LOCAL ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY: WETLANDS SA STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN GUIDELINESAdapted f rom the Loca l B iod ivers i ty S t ra tegy and Ac t i on P l an ( LBSAP) Gu ide l i nes as we l l a s t he Wet land Repor t Gu ide l i nes

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Table of ContentsTable of Contents...............................................................................................................2List of Figures....................................................................................................................3Abbreviations.....................................................................................................................5Section A: Introduction – about these guidelines...............................................................6

What is a WSAP?...............................................................................................................6Why have WSAP guidelines?.............................................................................................7Who are these guidelines intended for?............................................................................9How to use these guidelines............................................................................................10How these guidelines are structured...............................................................................10

Section B: The rationale for WSAPs..................................................................................11The legislative and policy context governing wetlands at municipal level.......................11What are the benefits of having a WSAP?.......................................................................15

Section C: The WSAP Process – how to develop the WSAP...............................................16Step 1: Getting started - assemble a team and determine resource requirements.........16Step 2: Identify the stakeholders.....................................................................................17Step 3: Plan the process and set time frames.................................................................18Step 4: Updating the WSAP in future...............................................................................21

Section D. Compiling the WSAP........................................................................................22Title page........................................................................................................................22Setting the scene............................................................................................................22

Importance of wetlands and key threats......................................................................23Legal, policy and institutional framework.....................................................................23WSAP stakeholder engagement process......................................................................23

Developing the strategy..................................................................................................24Formulate the Vision.......................................................................................................24

Establish values/guiding principles...............................................................................25Prioritising focus areas/strategic interventions.............................................................26Setting goals/ strategic objectives...............................................................................26

Developing the action plan – actions, targets and indicators..........................................27Section E. Moving from WSAP to Implementation............................................................31

Champion and institutional capacity...............................................................................31Integrating the WSAP into municipal planning and budget processes.............................31Funding the WSAP...........................................................................................................32Monitoring, evaluation and review..................................................................................33Communication, education and public awareness...........................................................33Key success factors.........................................................................................................34

References and useful resources.....................................................................................35

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Glossary...........................................................................................................................37Appendix 1. Outline of the WSAP document......................................................................1ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................3ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................................................3INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................4SETTING THE SCENE.................................................................................................................4

Importance of wetlands and key threats......................................................................................4Legal, policy and institutional frameworks...................................................................................4WSAP stakeholder engagement process......................................................................................6

COMMON VISION STATEMENT...................................................................................................7VALUES/GUIDING PRINCIPLES....................................................................................................7PRIORITISING FOCUS AREAS/STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS.................................................................7GOALS/STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................7ACTION PLAN.........................................................................................................................8WAY FORWARD......................................................................................................................9Appendix 2. Template of invitation..................................................................................10Appendix 3. Checklist of workshop materials needed......................................................11Appendix 4. WSAP Workshop Agenda template...............................................................12Appendix 5. Project schedule, work breakdown and Gantt Chart templates....................18

List of FiguresFigure 1: Types of wetlands..................................................................................................8Figure 2: WSAP process......................................................................................................20Figure 3: Planning for the development & implementation of the WSAP............................21Figure 4: WSAP roadmap....................................................................................................23Figure 5: Setting the scene.................................................................................................23Figure 6: Developing the strategy......................................................................................25Figure 7: Developing the action plan..................................................................................29

Full Program Title: Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetland Management in a Changing ClimateSponsoring USAID Office: USAID/Southern Africa Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-674-A-14-00014 Contractor: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa Secretariat Date of Publication: February 2017Authored by ICLEI Africa

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DISCLAIMER These Wetland Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines are made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

AbbreviationsBSAP Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanCBC Cities Biodiversity Centre CBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity CEPA Communication, Education and Public Awareness DWS Department of Water and SanitationEIA Environmental Impact Assessment FEPA Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas

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ICLEI ICLEI - Local Government for Sustainability IDP Integrated Development PlanIUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature LAB Local Action for Biodiversity LBSAP Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NBF National Biodiversity Framework NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans NEMA National Environmental Management Act, 36 of 1998NEM:BA National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004NEM:PAA National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003NGO Non-governmental OrganisationNWA National Water Act, 36 of 1998 NSSD National Strategy for Sustainable Development PBSAP Provincial Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanSANBI South Africa National Biodiversity InstituteSDBIP Service Delivery and Budget Implementation PlanSDF Spatial Development FrameworkSMART Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant/realistic, and time bound TEEB The Economics of Eco-systems and Biodiversity UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme WSAP Wetlands Strategy and Action PlanWRC Water Research Commission

Section A: Introduction – about these guidelinesSouth Africa is endowed with a rich wealth of biodiversity, which offers a valuable opportunity to support the country’s development path by providing many goods and services that contribute to municipal service delivery, water and food security, and quality of life, especially under a changing climate. Wetlands in particular, are high-value ‘ecological infrastructure’, providing critical ecosystem services such as clean water, clean air, food, medicines, water storage and habitat for biodiversity. Wetlands also play a role in disaster risk reduction and management, and could lessen the negative effects of climate change thorough flood attenuation, temperature regulation and water and food security.Wetlands, however, are South Africa’s most threatened ecosystems, with 48% of wetland ecosystems critically endangered, resulting in an urgent need to increase awareness of wetland importance to incorporate natural wetland resource considerations into municipal governance mechanisms and planning.

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NOTE ABOUT TERMINOLOGY IN THIS GUIDELINE – BIODIVERSITY & WETLANDS Biodiversity has, in some cases, been used interchangeably with wetlands, especially in instances where the broader theme of biodiversity is applicable. The WSAP should focus on wetlands, but given that wetlands are significant for maintaining biodiversity in your municipality, the broader term is used to indicate where the wider notion of biodiversity is applicable.

What is a WSAP?A Wetland Strategy and Action Plan is a LBSAP that focuses specifically on wetlands. It provides a high level plan that is supported by specific actions for implementation to guide and direct the measures, interventions, activities and projects needed to ensure the effective protection, sustainable use and efficient management of wetlands in the Municipality over a specific time period of between 5 to 10 years. A WSAP is developed by the Municipality and its stakeholders to ensure buy in from all interested and affected parties and adopted by the Municipality to get commitment for implementation. It is more than a mere checklist of activities and outputs over multiple years as it provides the Municipality and local community with a cohesive and clear roadmap of “where we are now”, “where we want to be” and “how we will get there” with regard to the protection, sustainable use and management of wetlands. The various elements of a WSAP are described in section D of these Guidelines. Since all wetlands in the Municipality provide important services to the Municipality and its citizens, and wetlands form part of the landscape as a whole, it is important that the WSAP covers the whole municipality, and not solely municipal-owned land. Information on wetland status, threats, knowledge gaps and priority areas in the Municipality can be found in the Wetland Report and Atlas of Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPA) maps which are available from SANBI’s online Biodiversity Geographic Information System (http://bgis.sanbi.org). The FEPA Implementation Manual contains guidance on how to use the FEPA maps as well as management guidelines for FEPA map categories.A WSAP can be a stand-alone document, but its core principles and focal areas should be aligned with broader municipal policy frameworks and plans such as the IDP and, where applicable, the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. As indicated in section A, the Wetland Report includes important baseline information on wetlands and sets the scene for developing the WSAP.

Why have WSAP guidelines?This section introduces the guidelines briefly by sketching the background context and outlining why these guidelines have been developed. The Diagnostic Report released by the National Planning Commission in June 2011 identified an over-reliance on natural resources as one of nine primary challenges facing South Africa’s economy. Biodiversity is an important cornerstone of South Africa’s economy as it supports the production of ecosystem services and ecological infrastructure that are essential to economic development. Wetlands in particular, contribute to the delivery of basic services and disaster risk reduction through providing ecosystem services such as

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The FEPA maps are strategic maps of which

rivers, wetlands & estuaries should remain healthy.

The benefits that we derive from nature are known as ecosystem services. They can be divided into provisioning-, regulating-, habitat or supporting- & cultural service.

flood attenuation, water filtration and water security, and reduced sediment loads in rivers, channels and impoundments. These ecosystem services are increasingly important in a changing climate. If a wetland becomes polluted and its ecological condition deteriorates, it is no longer able to function correctly and natural processes such as providing food (e.g. fish), materials (e.g. reeds) and water purification no longer take place. ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability, with support from key partners including SANBI, SALGA, Working for Wetlands and DEA, is currently implementing the Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) project in 9 district and 2 metropolitan municipalities across South Africa. The main objective of the LAB: Wetlands SA project is to “protect priority natural wetland resources, thus enabling the supply of ecosystem services, and promoting resilient communities and sustainable local economies under a changing climate within South Africa”. This project also aims to improve local government and citizen knowledge and understanding (at the individual, organisation and policy levels) of the value of biodiversity and particularly wetlands; mainstream ecosystem services and biodiversity into local government planning and decision-making in a coordinated, multi-sectoral, gender-sensitive and participatory way and build institutional capacity and develop local policies for integrating biodiversity across local government in South Africa. The LAB: Wetlands SA project is part of ICLEI’s international flagship LAB Programme, which is a global partnership between ICLEI and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which aims to “guide, support, capacitate and motivate local governments and their partners from across the world to integrate biodiversity into all aspects of policy and decision making and implementation activities to result in increased and more sustainable biodiversity conservation”. It recognises the critical role of local governments in biodiversity conversation and the value of biodiversity for delivering ecosystem services and enhancing local climate resilience. LAB: Wetlands South Africa has been customised to the South African context, where wetlands are the most threatened of all ecosystems and where poverty and the delivery of basic services are critical issues at the local government level. The programme therefore seeks to enhance the conservation and management of natural wetland resources through increased awareness of wetlands and the integration of biodiversity considerations into local government planning and decision-making.

UNDERSTANDING WETLANDS – 6 TYPES“Wetlands are land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil”. The National Water Act (36 of 1998) distinguishes between six different types of wetlands based on the underlying geology. These include seeps, depressions, wetland flats, floodplain wetlands, channelled valley-bottom wetlands and unchannelled valley bottom wetlands. SANBI has compiled a detailed hydro- geomorphic classification system to assist with wetland identification. The six different types of wetlands are illustrated in Figure 1.

