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Development of an Environmental Management Framework for the Umgungundlovu District Municipality

The uMgungundlovu District Municipality (uMDM) has, with the support of the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), undertaken to develop an Environmental Management Framework (EMF) that builds on the recently completed Strategic Environmental Assessment and Management Plan (SEMP). It is required that information related to key environmental features established in the SEMP is enhanced, specifically in Key Focus Areas (KFAs) and that this understanding of the environmental priorities is translated into a decision support system that serves to inform sustainable development planning in the District.  It is further intended that the EMF is gazetted so as to strengthen the role of the EMF outputs in environmental decision making in the District. The Institute of Natural Resources NPC (INR) has been appointed to undertake the development of the EMF for the UMDM.

Aim and Objectives: The broad aim of the EMF is to guide municipal planning and support decision making for specific development applications in the UMDM in terms of environmental sustainability. This is achieved by meeting the following specific objectives and associated outputs:

  • Improved accuracy in mapping and understanding of key environmental issues, namely: agricultural production, water availability and quality, wetlands, biodiversity and service infrastructure.
  • Detailed mapping and understanding in five KFAs where development pressure is highest.
  • The translation of this understanding and sustainability objectives into easily understood and applied planning guidelines.
  • The development of a user friendly web-accessed Decision Support Tool (DST) that enables access to the guidelines and use of the query tool.
  • The development meets legal requirements for gazetting the outputs.
  • The process is transparent, involving appropriate consultation at key points and builds on the engagement undertaken in the development of the SEMP.

Project Documents and Information

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