The South Africa Environment Outlook report highlights a number of emerging environmental risks. These are environmental problems that are not yet fully understood and there are no comprehensive responses to the challenges they pose.
Serious environmental challenges which the report identifies as requiring a political response over the next five to 10 years include climate change, ozone layer depletion, acid rain and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Issues that are continuously growing as a threat to a sustainable future include land degradation; over-exploitation of water, plants and animals; and over-consumption of energy and fossil fuels.
The report says part of the problem is the public has not been adequately informed about environmental issues and how to counter them. Decision-makers need to take proactive steps and the government should be planning ahead to manage future scenarios instead of reacting to crises.
“Tremendous benefits can be derived from early efforts to prevent the occurrence — or at least to minimise the adverse impacts — of future problems, as well as to take advantage of future opportunities,” says the report.
Among the issues demanding proactive responses are:
Mainstreaming the environment
The principles of environmental sustainability need to permeate all aspects of human behaviour before environmental laws and policies can be adequately implemented.
Mainstreaming biodiversity
Biodiversity conservation can work hand in hand with economic growth if the conservation of biodiversity is integrated with all government and sectoral policies, so the value of biodiversity is recognised in monetary and ethical terms. Those sectors of society most responsible for biodiversity loss will have to incorporate conservation priorities into their operations.
Biodiversity and ecosystems
Data needs to be up-dated and gaps filled in. The government cannot assess how critical a situation has become without necessary indicators.
Air quality
Risky chemicals and pollutants are having a negative impact on human health on a daily basis. Vehicle use is expected to rise per capita and concentrations of nitrogen dioxide are already exceeding safe human health limits. The report recommends the regulation or banning of other pollutants, including some organic and indoor air pollutants.
Climate change
Land degradation and its associated habitat destruction promote desertification, which is expected to intensify as the climate changes. Conservation management plans will therefore have to extend outside protected areas as a priority.
Decline of oil
According to the report, “oil accounts for over 60% of global fuel consumption, and there is compelling evidence that global oil production will shortly peak and then decline”.
The report predicts that South Africa will be forced to implement mitigation measures to curb over-exploitation of natural resources and fossil fuels. The provision of renewable energy alternatives is a priority, it adds, and business and industry need to implement cleaner technologies.
Vulnerability
The report points out that people will become increasingly vulnerable to environmental change as their biophysical, social, economic and political circumstances change.
Among the factors contributing to this vulnerability are habitat destruction and loss of natural resources, poor land-use practices, invasive alien species, lack of basic services, population growth and poverty.