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Figure 1: Types of wetlands

The Wetland Strategy and Action Plan (WSAP) Guidelines are intended to assist local governments in developing and implementing a WSAP with the view to strengthening the protection, sustainable use and management of wetlands in municipalities. Drawing from local government experiences and examples, and building on the Wetland Report Guidelines, the WSAP Guidelines provide guidance and supporting information for wetland strategy and action planning at the local level. These Guidelines are based on the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) Guidelines and have been produced as “a working document”. The intention is to continuously add to and fine-tune the Guidelines, to create an increasingly comprehensive and interactive tool. The Wetland Report Guidelines were developed in the first phase of the LAB: Wetlands South Africa programme to assist municipalities, participating in the LAB: Wetlands SA Project, with the development of a Wetland Report. The Wetland Report is one of the core outputs of the LAB: Wetlands SA project and aims to pull together all the existing available information on wetlands (ecosystem services, threats, ongoing projects, management challenges etc.) within each of the 11 municipalities participating in the project. The report is also intended to act as a gap analysis to identify what information is missing and what work needs to be done going forward to improve wetland management within these municipalities. Due to the nature of the Wetland Reports, they are also an important standalone tool for raising awareness about wetlands. Increased wetland awareness is an important precursor for the development of a Wetland Strategy and Action Plan, which forms part of the second phase of the LAB: Wetlands South Africa programme. Both the Wetland Report and WSAP are aimed at assisting the Municipality manage the wetlands within the municipal boundaries effectively and sustainably. Please refer to the individual Wetland Reports for more detailed information on the status of wetlands within each of the 11 municipalities participating in the in LAB: Wetlands SA project.

OTHER RELEVANT GUIDELINES

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Guidelines about biodiversity strategies/action plans – see: Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines developed by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability

Guidelines about catchments – see: Department of Water & Sanitation’s Guidelines for the Development of Catchment Management Strategies, and the Water Research Council’s Guidelines for Integrating the Protection, Conservation and Management of Wetlands into Catchment Management Planning

Guidelines about estuaries – see the National Estuarine Management Protocol promulgated in May 2013 under the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (24 of 2008, as amended by Act 36 of 2014)

Guidelines about ecosystems – see SANBI’s Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas Maps & Implementation Manual; Grassland Ecosystem Guidelines - Landscape interpretation for planners and managers; and the Fynbos Forum Ecosystem Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape

Who are these guidelines intended for?These Guidelines are intended primarily for municipal officials, particularly those officials responsible for managing biodiversity and wetlands; officials whose functions impact on, or are influenced by wetlands; spatial and land use planning officials; the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) manager; and officials from the communications and media department/division. Other target audiences that will also benefit from these Guidelines include officials from national and provincial departments; users of wetlands such as birders, people who gather reeds or use the wetlands for cultural/spiritual purposes; interest groups and NGOs who have an interest in/are affected by wetlands and / or play a supporting role in the protection and management of wetlands; business and industry groups; local communities; and landowners of, or living adjacent to, wetlands.

How to use these guidelinesYou can use these Guidelines in the following different ways:

From cover-to-cover to guide the process of developing a new WSAP or updating and existing one;As resource/checklist to ensure you are on the right track and address all the elements of strategy and action planning process in developing your WSAP;As general guide to inform you what is necessary / needs to be done in developing a WSAP; Only for the templates that are appended to the Guidelines; orYou can adapt the Guidelines and apply the guidance provided here to different aspects, other than wetlands, such as biodiversity corridors and open spaces, ridges etc.

The guidelines have been issued in Word format to allow for adjustments and updates, and to convert the guidelines into covering different topics, as well as make it easy to use the Annexes, such as the WSAP template, by populating it directly, instead of having to build the document from scratch. If you require clarity about any part of these guidelines or the process, please contact the ICLEI CBC team, who are always available to clarify any issues, provide information and assist in any way possible.

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How these guidelines are structuredThe Guidelines will take you through the rationale and process for developing and implementing a WSAP: Section B outlines the legislative and policy framework governing wetlands at

municipal level and briefly highlights the objectives and benefits of having a WSAP; Section C address the process of developing a WSAP and describes how to get started

and what resources are needed, how to get the relevant stakeholders on board and how to plan the WSAP process;

Section D covers the compilation of the WSAP and explains how to develop the strategy and populate the action plan; and

Section E provides guidance on the key elements needed to move from the planning phase (the WSAP), to implementation

Things to look out for:

additional/explanatory information in boxes

Examples Useful tips

In addition, the Guidelines contain several annexes, which include the Outline for the WSAP (ANNEX 1); an agenda template for the WSAP workshop (ANNEX 4); and a Project Schedule and Gantt Chart that can be used in compiling the Action Plan (ANNEX 5).

Section B: The rationale for WSAPsThis section explains the rationale for developing and implementing a WSAP by firstly outlining the legislative and policy context that governs wetlands at the municipal scale, and then outlines the key benefits to municipalities of having a WSAP.

The legislative and policy context governing wetlands at municipal levelSouth Africa is a signatory to a number of international agreements relating to biodiversity and to wetlands, such as the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the RAMSAR Convention. International agreements such as these provide a framework and commitment for national action and international co-operation. Many treaties require states to take appropriate measures within their territory, such as enacting and implementing legislation and adopting plans and policies. In South Africa, international commitments become binding on citizens once they are incorporated into national legislation. South Africa’s environmental laws give effect to some of these international commitments.South Africa has an extensive legislative framework concerning the environment and biodiversity is considered in both development planning and national government priorities. The Constitution assigns environmental management roles and responsibilities, and specific aspects thereof, to all three spheres of government, and accordingly co-operative governance is essential for effective environmental management and ensuring that the every person’s right to an environmental that is not harmful to health or well-being, and is protected and promoted. All organs of state, including municipalities, are required to take legislative and other measures to give effect to this right.

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Points of interest/definitions.

In addition to functional areas of competence assigned in the Constitution, the role of municipalities in respect of environmental management is enhanced in section 152 of the Constitution, which requires municipalities, amongst other things, to ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner and to promote a safe and healthy environment. The Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000, gives further effect to these constitutional imperatives. Municipalities have the duty to strive to ensure that municipal services are provided in an environmentally sustainable manner. The National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD), approved by Cabinet in 2011, further emphasises the need for “enhancing systems for integrated planning and implementation” as a way of mainstreaming and integrating sustainable development actions within all spheres of government (including municipalities) to achieve, amongst others, the goal of environmental sustainability.When exercising any of its constitutional functions which concern the protection or management of the environment, a municipality must take into account the principles set out in section 2 of NEMA. In terms of section 2(4)(r), sensitive, vulnerable, highly dynamic or stressed ecosystems, such as coastal shores, estuaries, wetlands, and similar systems require specific attention in management and planning procedures, especially where they are subject to significant human resource usage and development pressure. This is particularly important as South Africa is facing increasing challenges to its water resources.1 Water resource protection plays a pivotal role in environmental protection, and accordingly should be given necessary consideration by all spheres. The protection of such water resources is governed primarily through the National Water Act, 36 of 1998. A water resource includes a wetland, which is defined as:

“land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil”.

Water resources generally fall within the national government competence and catchment management agencies, as these are established. Only minimal water resource management functions are assigned to local government, other local government roles and responsibilities are directly linked to the management of water resources. For example, a failure to manage solid waste or sewage may lead to pollution of a wetland. The interconnectedness between the water resource protection and the provision of water services and the varying roles players involved does also lead to some conflict and tension.2 Proper municipal planning through the various planning instruments, such as IDPs, can play an important role in alleviating such tensions, and resulting in better protection of water resources. Through integrated planning and collaborative action that includes engagement with stakeholders and establishing partnerships, municipalities can achieve more. For example, by developing bankable projects with partners and/or community stakeholders, municipalities can access external funding sources or government grant programmes as a means of expand the funding envelope. The table below outlines the key domestic legislative and policy frameworks for the management of wetlands in South Africa:Table 1 Key national laws & policy frameworks

1 M Swart “Water services provision and the protection of water resources” in A du Plessis (ed) Environmental Law and Local Government in South Africa (2015) p 445.2 Swart Environmental Law and Local Government in South Africa p 445.

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LEGISLATION / POLICY / STRATEGY RELEVANCE FOR WETLAND MANAGEMENT

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

Section 24 enshrines a right to an environment (including wetlands) that is not harmful to health or well-being, and requires municipalities to provide services to communities in a sustainable manner and to promote a safe and healthy environment.

National Water Act, 36 of 1998 (NWA)

The NWA regulates water use and protection of water resources, including wetlands. Water uses which ordinarily require a water use licence or compliance with a general authorisation include, but are not limited to: Taking water from a water resource (e.g. abstraction from a wetland); impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse; altering the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a wetland; and discharging water containing waste into a water resource. The NWA Duty of Care and Emergency Incident provisions will apply to incidents which affect wetlands.

National Environmental Management Act. 36 of 1998 (NEMA)

NEMA is the overarching framework legislation for environmental governance in South Africa. It includes environmental principles which must form an integral part of all decision making, which affects the environment including within the municipal sphere, which affects the environment. NEMA also prescribes a general duty of care not to cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment, and where harm is unavoidable, to take measures to clean up and rehabilitate. Environmental authorisation for listed activities, including specified activities within 32 or 100 metres of a watercourse, depending on the activity. Furthermore, in the event of an emergency which affects a wetland, the response procedures prescribed in NEMA should be complied with.

National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004 (NEM:BA)

NEM:BA provides various measures for the protection of biodiversity, including the control of activities affecting threatened or protected species and ecosystems and activities involving alien and invasive species. Various planning tools are provided for, including bioregional plans and biodiversity management plans. IDP’s must align with national biodiversity framework and bioregional plans. Municipalities are required to prepare invasive species monitoring, control and eradication plans for land under its control and incorporate into IDP’s.

National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 24 of 2008 (NEM:ICMA)

NEM:ICMA provides for various mechanisms to regulate activities in the coastal zone, including coastal wetlands situated within the zone. Where a wetland falls within the coastal protection zone, additional considerations are relevant in making a decision whether to grant an environmental authorisation. Municipalities are required to adopt coastal management programmes, which will include coastal wetlands. Municipalities are responsible for formulating estuary management plans (except estuaries which straddle municipal or provincial boundaries).

National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 59 of 2008

Through the regulation of waste management, including disposal of waste, water resources are protected. Dumping of waste and various other activities which may affect wetlands are prohibited. Municipalities will require waste management licences for their own waste management activities.

Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 43 of 1983 (CARA)

Regulations published in terms of CARA regulate the use of wetlands situated on agricultural land in order to protect natural agricultural resources, including the soil, water sources and vegetation. Permission is required to undertake specific activities, including cultivation, which affect wetlands.

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LEGISLATION / POLICY / STRATEGY RELEVANCE FOR WETLAND MANAGEMENT

National Veld and Forest Fires Act, 101 of 1998

Where the burning of fire breaks includes burning reeds in wetlands, the requirements of this Act must be also complied with.

Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 (“the Municipal Systems Act”)

The Municipal Systems Act regulates, amongst other things, the roles and functions of municipalities, and provides for planning tools such as integrated development plans and spatial development frameworks.

Spatial Planning and Land Use Development Act, 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) and applicable provincial planning legislation and local by-laws.

SPLUMA is the framework legislation regulating land use planning in South Africa, and municipalities will need to plan and grant land use approval in accordance with it. SPLUMA sets out a number of development principles which apply to municipalities when regulating the use and development of land, and must guide a municipality in policy preparation. IDP’s are prepared in accordance with SPLUMA and must include specific environmental components identified in environmental legislation.

