as well as its interaction with social, economic and governance systems,? says Liz Muller of the CSIR. ?The selected marine and coastal indicators need to display a balance between the different spheres that make up sustainable development. Reporting on the condition of biophysical resources is thus as important as reporting on the effectiveness of coastal policy implementation,? she adds.

According to Zain Jumat of the DEAT, the indicators will allow the department to meet the goals and objectives outlined in the White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development in SA. ?The White Paper stresses the need for a program to monitor the state of the coast and the effectiveness of coastal management efforts, and this initiative marks the beginning of the program,ö says Jumat.

Set for completion in 2005, the CSIR says the project will have on-going stakeholder communication and peer review. Initial work by CSIR Environmentek has identified the arrangements, systems and networks within which the State of the Coast reporting process is to be undertaken. In addition key issues are said to have been identified and will lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive set of marine and coastal indicators for the country. Once the project nears completion, the CSIR says a plan of action will be drawn up to allow the DEAT to successfully implement a long-term monitoring and reporting strategy for the SA coastal environment.