World Heritage Convention Act, 49 of 1999 (WHCA)

The WHCA provides for the declaration of world heritage sites, which may include wetlands. The development implication will be the restrictions on development imposed in the management plans and Regulations for each site.

National Development Plan and Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF)

Through the creation of the MTSF and associated Delivery Outcome Agreements, required outputs and targets are set.

National Biodiversity Framework

Provides biodiversity targets for South Africa, including wetland biodiversity. Municipal IDP’s must be aligned with Framework.

National (and Provincial) Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP & PBSAP)

The NBSAP (together with PBSAPs) is the principal instrument for implementing the CBD, to ensure that biodiversity considerations – including wetland management - are integrated into all strategies and plans, such as poverty eradication strategies and development programmes. Development and land use strategies and plans must be aligned with the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (BSAPs) at national, provincial and local level. Furthermore, the BSAPs must be aligned with one another.

National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS)

One of the core objectives of the NWRS is to ensure that water is protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled sustainably and equitably.

Within the context of the requirements of the above legislation, there are a number of tools which assist municipalities in the land use management, including the following:

Integrated Development Plan (IDP): This is strategic development plan that spans a five year period which municipalities are required to prepare in terms of the Municipal Systems Act (MSA) of 2000. The IDP supersedes all other plans and is a key tool for clarifying development priorities, Municipal budgets, land management, promotion of local economic development, and institutional transformation in a consultative, systematic and strategic manner;

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Provincial Strategic Development Framework (PSDF): Overarching spatial planning guidelines for the province;District municipality Spatial Development Framework (SDF): Broad spatial planning guidelines for the district;Metropolitan and local municipality SDFs: Strategic plans to manage land throughout the municipality;Environmental management frameworks (EMF): Map and land use planning guidelines for the areas of environmental importance, and activities in certain areas may trigger the need for an environmental authorisation;Disaster management plan: Wetlands play a key role in disaster management, and must be considered in the context of disaster management;Municipal zoning schemes: Wetlands should be taken into account in the zoning of land (including use zonings and overlay zones);Protected area management plans: Wetlands should be taken into account in developing environmental management plans for protected areas under the control of the municipality; Invasive species monitoring, control and eradication plans: Wetlands should be taken into account in developing invasive species plans for areas under the control of the municipality.

Although wetlands are not identified within specific municipal area of competence, the planning for and management of wetlands is a critical component of sustainable planning for municipalities, and accordingly must be considered within as part of mainstreaming biodiversity considerations into actions and plans which affect wetlands within the municipal area.

What are the benefits of having a WSAP?There are many benefits to having a WSAP. The most obvious being that the WSAP provides a clear plan of the measures, interventions and actions the Municipality intends taking to secure and manage assets that are key to water security and disaster risk reduction and can contribute to local economic development through job creation. Secondly, a WSAP can contribute significantly to the Municipality’s contribution to meeting international conservation obligations and targets such as the Aichi targets; and to national and provincial objectives and targets that are spelt out in the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), Provincial Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), and LBSAP. South Africa is signatory to the CBD which spells out a range of objectives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The national, provincial and local commitments to meeting the CBD obligations are captured in the NBSAP, PBSAP and LBSAP. A WSAP is essentially a LBSAP that focuses specifically on wetlands. If a LBSAP is in place, it is important that the WSAP aligns with the objectives and targets of the LBSAP. Thirdly, the WSAP serves to clarify targets and actions for inclusion into IDPs and thereby secure funding for wetland rehabilitation, protection and ongoing management and maintenance. Another benefit is that a WSAP can serve to mainstream wetland rehabilitation, maintenance and management across different line function departments in the municipality, as well as across external organisations such as NGOs, the business sector and private partners.

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By identifying & understanding the benefits of wetlands, municipal officials can create sustainable & climate resilient towns & cities. In the long term, maintaining functioning ecosystems is the most cost-

Section C: The WSAP Process – how to develop the WSAPThis section provides some practical guidance on the process involved in developing a WSAP and outlines the key steps to be undertaken.

Step 1: Getting started - assemble a team and determine resource requirements Because the development and implementation of the WSAP will require the involvement and support of a range of line function departments as well as stakeholder buy-in, it is recommended that a small core team be established for developing the WSAP. Ideally this team should be inter-departmental, include land use and spatial planners, as well as representatives from other authorities such as the regional office of the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Natural Resource Management Programme in the Department of Environmental Affairs, provincial environment department and conservation agency, SANBI, and neighbouring municipalities. Where necessary the core team may be expanded to include external stakeholder representatives as advisors to support and assist with gathering and analysing data and information on the identification, status and distribution of wetlands in the municipality. In metros and district municipalities the team should be convened and led by a senior manager in the environment department/division. The core team will be responsible for driving the stakeholder engagement process, compiling the WSAP and ensuring that once the WSAP has been completed it is formally adopted by the Municipality. With this in mind it is important – when establishing the core team - to clarify: the team’s terms of reference and reporting lines; and roles and responsibilities of individual team members, for example who will steer the

team, be responsible for stakeholder engagement and consultation (e.g. run workshop/s), circulate workshop invitations and agendas, arrange venues and catering, facilitate workshops, take notes at meetings and workshops and prepare the minutes/workshop reports, take photos at the workshops and write up the strategy and action plan.

The core team of officials should be senior enough to make decisions, or have direct access to decision-makers (including heads of departments and elected office bearers); and committed to meeting deadlines and ensuring a meaningful and effective process. The collective technical expertise of the team and (where necessary) the advisors, should ideally cover spatial and land use planning, geographic information and mapping, biodiversity, ecosystem services, conservation planning, local economic development, communication, facilitation and stakeholder engagement, social and cultural dimensions of biodiversity – for example, how local livelihoods depend on natural resources, and IDP development. Developing the WSAP will require some resources. This includes staff time for organising and participating in meetings and workshops, doing field surveys, gathering and assessing information, consulting stakeholders, compiling the WSAP and communications. It is recommended that an initial assessment of resource requirements is made at the start of the process. This should include determining in-kind resources such as staff time and meeting venues; resources which require dedicated budget; as well as the budget source (in other words whether the internal budget allocation is available or needs to be sourced

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from an external source such as donor funding). A checklist of specific resources required for conducting workshops is appended in ANNEX 3.

Step 2: Identify the stakeholdersThis section provides some guidance on stakeholder engagement and explains what stakeholder mapping entails. The Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook makes the point that:

“The success of local action for biodiversity depends on committed political leadership, the effective support of other local government sectors and spheres and, equally important, enduring partnerships with relevant non-government stakeholders.”

It goes on to point out that communication, awareness raising and education are the foundation of an effective stakeholder engagement process. Chapter 3 of the Guidebook provides detailed guidance on how to develop communication, awareness raising, education and stakeholder participation strategies and presents a range of tools that can be used for this purpose. These Guidelines do not duplicate the guidance provided in the Guidebook but focus only on how to identify stakeholders by explaining what stakeholder mapping is. In addition to the Guidebook, there are a host of other useful resources and tools that provide useful and practical guidance on how to plan and run stakeholder engagement processes, some of which are referenced in the List of References and Resources at the end of these Guidelines. Stakeholder mapping is done as part of the baseline data collection which forms part of developing the Wetland Report.Stakeholder mapping is a collaborative process of research, debate, and discussion that draws from multiple perspectives to determine a key list of stakeholders across the entire stakeholder spectrum. Mapping can be broken down into four phases:

1. Identifying – listing relevant groups, organisations and people;2. Analysing – understanding stakeholder perspectives and interests;3. Mapping – visualising relationships to objectives and other stakeholders; and 4. Prioritising – ranking stakeholder relevance and identifying issues.3

It is not necessary, for the purpose of developing the WSAP, to follow a very comprehensive approach and lengthy process in identifying stakeholders. By following the four steps in the stakeholder mapping process roughly, you will create a robust and relevant list of stakeholders; gain a good understanding of key stakeholder issues and concerns; understand which stakeholders have high/low influence, are willing/unwilling to engage and pose a risk to derailing the WSAP process; and as it is not always practical or necessary to engage with all stakeholders, will be able to prioritise which stakeholders must be consulted.

Some useful tips4

Identifying stakeholders Learn from past & ongoing engagement with stakeholders

Be forward thinking & include potential new stakeholders who may offer solutions to current problems

Be diverse Use social media to identify & reach lesser-known

stakeholder groups

3 MORRIS, J. and BADDACHE, F. January 2012, p9 - 124 Based on BSR Stakeholder Mapping, Nov 2011

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Some useful tips

Remember the “loudest voices” or heaviest campaigners are not necessarily your key stakeholders

Analysing Use the following criteria to analyse your stakeholders:o What contribution/value does the stakeholder bring?o How legitimate is the stakeholder to engage?o How willing is the stakeholder to engageo How much influence does the stakeholder have; and

who do they influence?o Is there someone who could derail/delegitimise the

process if they were not included?

Mapping Use a quadrant (similar to the one provided in the Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook – Figure 3.1, page 33)5 to visually plot where stakeholders fall with regard to their expertise, willingness to participate & the value they bring by participating

Rate stakeholders expertise, willingness & value as high/low on the quadrant

Prioritising Be strategic and clear about whom you are engaging with & why you are engaging with a particular stakeholder/stakeholder group

Identify which issues all stakeholders express most frequently

Identify priority stakeholders’ key issues

Step 3: Plan the process and set time framesThe overarching process consists of four phases: The first phase involves awareness raising among municipal officials and external stakeholders to improve understanding of the value of wetlands in the local context, the challenges facing wetlands and buy-in for wetland projects. The second phase focuses on engagement with the local political leaders and decision-makers to strengthen political commitment. The third phase is a “stock-taking and assessment exercise” of the Municipality’s wetlands to strengthen the integration of wetland information into planning and decision making in the Municipality. The Wetland Report is produced as part of the LAB: Wetlands SA project is a result of this phase. The final phase is the development and implementation of the WSAP. This section covers the process involved in this final phase.

5 The Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook is available on the ICLEI website and can be downloaded from: http://cbc.iclei.org/resources-2/#1477315233652-2c328a3c-368b

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Figure 2: WSAP process

Ideally the WSAP process should build on the awareness raising and Wetland Report processes. The Wetland Report process is covered in a separate guideline, the Wetland Report Guidelines. The Wetland Report is a critical building block for the WSAP as its focus is to ”bring together existing wetland information so that the municipality can identify knowledge gaps and priority areas, and determine how to manage wetlands moving forward.” In addition to providing an overview of the status and location of wetlands in the municipal area, the Wetland Report also identifies the key threats, challenges and opportunities facing wetlands. This information is central to developing the WSAP. To ensure stakeholder buy-in from internal and external stakeholders, it is recommended that the Municipality hold an interactive workshop to develop the WSAP with key stakeholders. The workshop should assist with creating a shared vision for wetland management in the Municipality; identifying the current challenges, gaps and priorities in wetland management; identifying and prioritising actions for improving wetland management; and developing a holistic strategy and action plan to mainstream wetland management into land use planning and across other municipal functions. It is important to capture the workshop process, discussions and decisions in a WSAP Workshop Report so that there is a record of the workshop and form the basis for capturing lessons learned at a later stage when the WSAP is updated.These Guidelines include a model WSAP workshop agenda, which includes notes on how to facilitate the workshop and what questions to ask participants, in order to elicit inputs and responses necessary for compiling the WSAP (ANNEX 4). In addition, templates of simple project planning tools, such as a project schedule, work breakdown schedule and Gantt Chart, to assist municipalities with planning their WSAP process are included as part of ANNEX 5.The first step in any process is to plan the activities and milestones, identify resource and capacity requirements and set time frames. This should be done by the core team established to drive the WSAP process. It is important to determine the end date by which the WSAP should be completed from the onset, as this will determine how much time there is for stakeholder engagement and compiling the WSAP. The IDP review and adoption

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cycle will also influence timeframes for the WSAP process. It is important to factor municipal decision making procedures and meeting schedules into the planning of the WSAP process to ensure that the WSAP is institutionalised and incorporated into mainstream municipal planning and budgeting instruments such as the IDP. There are various tools that the core team can use for planning the process and setting deadlines and timeframes. These include online and software project planning tools such as Microsoft’s Project which use Gantt charts. However, you can plan your WSAP process without online tools or software by following five simple steps – keeping in mind that some of these steps should be done simultaneously:

Figure 3: Planning for the development & implementation of the WSAP

Some useful tips

Send initial invitations out 3 weeks ahead of the scheduled WSAP workshop. Make sure that the invitation includes the logo of all participating parties (e.g. ICLEI,

municipality where the WSAP is being developed as well as key funders). Invitations, final agenda and map with directions and the facilitator’s contact

number should be sent a week before the workshop as a reminder. Invitations should go out from the office of whoever is hosting the workshop (e.g.

either ICLEI or the municipality). Keep a list of who has confirmed and who hasn’t to accurately plan catering for the

event. During the event, make sure to capture all comments from all attending

stakeholders – this may prove useful for providing context when developing the WSAP at a later stage.

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List activities

Identify all activities that must be undertakenBreak the activities down into tasks

Sequence activities

Identify the order in which the activities & tasks need to take place Arrange them in the correct order

Estimate resources

Identify who is available to help & whenAllocate activity & task responsibilities

Estimate duration

Estimate how much time is needed to perform each activity & taskSet deadlines - keeping in mind what the end date is by which the WSAP must be completed

Collate schedule

Identify the risks & critical path activities that cannot be delayedCapture all activities, tasks, milestones, responsibilities & deadlines in a schedule - you need not have specialised software for this & can plot it in a spreadsheet

Step 4: Updating the WSAP in futureThe WSAP should not be seen as a static document cast in concrete, but rather and evolving document that requires updating when new information / knowledge comes to light, new development and conservation priorities have been determined or once actions have been completed and new actions are required. The regularity of the updating process will depend on the timeframes set out in the WSAP and IDP review and adoption cycles.When updating the WSAP, it is recommended that a similar process is followed as with the initial setting up of the WSAP. With this in mind it is important to keep a record of lessons learnt with the stakeholder engagement processes, the compilation of the WSAP and implementation of the WSAP, where possible.

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Section D. Compiling the WSAP This section deals with the content of the WSAP and provides a roadmap to compiling the WSAP. It explains that the WSAP is essentially built up of the following 3 parts or building blocks:

Figure 4: WSAP roadmap

These parts/building blocks are inter-connected and each builds on the previous part/block. It briefly describes the elements of these three ”building blocks” and what information should be captured under each of the elements. A model outline for compiling the WSAP is provided in the template appended in ANNEX 1 to this Guideline. Compiling the WSAP should build on the information and ideas gathered during the WSAP workshop, as well as information gathered during the awareness raising workshop, during the course of developing the Wetland Report and during one on one stakeholder engagements leading up to the WSAP workshop. Compiling a WSAP should therefore not take more than a few weeks to complete.

Title page Each WSAP must have a proper title page which should include the title – or name – by which the WSAP will be known and referred to; the date of compilation and adoption of the WSAP; the name and contact details of the person/s responsible for compiling the WSAP; and official logo/s of the Municipality responsible for signing off on the WSAP. The title should specify the municipal area or geographic coverage of the WSAP, as well as stipulate the timeframe that the WSAP spans.

Setting the scene This is the first part of the WSAP and focuses on setting out “where we are now” with regards to wetland status and management in the Municipality. The purpose of this section is to help the reader, and users, of the WSAP, understand the context within which it has been compiled and will be implemented. In this part you need to unpack the status quo with regards to the wetlands in the Municipality. With this in mind it is suggested that you include information on the importance of the wetlands located in the Municipality and the

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Figure 5: Setting the scene

key opportunities and threats they are faced with; the legal, policy and institutional framework for managing wetlands; and the WSAP stakeholder engagement process.

Importance of wetlands and key threatsThis sub-section links the WSAP to the Wetland Report by briefly summarising the key information from the report. It should outline the importance of the wetlands within the relevant municipality/ties and highlight the major opportunities and threats to the protection and management of these wetlands. It should further summarize some of the key projects and stakeholders playing a critical role in protecting, managing and utilising wetlands in the relevant municipality/ties. Consider including one or two maps to show where the wetlands are located in the Municipality, and if possible an overlay of wetlands’ locations relevant to major infrastructure, development nodes and a graph or table indicating key threats in relation to specific wetlands, to help readers visualise the distribution and status of wetlands in the Municipality. Good examples can be found in Atlas of Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPA) maps which are available from SANBI’s online Biodiversity Geographic Information System (http://bgis.sanbi.org). Alternatively, you can use the maps from the Wetland Report, or merely refer to them if you wish to keep the WSAP short.

Legal, policy and institutional frameworkThis sub-section summarises the legal, policy and institutional framework for the protection, sustainable use and management of wetlands. It should start by outlining the Municipality’s mandate, powers and functions concerning wetlands as reflected in the national legislative framework that governs wetlands, as well as provincial legislation and local bylaws that are relevant to wetlands. Where appropriate, for example in the case of wetlands that have been declared as RAMSAR sites, it should also make reference to international obligations and guiding principles under the CBD, RAMSAR Convention. Information on the specific legislative framework contained in the Wetland Report, can be included here, as well as any information that came to light after the Wetland Report was published. Secondly, this sub-section should reference the conservation and development priorities from key policy frameworks that are relevant to the protection and management of wetlands. Local priority statements and commitments in the IDP should be included here. Priorities and commitments made in other local policy frameworks in place, such as a local growth and development strategy, environmental policy, environmental management framework, LBSAP or biodiversity sector plan, should also be added here. The table summarising the key national legal instruments and policy frameworks pertaining to wetlands is included in section B of these Guidelines and can be copied directly into the WSAP.

WSAP stakeholder engagement processThe WSAP stakeholder engagement process is critical to gathering information and inputs for populating the WSAP and for ensuring stakeholder buy-in. It is therefore important to recognize this by briefly describing the stakeholder engagement process in this section of the WSAP. This should cover the nature of stakeholder engagements (e.g. awareness raising workshop, workshops/focus groups held to develop the Wetland Report, the WSAP workshop and bilateral consultations); when and where these engagements took place; the stakeholder groups represented at these engagements; and highlight the key outcomes of the engagements.

Developing the strategy The second part of the WSAP, the strategy, focuses on “where we want to be” with regards to wetlands. In this part you should spell out the

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desired outcomes and future direction you wish to take with the protection, sustainable use and management of wetlands in the Municipality. To achieve this, the strategy must include the following elements:

A Vision Values (alternatively referred to as guiding

principles) Focus areas (alternatively referred to as strategic interventions) Goals (alternatively referred to as strategic objectives)Definitions of strategy abound, but for the purposes of the WSAP, it indicates a high level plan chosen to achieve the ends (goals and outcomes), and bring about a desired future over a long period of time through the most efficient and effective use of resources.

MAKING THE WSAP RELEVANT To ensure wider traction for the WSAP, it is important to keep local social, economic, development and service delivery priorities and issues in mind when creating the Vision and identifying the focus areas and goals for the WSAP. Make clear linkages between the ecosystem services that wetlands provide such flood attenuation, providing clean water, filtering waste water and recreation, with job creation, disaster risk reduction, water security and tourism.

Formulate the Vision Vision statements are a standard element of any strategy to give direction and provide inspiration. The Vision should define the desired future state of wetlands in the Municipality. It is the ‘anchor’ that will ensure goals and actions remain focused on “where we want to go”. The vision should be worded in such a way that evokes a clear picture of the ‘desired future state’ among all stakeholders. In other words, a vision should be clear and easy to understand and imagine; inspiring; founded on realism but not be mundane; ambitious yet achievable; and have clear social and economic relevance. Useful questions to ask when formulating a vision include:

What is your dream for the wetlands in your municipality? Imagine 5 – 10 years from now – if you could exceed all expectations - how will the

wetlands look, who will be involved in protecting and managing them?

Some examples of a vision Some useful tips

“Working together, from catchment to coast, towards a legacy of healthy functioning wetlands in the Overberg, for the benefit and enjoyment of all.”

Avoid lengthy vision statements with too much detail – keep it short, maximum 2 sentences

Make it specific to wetlands and your municipality

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Figure 6: Developing the strategy

A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is just drudgery. But a vision with a plan can change the world.

Some examples of a vision Some useful tips

“Ekurhuleni celebrates the uniqueness of healthy wetlands for the benefit of water security, nature and people.”

Keep it simple & do not use words that are open to interpretation

Establish values/guiding principlesThe values, or guiding principles, set the tone for decision making and action and express the broad philosophy and beliefs that will underpin implementation of the WSAP. They clarify what you stand for and believe in and are intended to guide the Municipality and stakeholders in daily interactions around wetlands. Values, or guiding principles, provide important parameters for how goals, targets & actions should be implemented. By establishing a set of value statements or guiding principles, the WSAP is committing the Municipality to a particular modus operandi concerning wetlands and giving stakeholders greater certainty as to what they can expect from implementation. Useful questions to ask when establishing your values or guiding principles, include:

What values (principles and best practices) should guide the implementation of the WSAP and our actions in relation to wetlands, to ensure that we attain our vision and goals, and our actions will be effective and appropriate?

Some examples of values Some useful tips

Scientific monitoring - based on credible science; scientific validation; reliable information to make informed decision; continual quality monitoring; ethics of science and monitoring.

Avoid fluffy and hollow values

Collaboration around a common purpose – promote multi-stakeholder collaboration, partnerships & working together towards a common purpose and goal

Create values that play to your municipality’s strengths & mitigate its weaknesses

Ensure values resonate with your stakeholders

Prioritising focus areas/strategic interventionsFocus areas, or strategic interventions, expand the vision statement and form the foundation on which goals and the action plan will be based. They are planned, deliberate and focussed priorities and efforts that are needed to achieve the Vision. They provide structure to the strategy and help create a common sense of purpose. Ideally you should have between 3 and 6 focus areas: too few focus areas will indicate a lack of clear focus and vagueness, whereas too many will show a lack of clarity on priorities and what to focus on. Useful questions to ask when prioritising focus areas or strategic interventions for your WSAP, include:

What key issues emerged from the Wetland report that should be taken up and prioritised in the WSAP?

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What are the critical success factors (key strategic issues) needed to achieve the vision and implement the WSAP?

Are there any particular challenges or opportunities that need to be borne in mind – if so what are these?

When distilling focal areas or strategic interventions for the WSAP, you should keep in mind that your focus areas – should you succeed in each area – are intended to realize the Vision.

Some examples of focus areas Some useful tips

Monitoring, research and reporting Distil focus areas into 5 words or less

Roles, responsibilities, funding and capacity

Focus areas should not be too broad

Jargon no metric

Wetland rehabilitation Be specific - do not use jargon

Keep things high level – no targets or metrics at this stage

Setting goals/ strategic objectivesGoals, or strategic interventions, must align with focus areas and give content to the Vision and focus areas. They form the “heart & soul” of the strategy and should be ambitious, yet realistic and achievable. Goals should be formulated as well-defined targeted statements with clearly defined outcomes and deadlines. It is recommended that the goals collectively span a period of 5 to 10 years to allow for alignment with the IDP and the inclusion of important long-term actions. Goals form the basis for measuring progress and performance. With this in mind, goals should be SMART (Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant/realistic and Time-bound). There is no hard and fast rule as to how many goals to set. However, keep in mind that having too few goals means that you are not stretching yourself and with too many you run the risk of setting yourself up for failure. As a guideline you should aim to have between 2 and 5 goals per focus area. Useful questions to ask when setting goals include:

What significant outcomes do we need to achieve to deliver on the vision and address strategic priorities?

What are the specific measurable goals achieve these outcomes in the next 3 – 5 years?

Some examples of goals Some useful tips

Conduct a baseline wetland assessment Keep goals simple & understandable to

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Some examples of goals Some useful tips

for the Overberg District Municipal Region by 2019

all – one sentence long

Develop a costing model for wetlands rehabilitation and a maintenance plan by Dec 2018

Be specific and start with a verb

Specify the deadline

Establish an integrated monitoring plan for the entire wetland ecosystem in West Rand District within 12 months

If possible include a standard for measurement (metric) & unit of what you are trying to do

Avoid jargon

Developing the action plan – actions, targets and indicatorsThe third and final part of the WSAP, the action plan, is where the “rubber hits the road”. This part focuses on “how we will get there” and its purpose is to turn the Vision and goals into reality, and ensure efficiency and accountability. The action plan is critical to achieving the Vision and the successful implementation of the WSAP. It is generally accepted that if one fails to plan, then you are planning to fail – or in the words of John J Beckley “Most people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan”. With this in mind the action plan should describe:

WHAT actions/steps are needed to achieve the Vision and Goals; HOW to do this; WHO is responsible for the action; WHEN the action should be undertaken and completed; What RESOURCES (funding and staff) will be required; and How performance and success will be MEASURED.

When you develop the action plan it is important to ensure that it is complete, clear and current. In other words, it must include actions that address all the steps and changes needed to achieve the stated goals in the strategy; clarify who will do what and by when; reflect current work; and anticipate new opportunities and barriers. Identify the results or outputs needed and steps to be taken to achieve each goal. Each action should be clearly defined in terms of the organization(s) or individual(s) responsible for implementation. To ensure buy-in from stakeholders and commitment to implement, consideration should be given to stakeholders signing off on the action plan. This can be achieved by circulating the draft action plan to stakeholders for comment and sign off before it

is formerly adopted by the Municipality.Set clear timescales by when an action must be taken/result or target must be achieved. The resource requirements, funding and human resources capacity, should also be

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ACTION PLAN

what

how

when

who

resources

measure

Figure 7: Developing the action plan

denoted for each action. Some actions may require additional fundraising and/or capacity to support implementation than what is currently available. In such instances the action plan should include specific actions to address these shortfalls, or refer to other existing or planned interventions which do. The action plan should clarify the sequential flow of actions and indicate which must be prioritised. It should build on the information and ideas gathered while brainstorming focus areas and goals at the WSAP workshop. Furthermore, it is important that planned interventions, actions and projects take into consideration a) who the landowner and managing authority of each wetland is; and b) whether any permit/licence/authorisation is required before a particular action/project may be implemented. Landowner buy-in and permission from the managing authority will be needed to proceed with implementation. Likewise, the necessary permits/licences/authorisations will first need to be granted before implementation can take place to ensure compliance with all legal requirements. Actions should be designed with this in mind. Useful questions to ask when developing the action plan include:

What are the immediate actions and projects needed to achieve the goals? Are there any existing actions or projects that could contribute towards achieving

the goals? What needs to be in place to implement these actions & projects?

Some useful tips for developing the action plan

Be as clear & specific as possible in describing the actions & how this should be done (steps)

Push responsibility DOWN not up (delegate & share responsibility for implementation)

Be realistic about what can be achieved in the short-, medium- and long term – ask yourself “Is this doable in the time frame? If not how shall I deal with it?”

Work out what needs to happen first in order for other things to be accomplished

Identify overlap & whether the same/similar activities can contribute to accomplishing more than one action

Check whether the actions to be taken will move you closer to achieving the goal & Vision

Determine whether any of the actions fit with existing work plans; and if so make the linkages to ensure efficiency gains & avoid unnecessary duplication

Example - action plan extract FOCUS AREA &

GOALS KEY ACTIONS RESPONSIBILITY

TIME FRAME

RESOURCES

Focus Area 1: Roles, responsibilities, funding and capacity.

Goal 1.1:Clarify the roles and responsibilities within the Overberg by completing a stakeholder mapping

Identify a responsible person to undertake stakeholder

Overberg District MunicipalityICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability

December 2016

December 2016

In kind internal resourcesDonor support

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exercise by February 2017. mapping. Develop an initial

stakeholder map of who is doing what and where using the LAB: Wetlands SA Overberg District Municipality Wetland Report.

Circulate map to all relevant stakeholders within Overberg District Municipality to confirm that all key stakeholders are included and clarify individual roles and responsibilities.

Stakeholder map to be finalised.

Overberg District Municipality

Overberg District Municipality

January 2017

February 2017

In kind internal resources & stakeholder input

In kind internal resources

"You can't manage (or improve) what you can't measure" is a generally accepted management principle.6 Without clear objectives and standards for measuring success you will not know whether you are making progress towards achieving your goals and Vision, or be able to make adjustments and introduce corrective measures to ensure you achieve the desired outcomes. In order to assess progress with the implementation of the action plan, it is important to determine a set of indicators to measure whether the actions and projects are achieving their objectives and contributing to the accomplishment of goals. Indicators can measure progress and success quantitatively (hard facts and numbers) or qualitatively (changes in peoples’ behaviour, actions and attitudes). Besides measuring performance you may also wish to measure efficiency to establish whether human and financial resources have been used efficiently and effectively in implementing actions and projects. A general guide for developing indicators is to:

Decide how implementation progress and success will be measured; Ensure the goals/strategic objectives specify what you plan to achieve; Identify the element/s (of the goals/strategic objectives) that you wish to measure;

and Clarify the means of verification, in other words how you will collect the evidence

(of measurement).

Some useful tips for developing indicators

Don’t develop too many indicators – indicators are meant to help assess the status of actions & projects. You need just enough indicators to measure this & support decision making about progress and the need for adjustments/corrective measures

Don’t set indicators that are impossible – in other words beyond your capacity to measure and / or collect the required information for assessing progress

6 Management thinker Peter Drucker

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Some useful tips for developing indicators

Ensure the indicator is relevant to the outcome that is being measured

Indicators should be simple to understand & easy to verify

The Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation tools for biodiversity conservation and development projects includes some useful information, ideas and tips on indicators.

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Section E. Moving from WSAP to ImplementationThis section describes the key elements that need to be in place to implement the WSAP and outlines some “key success factors” for implementation.

Champion and institutional capacityIt is important to identify a ‘champion’ for the WSAP. In other words, someone who will drive the implementation process and take overall responsibility for making the WSAP happen. The effective protection, sustainable use and management of wetlands cannot be undertaken without the involvement and support of a range of municipal departments. To ensure municipality-wide traction for WSAP implementation, it is recommended that the WSAP is embedded in the institution by, for example:

mainstreaming wetland management across line functions;raising awareness and building capacity in-house on wetland management;linking the achievement of goals to responsible manager/s’ annual performance agreements;building support for the WSAP in the Municipality by obtaining the necessary approvals for the WSAP; and, where appropriate; establishing new, or engaging existing cooperation structures/forums that are responsible for ensuring coordinated implementation and building partnerships with external stakeholder institutions and groupsbuilding partnerships with external stakeholders (government, private, business).

Additional information can be found in the Wetland Report Guidelines which includes guidance on how to address the issue of institutional measures for wetland management.

EXISTING MECHANISMS & INTERVENTIONS AVAILABLE TO MUNICIPALITIES Examples of existing structures include intra- and intergovernmental structures such as working groups and technical task teams, as well as local and provincial environmental forums for engaging with stakeholders and communities and raising awareness about a range of environmental issues. Institutions such as ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and SANBI and provincial environment departments regularly present workshops and other capacity building interventions on wetlands management.

Integrating the WSAP into municipal planning and budget processesTo ensure alignment with local social, economic, development and service delivery priorities, and integration with the municipal planning and budgeting process, the WSAP must be incorporated into the Municipality’s five-year IDP and annual Service Delivery Budget and Implementation Plans (SDBIP). The IDP and SDBIP are integral to the government-wide performance management framework which includes the planning, budget and reporting cycles. The planning, budgeting and performance management deadlines differ from municipality to municipality. The municipal planning and budgeting cycle is determined by Budget deadlines which are set out in the Municipal Finance Management Act. The cycle commences around August when mayors table the budget process schedule and conclude by the end of June as the Budget must be approved before 1 July, the start of the municipal financial year. The public consultation phase generally runs between March and May. IDP deadlines are set out in a five year IDP Process Plan, which municipalities are required to produce to ensure greater alignment and efficient, effective and cost saving processes.7 The IDP process comprises of five stages:

1. Analysis - during which problems and priority issues are identified;

7 Section 28 (1) of the Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000

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2. Strategies - which entails finding solutions to the problems, identifying projects and developing strategies;

3. Projects – which involves the design and specification of projects for implementation;

4. Integration - once all projects are identified, the municipality must ensure that they align with its objectives and strategies, resource framework, and comply with the legal requirements; and

5. Approval - once the IDP has been completed, the public are given opportunity to comment before it is submitted to the municipal council for consideration.

Aligning the WSAP with the IDP and SDBIPs will contribute to ensuring coordination and integration between programmes, projects and activities internally, but also across other municipalities and, where appropriate, with organs of state in other spheres of government. It will help mainstream wetland management into municipal priorities and also facilitate budget allocation for the implementation of WSAP actions and projects. With this in mind it is important to ensure that a) there is alignment between priorities in the IDP and SDBIP; and b) that the actions and projects identified in the WSAP are included in the SDBIP and an appropriate goal is included in the IDP. As a general rule most actions and projects should be included in the SDBIP annual performance plan and infrastructural projects and actions requiring capital expenditure should be included in the three year capital works plan. Furthermore, it is recommended that wetland maps are incorporated into the SDF. Municipalities will have different approaches to incorporating the WSAP into the IDP, and it will also depend on what stage in the IDP process wetland priorities, strategies and projects are identified. For example, the information contained in the Wetland Report could be captured in the Strategic Development Framework and included in the analysis chapter of the IDP; whereas the projects identified in the WSAP could be included in the IDP project list.

Funding the WSAPFunding for the implementation of actions and projects is a key factor in the successful implementation of the WSAP. It is important to firstly establish the costs required for implementing the various actions and projects identified in the WSAP. Once the costing exercise has been completed it is necessary to ensure that these costs are captured in the municipal budget annually, and where appropriate, that recurrent funding will be available. In respect of costs that cannot be accommodated within the municipal budget, it will be necessary to develop a funding plan in order to leverage additional funding from external sources to augment the municipal budget allocation. The final step in securing funding for implementation will be to obtain the requisite budget approvals and commitments.

OPTIONS FOR EXPANDING THE FUNDING ENVELOPE The following options exist for expanding the funding envelope available for WSAP implementation from the municipal budget allocation: Expanded Public Works Programme – Working for Wetlands & Working for Water Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (http://leonardodicaprio.org/) Regions20 (http://regions20.org/)

Monitoring, evaluation and review Monitoring and evaluation are an important part of implementation. The purpose of monitoring and evaluation is to track progress with the implementation of actions and projects; measure the efficiency and effectiveness of interventions; and determine what adjustments, changes or corrective actions may be needed and when. The Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines recommend that implementation should

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be monitored continuously and evaluated periodically to ensure alignment with the Vision and goals and allow for adjustments to be made in light of changing circumstances. It provides guidance on what should be included in the monitoring and evaluation system. Further information and guidance on monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches is found in the Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation tools for biodiversity conservation and development projects.An integrated monitoring, reporting and evaluation system for local government exists within the government-wide performance management framework. To avoid duplication of effort it is important to align and integrate the monitoring and evaluation of WSAP actions and projects into the monitoring, reporting and evaluation that forms part of the Municipality’s IDP and SDBIB processes. The WSAP should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to changing circumstances. With this in mind it is important to keep a record of lessons learnt with the stakeholder engagement processes, the compilation of the WSAP and implementation of the WSAP, where possible. Generally the review and updating of the WSAP should take place at least every five years as part of an adaptive management cycle. Ideally this should coincide with the review of the Municipality’s IDP to maintain alignment with the IDP.

Communication, education and public awarenessCommunication, education and public awareness (CEPA) are crucial to gaining the support and collaboration of local communities, individuals and organizations from the various stakeholder groups, political and community leaders and the business and industry sectors.With this in mind it is important that a communication and awareness strategy/plan for the WSAP be developed and incorporated into the Municipality’s corporate communication strategy and programmes and involve the manager and staff of the Municipality’s media and communications department/division. This will ensure the efficient use of resources and avoid inconsistent and contradictory communications. The WSAP communication and awareness strategy/plan should build on the information contained in the Wetland Report on the Municipality’s current awareness raising and education activities and programmes. Understanding the roles and capacities’ of the various stakeholder groups in the Municipality, and their issues and interests in wetlands, is essential to developing and implementing a communications strategy/plan. Stakeholder mapping and analysis will assist in reaching understanding and inform the purpose, approach messaging and communication methods. Further information and guidance on communication, education and awareness raising is found in the Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook.

Key success factors

A common vision in line with national biodiversity and development priorities Strategic integration across sectors and policy frameworks Co-ordinated action and co-operation among affected organs of state through

intergovernmental co-ordination structures that support collective effort in achieving the common vision and implementation outcomes

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Communication is an exceptionally powerful way to go beyond just informing people about biodiversity – it can also challenge & inspire people and bring about lasting & meaningful change.

Clear programme of action, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for implementing agencies

Strong working relationships and networks within and between institutions Build capacity and effectiveness of existing institutions Adequate human resources and technical expertise and skills for implementation Secure adequate budget allocation on a recurrent basis Identify opportunities to ‘expand the funding envelope’ and leverage additional co-

financing and in-kind support Identify key institutional and sector ‘champions’ to take on awareness raising and

advocacy roles Maintain strong links between science and implementation, and the use of spatially

explicit priorities that are based on systematic biodiversity planning; and Regular monitoring and evaluation of progress & performance

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References and useful resourcesCAPE ACTION FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 2008. Monitoring and evaluation for

biodiversity conservation and development projects. SANBI Biodiversity Series 11. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Pretoria. (http://www.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/documents/documents/biodiversity11monitoreval.pdf )

DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY. February 2007. Guidelines for the development of Catchment Management Strategies: Towards equity, efficiency and sustainability. First Edition. (https://www.dwaf.gov.za/.../Other/.../CMS Feb 07/CMS Feb 07Ed1part1.pdf )

ICLEI - Local Government for Sustainability. June 2015. Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans. Published online 24 June 2015, 12 September at 03:53. (http://www.iclei.org/details/article/local-biodiversity-strategies-and-action-plan-lbsap-guidelines.html )

ICLEI - Local Government for Sustainability. 2010. Local Action for Biodiversity Guidebook: Biodiversity Management for Local Governments. Laros, MT and Jones, FE (Eds). (file:///C:/Users/Ingrid/AppData/Local/Temp/LAB_Guidebook_sm.pdf )

ICLEI - Local Government for Sustainability. Wetland Report Guidelines. 2015MORRIS, J. and BADDACHE, F. January 2012. Back to Basics: How to Make Stakeholder

Engagement Meaningful for Your Company. BSR (available on https://www.bsr.org ). NOAA OFFICE FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT. 2015. Social Science Tools for Coastal

Programs - Introduction to Stakeholder Participation. (https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/stakeholder-participation.pdf)

SANBI. 2014. Biodiversity Mainstreaming Toolbox for land-use planning and development in Gauteng. Compiled by ICLEI –Local Governments for Sustainability. 116 pages. (http://biodiversityadvisor.sanbi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Biodiversity-Mainstreaming-Toolbox_Senior-Managers-Summary.pdf )

SANBI. Atlas of Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPA) maps which are available from SANBI’s online Biodiversity Geographic Information System (http://bgis.sanbi.org ).

SWART, M. 2015. “Water services provision and the protection of water resources” in A du Plessis (Ed) Environmental Law and Local Government in South Africa.

TEEB-The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. 2011. TEEB Manual for Cities: Ecosystems Services in urban Management. (hhtp://www.teebweb.org )

WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION REPORT No. TT 220/03. December 2003. Chris Dickens Kotze, Simon Mashigo, Heather MacKay & Mark Graham.

DICKENS, C., Kotze, D., Mashigo, S., MacKay, H. and Graham, M. 2003. Guidelines for integrating the protection, conservation and management of wetlands into catchment management planning. Umgeni Water, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Water Research Commission – WRC Report No. TT 220/03 (http://www.wrc.org.za/Pages/DisplayItem.aspx?ItemID=7164&FromURL=%2FPages%2FAllKH.aspx%3F

ZIMMERMAN, A and MAENNLING, C. 2007. Mainstreaming Participation - Multi-stakeholder management: Tools for Stakeholder Analysis: 10 building blocks for designing

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participatory systems of cooperation. From the series: Promoting participatory development in German development cooperation published by GTZ. (http://www.fsnnetwork.org/sites/default/files/en-svmp-instrumente-akteuersanalyse.pdf )

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GlossaryBIODIVERSITY is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part and also includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.A BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN identifies priority actions and clearly outlines how these will be implemented, by whom, by when, and using what resources. A BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY is an overarching vision of what will ideally be achieved in terms of biodiversity, including a statement of principles, clearly defined priorities and defined short, medium and long-term goals, as well as a set of targets to help guide implementation. CLIMATE CHANGE means a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. Critically Biodiversity Areas (CBAs incorporate: (i) areas that need to be safeguarded in order to meet national biodiversity thresholds (ii) areas required to ensure the continued existence and functioning of species and ecosystems, including the delivery of ecosystem services; and/or (iii) important locations for biodiversity features or rare species.DISASTER means a progressive or sudden, widespread or localised, natural or human-caused occurrence which is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources. DISASTER MANAGEMENT means a continuous and integrated multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary process of planning and implementation of measures to prevent or reduce the risk of disasters; mitigate the severity or consequences of disasters; emergency preparedness; a rapid and effective response to disasters; and post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation. It is the systematic process of using administrative directives, organisations, and operational skills and capacities to implement strategies, policies and improved coping capacities in order to lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disaster. Disaster Management aims to avoid, lessen or transfer the adverse effects of hazards through activities and measures for prevention, mitigation and preparedness.ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE is described as “Naturally functioning ecosystems that deliver valuable services to people, such as fresh water, climate regulation, soil formation, and disaster risk reduction. It is the nature-based equivalent of built or hard infrastructure and is just as important for providing services and underpinning socio-economic development.” Like built infrastructure, ecological infrastructure needs to be maintained and managed. Ecological infrastructure can be found in healthy mountain catchments, rivers, wetlands, coastal dunes and nodes and corridors of natural habitat, which together form a network of interconnected structural elements in the landscape. Whenever possible, ecological infrastructure networks should be managed strategically as part of either a larger system of built and ecological infrastructure or as ecological infrastructure that provides a direct service. Infrastructure is therefore the asset or stock from which a range of valuable services flow. ECOSYSTEM means a dynamic complex of animal, plant and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.

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ECOSYSTEM SERVICES are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services, such as nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth. ESTUARY means a body of surface water -

(a) that is part of a water course that is permanently or periodically open to the sea;(b) in which a rise and fall of the water level as a result of the tides is measurable at spring tides when the water course is open to the sea; or(c) in respect of which the salinity is measurably higher as a result of the influence of the sea.

INVASIVE SPECIES means any species whose establishment and spread outside of its natural distribution range- (a) threaten ecosystems, habitats or other species or have demonstrable potential to threaten ecosystems, habitats or other species; and (b) may result in economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.MANAGEMENT, in relation to a wetland, includes control, protection, maintenance and rehabilitation of the wetland with due regard to the use and extraction of biological resources, community-based practices and benefit-sharing activities in the area in a manner consistent with the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, (10 of 2004).PROTECTION, in relation to a wetland, means the legal protection given to a wetland:

(i) which forms part of a protected area, protected environment or provincial protected area, as defined in the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEM:PAA), 57 of 2003; (ii) which forms part of an area subject to a biodiversity management agreement in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM:BA), 10 of 2004; or(iii) which forms part of a conservation or similar zoning in terms of a municipal zoning scheme.

In NEM:PAA, the above terms are defined as follows:“protected area” means any of the protected areas referred to in section 9. This

is:(a)special nature reserves, national parks, nature reserves (including

wilderness areas) and protected environments;(b)world heritage sites;(c)marine protected areas;(d)specially protected forest areas, forest nature reserves and forest wilderness areas declared in terms of the National Forests Act, 1998 (Act No. 84 of 1998) ; and(e)mountain catchment areas declared in terms of the Mountain Catchment

Areas Act, 1970 (Act No. 63 of 1970).“protected environment” means—

(a)an area declared, or regarded as having been declared, in terms of section 28 as a protected environment;

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(b)an area which before or after the commencement of this Act was or is declared or designated in terms of provincial legislation for a purpose for which that area could in terms of section 28 (2) be declared as a protected environment; or

(c)an area which was a lake area in terms of the Lake Areas Development Act, 1975 (Act No. 39 of 1975), immediately before the repeal of that Act by section 90 (1) of this Act, and includes an area declared in terms of section 28 (1) as part of an area referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above;

“provincial protected area” means a nature reserve or protected environment—(a)managed by a provincial organ of state; or(b)which falls under the jurisdiction of a province for any other reason

Wetlands that fall within an area that is subject to a stewardship arrangements will only enjoy some form of protection if the area in question is subject to a biodiversity management agreement in terms of NEM:BA. Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements have legal status in terms of the law of contract only.RAMSAR SITES are designated because they meet the Criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance. The first criterion refers to Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types, and the other eight cover Sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity. These criteria emphasize the importance the Convention places on sustaining biodiversity.SUSTAINABLE means that the development and maintenance of natural resources is such that the resources can be replaced or renewed and therefore not be depleted. Economic development is sustainable only if it takes into account the limited resources of the biosphere. Resource use efficiency and intergenerational equity are core principles of sustainable use. In South Africa, sustainable development has been codified in law and is defined in the National Environmental Management Act, (107 of 1998) as follows: Sustainable development means the integration of social, economic and environmental factors into planning, implementation and decision-making so as to ensure that development serves present and future generations.

A WETLAND is land which is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil.

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Appendix 1. Outline of the WSAP document

1

Municipality Logo

WETLAND STRATEGY & ACTION PLAN FOR XXX METROPOLITAN / DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Version History

VERSION APPROVED BY DATE APPROVED

Prepared by:

___________________

_________________________________________________________

Date completed

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................3ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................................................3INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................4SETTING THE SCENE.................................................................................................................4COMMON VISION STATEMENT...................................................................................................7VALUES/GUIDING PRINCIPLES....................................................................................................7PRIORITISING FOCUS AREAS/STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS.................................................................7GOALS/STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................7ACTION PLAN.........................................................................................................................8WAY FORWARD......................................................................................................................9

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

DRAFTING NOTE: Adapt the list of abbreviations below to suit your WSAP.

CBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

CEPA Communication, Education and Public Awareness

DWS Department of Water and Sanitation

EIA Environmental Impact Assessment

FEPA Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas

ICLEI ICLEI- Local Government for Sustainability

IDP Integrated Development Plan

LAB Local Action for Biodiversity

LBSAP Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

NBF National Biodiversity Framework

NEMA National Environmental Management Act, 36 of 1998

NEM:BA National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004

NEM:PAA National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003

NGO Non-governmental Organisation

NWA National Water Act, 36 of 1998

NSSD National Strategy for Sustainable Development

SANBI South Africa National Biodiversity Institute

SDBIP Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan

SDF Spatial Development Framework

SMART Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant/realistic, and time bound

WSAP Wetlands Strategy and Action Plan

INTRODUCTION

3

SETTING THE SCENE

Importance of wetlands and key threatsDRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 18, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here.

Legal, policy and institutional frameworksDRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 19, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here. You can also include the following table of domestic legislative & policy frameworks in your WSAP.

LEGISLATION / POLICY / STRATEGY RELEVANCE FOR WETLAND MANAGEMENT

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

Section 24 enshrines a right to an environment (including wetlands) that is not harmful to health or well-being, and requires municipalities to provide services to communities in a sustainable manner and to promote a safe and healthy environment.

National Water Act, 36 of 1998 (NWA)

The NWA regulates water use and protection of water resources, including wetlands. A municipality will require a water use licence or must comply with the general authorisation to alter the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a wetland, The NWA Duty of Care and Emergency Incident provisions will apply to incidents which affect wetlands.

National Environmental Management Act. 36 of 1998 (NEMA)

NEMA is the overarching framework legislation for environmental governance in South Africa. It includes environmental principles which must form an integral part of all decision making, which affects the environment including within the municipal sphere, which affects the environment. NEMA also prescribes a general duty of care not to cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment, and where harm is unavoidable, to take measures to clean up and rehabilitate. Environmental authorisation for listed activities, including specified activities within 32 or 100 metres of a watercourse, depending on the activity. Furthermore, in the event of an emergency which affects a wetland, the response procedures prescribed in NEMA should be complied with.

National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004 (NEM:BA)

NEM:BA provides various measures for the protection of biodiversity, including the control of activities affecting threatened or protected species

4

LEGISLATION / POLICY / STRATEGY RELEVANCE FOR WETLAND MANAGEMENT

and ecosystems and activities involving alien and invasive species. Various planning tools are provided for, including bioregional plans and biodiversity management plans. IDP’s must align with national biodiversity framework and bioregional plans. Municipalities are required to prepare invasive species monitoring, control and eradication plans for land under its control and incorporate into IDP’s

National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 24 of 2008 (NEM:ICMA)

NEM:ICMA provides for various mechanisms to regulate activities in the coastal zone, including coastal wetlands situated within the zone. Where a wetland falls within the coastal protection zone, additional considerations are relevant in making a decision whether to grant an environmental authorisation. Municipalities are required to adopt coastal management programmes, which will include coastal wetlands. Municipalities are responsible for formulating estuary management plans(except estuaries which straddle municipal or provincial boundaries)

National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 59 of 2008

Through the regulation of waste management, including disposal of waste, water resources are protected. Dumping of waste and various other activities which may affect wetlands are prohibited. Municipalities will require waste management licences for their own waste management activities.

Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 43 of 1983 (CARA)

Regulations published in terms of CARA regulate the use of wetlands situated on agricultural land in order to protect natural agricultural resources, including the soil, water sources and vegetation. Permission is required to undertake specific activities, including cultivation, which affect wetlands.

Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 (“the Municipal Systems Act”)

The Municipal Systems Act regulates, amongst other things, the roles and functions of municipalities, and provides for planning tools such as integrated development plans and spatial development frameworks.

Spatial Planning and Land Use Development Act, 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA) and applicable provincial planning legislation and local by-laws.

SPLUMA is the framework legislation regulating land use planning in South Africa, and municipalities will need to plan and grant land use approval in accordance with it. SPLUMA sets out a number of development principles which apply to municipalities when regulating the use and development of land, and must guide a municipality in policy preparation. IDP’s are prepared in accordance with SPLUMA and must include specific environmental components

5

LEGISLATION / POLICY / STRATEGY RELEVANCE FOR WETLAND MANAGEMENT

identified in environmental legislation

World Heritage Convention Act, 49 of 1999 (WHCA)

The WHCA provides for the declaration of world heritage sites, which may include wetlands. The development implication will be the restrictions on development imposed in the management plans and Regulations for each site.

National Development Plan and Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF)

Through the creation of the MTSF and associated Delivery Outcome Agreements, required outputs and targets are set.

National Biodiversity Framework

Provides biodiversity targets for South Africa, including wetland biodiversity. Municipal IDP’s must be aligned with Framework

National (and Provincial) Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP & PBSAP)

The NBSAP (together with PBSAPS) is the principal instrument for implementing the CBD, to ensure that biodiversity considerations – including wetland management - are integrated into all strategies and plans, such as poverty eradication strategies and development programmes. Development and land use strategies and plans must be aligned with the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (BSAPs) at national, provincial and local level. Furthermore, the BSAPs must be aligned with one another.

National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS)

One of the core objectives of the NWRS is to ensure that water is protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled sustainably and equitably.

WSAP stakeholder engagement processDRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 19, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here.

6

COMMON VISION STATEMENT

DRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 20, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here.

VALUES/GUIDING PRINCIPLESDRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 20, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here.

PRIORITISING FOCUS AREAS/STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS

DRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 21, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here.

GOALS/STRATEGIC OBJECTIVESDRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 21, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here. You can also use the following table in your WSAP to populate the goals in relation to each of the focus areas.

(S.M.A.R.T.) GOALS FOR EACH FOCUS AREA

*(Action, Detail, Measure, Unit, Deadline)

FOCUS AREA 1: Goal 1.1:

Goal 1.2:

Goal 1.3

Goal 1.4

FOCUS AREA 2: Goal 2.1

Goal 2.2

Goal 2.3

Goal 2.4

FOCUS AREA 3: Goal 3.1.

Goal 3.2

Goal 3.3

Goal 3.4

FOCUS AREA 4: Goal 4.1

Goal 4.

7

Goal 4.3

Goal 4.4

FOCUS AREA 5: Goal 5.1

Goal 5.2

Goal 5.3

Goal 5.4

FOCUS AREA 6: Goal 6.1

Goal 6.2

Goal 6.3

Goal 6.3

ACTION PLAN

DRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline page 22 - 24, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here. You can also use the following table in your WSAP to populate the action plan.

FOCUS AREA & GOALS KEY ACTIONS RESPONSIBILITY

TIME FRAME

RESOURCES

REQUIRED

Focus Area 1:

Goal 1.1: Elaborate on the actions or steps that must be taken to achieve this goal

Be as specific as possible

Specify completion deadline

Indicated whether you need staff/

Goal 1.2: additional Budget; have funds on the

Goal 1.3: Budget; will use in-kind services;

Goal 1.3: will secure donor funds; etc

DRAFTING NOTE: Repeat the rows for the goals under each of the focus areas

8

WAY FORWARD

DRAFTING NOTE: Refer to the WSAP Guideline section E, for guidance on the narrative to be inserted here. You should address the following issues in this section of the WSAP: Who will champion the WSAP & be responsible for ensuring its implementation; institutional arrangements for implementation; plans/measures to be taken to incorporate the WSAP in municipal planning & budgeting processes; monitoring & evaluation; communication, education & awareness; and when to update the WSAP.

9

Appendix 2. Template of invitation

INVITATIONWetlands Strategy and Action Planning Workshop

XXXXXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality DAY of MONTH 20XX

XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality, in collaboration with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, would like to invite you to attend and participate in an interactive Strategy and Action Planning workshop regarding future management of wetlands within XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality.

The workshop forms part of XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality’s involvement in the Local Action for Biodiversiry: Wetlands South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) programme, which is currently being implemented in 11 district and metropolitan municipalities throughout South Africa. The LAB: Wetlands SA programme seeks to protect priority natural wetland resources, thus enabling the supply of ecosystem services, and promoting resilient communities and sustainable local economies under a changing climate within South African local governments.

The workshop in XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality has four key objectives, namely to to identify and map the key stakeholders working within XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality; understand the current wetland management strategy within XXXXX Metropolitan / District Municipality and identify the gaps in wetland management; identify and prioritise actions for improving wetland management and developing a holistic strategy and action plan to mainstream wetland management into land use planning. The workshop will also provide an excellent opportunity to increase stakeholder engagement across the municipality.

The draft agenda, including all relevant information will be shared with you in due course.

Please kindly confirm your attendance before DAY of MONTH 20XX for catering purposes by contacting your name: your email address@xxx.org, 021 your number

Date: Venue:

Yours Sincerely,

Your NameTitleOrganisation

10

ICLEI's mission is to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions.

ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability Africa Secretariat Physical AddressKnowledge Park III, Heron Crescent, Century City, Cape Town, 7441

Postal AddressPO Box 5319, Tygervalley, 7536South Africa

Phone+27 21 202 0393

E-mailiclei-africa@iclei.org

Website http://www.iclei.org/africa

Section 21 CompanyReg. No. 2002/007758/08

Appendix 3. Checklist of workshop materials neededThe first column identifies the resource required; the second column includes a list of practical tips to keep in mind in respect of each resource requirement; and the third column is intended for completion by the municipality to indicate whether or not provision is included on budget for the resource, or whether additional budget is required, in which case it may or may not require permission first being obtained before the expenditure can be made.

RESOURCE REQUIREME

NTTHINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

ON BUDGET or REQUIRES

ADDITIONAL BUDGETVenue Choose a venue that is big enough, with

good lighting, many wall plugs & sufficient wall space for displaying flip chart sheets

Ensure the plenary room allows for U-shaped layout of tables & chairs to allow for unobstructed grouping of participants

Ensure the venue has breakaway rooms/areas, a reception area, eating area, & adequate toilet facilities

Venues with natural light & good ventilation create a better overall atmosphere

Catering Remember to find out participants dietary requirements (- vegetarian/ halal/ kosher) & communicate this to the caterer

Remember to provide water on the tablesStationary Writing pads & pens for participants

Prestik to display flip chart sheets Coloured non-permanent marker pens (for

the white board if the venue has one) Coloured permanent marker pens (for the

flip charts) Flip chart paper

Equipment Flip chart – the number will depend on the size of the group. The general rule is that breakaway groups should not be larger than 10 people

Overhead projector Laptop Long extension lead

Attendance register

Circulate daily for participants to sign Include the workshop name, date & venue Include participants’ contact details to

facilitate contact after the workshop Name tags Ask participants to return these at the end

of the workshop so they can be reused for other workshops

Participants’ briefing packs

Include the agenda & any additional information that participants may need

A good practice is to take along spare copies in case more participants arrive than have RSVP’d

Camera To take group photo

11

Appendix 4. WSAP Workshop Agenda template

…………………………. MUNICIPALITYWETLANDS STRATEGY AND ACTION PLANNING WORKSHOP AGENDA

Date: Venue: Facilitator:

Day 1TIME SLOT WORKSHOP ACTIVITY & METHOD FACILITATION NOTES PRESENTER

09:00 – 09:30 Registration (Signing of the Attendance Register)

Welcome & Introductions 09:30 – 09:40 Welcome by the hosts

09:40 – 09.50 Introductions My name is …. I represent … My expectation of the workshop is ….

Project on screen for audience to seeCapture participants’ responses on flip chart sheets for final feedback sessionMake sure everyone signs attendance register

Facilitator

Setting the Scene09:50 – 10:10 Workshop purpose & expected outcomes

PowerPoint presentation(ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability)

10:10 – 10:30 Highlights of the Wetland Report PowerPoint presentation

(ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability)

10:30 - 10:45 Tea/Coffee TIME SLOT WORKSHOP ACTIVITY & METHOD FACILITATION NOTES PRESENTER

Building a shared vision & establishing guiding principles10:45 – 11:00 Workshop process & housekeeping rules

Housekeeping rules Project housekeeping rules, Facilitator

Explain workshop sessions structured to develop WSAP – start with visioning and end with action planning. Introduce each session by explaining what the session is meant to achieve & all on same page (same understanding). Show workshop template

Will mostly brainstorm sessions & visual mapping for one of the sessions

Brainstorm sessions:o formulated specific questions that we need

responses to o break into small groups of 7 – 10 each to discuss

questions within set time & then report back to plenary

o each group gets flip chart & set of questions & template

o appoint chair to facilitate the group discussion, ensure everyone gets opportunity to make input & keep time

o appoint rapporteur to capture group responses on flip chart & report back to plenary when time is up

o participants keep your inputs specific to the question & short – not long speeches – “30 second rule”

o avoid “suitcase words” & jargono facilitator will circulate between groups to ensure

things running smoothlyo ICLEI representative will circulate between groups

to respond to any content queries that may arise

workshop process & brainstorm session process on the screen

Explain visual mapping process will be explained later (Focus areas session)

Explain “30 second rule” – if someone feels another participant is monopolising the discussions he/she can hold up a card with “30” written on it as a sign for the person to stop talking, and if in facilitated discussion this is a sign for the facilitator to ask the other person to finish his point & stop talking

Explain “suitcase words” - words that contain a variety of meanings packed into a bland-looking word which the audience cannot interpret/ understand; often represent highly complex & sensitive concepts. Suitcase words need to be unpacked and aired for most people to begin to understand what they mean.

11:00 – 13:00Visioning exercise

A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is just drudgery.

But a vision with a plan can change the world. (Old proverb)

What is your dream for the wetland?

Project definition of vision on the screen to explain what a vision is.

Unpack questions & check with group that they understand

Facilitator

13

Imagine 5 years from now – if you could exceed all expectations - how will the wetlands look, who will be involved in protecting and managing them? and

In an ideal world, what impact should the WSAP have?

them

Brainstorm in small break away groups with feedback to plenary to cluster small group contributions into common themes & vision statement

Can use template to guide you13:00 – 14:00 Lunch14:00 – 14:45 Values

What values (principles and best practices) should guide implementation of the WSAP and our actions in relation to wetlands, to ensure that we attain our vision and goals, targets and actions will be effective and appropriate?

Project definition of values on the screen to explain the term

Unpack question & check with group that they understand them

Brainstorm in small break away groups with feedback to plenary to cluster small group contributions into common themes & value statements

Can use template to guide you

Facilitator

14:45 – 15.00 Tea/CoffeeFrom Vision to Strategy

15:00 – 16:30 Identifying priorities and developing focus areas for action to support the Vision

What key issues emerged from the Wetland report that should be taken up & prioritised in the WSAP?

What are the critical success factors (key strategic

Place cards & pens at each seat during tea break

Project definition of focus areas on screen to explain the term

Facilitator

14

issues) to achieving the vision & implementing the WSAP?

Are there any particular challenges or opportunities that need to be borne in mind – if so what are these

Visual mapping exercise with plenary group

Explain how visual mapping exercise works with Participlan cards.

Unpack question & check with group that they understand themAllow ten minutes for participants to capture their inputs on cards & then gather & shuffle themCall out cards & check if issue/success factor/ challenge Cluster cards on relevant sheets – keep tempo moving & “be cluster buster”Summarise at end within context of the questions to ensure you reflect group responses back & check it has been correctly captured

1630 Day 1 closes Confirm starting time for Day 2Briefly run through programme for Day 2 so participants know what to expect & reflect on overnightThank participants & wish them safe journey home

Facilitator

Day 209:00 – 09:30 Registration (Signing of the Attendance Register)

Recap from Day 1 09:30 – 10:00 Reflecting back on Vision, values and focus areas/strategic

priorities

Are there any burning issues or gaps from yesterday’s session?

Welcome everyone backMake sure everyone signs attendance register Present the Vision, values &

Facilitator

15

Were there any ‘surprises’ that came out of the discussions yesterday that could influence goal setting & action planning?

focus areas which must be captured overnight in a PowerPoint presentationProject questions on the screen & capture responses on flip chart

Goal setting10:00 – 11:00 Developing the strategic priorities into goals

Goals, targets and actions should be ambitious, yet realistic and achievable = SMART

What significant outcomes do we need to achieve to deliver on the vision and address strategic priorities?

What are the specific measurable goals achieve these outcomes in the next 3 – 5 years?

Project definition of goals on the screen to explain the term

Unpack question & check with group that they understand them

Brainstorm in small break away groups with feedback to plenary to cluster small group contributions into common themes & goal statements

Idea is to populate template

Facilitator

11:00 - 11:15 Tea/CoffeePrioritizing Actions for wetland management

11:15 – 13:00 Generating high level actions (targets) and responsible persons for implementing the goals.

This discussion will provide the building blocks for developing a more detailed action plan that sets out HOW to achieve goals, WHO does WHAT by WHEN and with what RESOURCES.

What are the immediate actions & projects needed to achieve the goals?

How should success be measured?

Project definition of actions on the screen to explain the term

Unpack question & check with group that they understand them

Brainstorm in small break away groups with feedback to plenary

Facilitator

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What needs to be in place to implement these actions & projects? to cluster small group

contributions into common themes & value statements

Idea is to populate template

Wrapping up & way forward13:00 – 13:10 Way Forward and Closure

Closing remarks and word of thanks

Recap on workshop expectations from Day 1 & gaps raised at the start of Day 2 to check in with participants that all expectations were met summing up way forwardThank everyone for their participation & wish all safe journey home

Facilitator

Hosts/ICLEI

13:10 Lunch and Departure

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Appendix 5. Project schedule, work breakdown and Gantt Chart templatesProject Schedule Template:

Project Title Effort Estimate in XXX

Planned Start Date

Planned End Date

Resource

1 Activity 1,1 Task 1.1.1 Sub Task 1.1.2 Sub Task 1.1.3 Sub Task - 2 Activity 2,1 Task 2.1.1 Sub Task 2.1.2 Sub Task 2.1.3 Sub Task 2.1.4 Sub Task 2,2 Task 2.2.1 Sub Task 2.2.2 Sub Task 3 Activity 3,1 Task 3.1.1 Sub Task 3.1.2 Sub Task 3.1.3 Sub Task

The project schedule is a detailed plan of major project activities and tasks, and the planned start and end date for each task, and the resources allocated to each task.

INSTRUCTIONS:i. Enter the Title of the Project.

ii. Enter the Activities, Tasks and Sub-tasks for your project. Use outline numbering if desired.

iii. This information is taken from your work breakdown structure.iv. Activity is the highest level of categorization. Tasks and sub-tasks are lower-lever

breakdowns. Scheduling is done at the lowest level.v. Example: 1. Initiate Project

- Develop Project Charteri. Define Scopeii. Define Requirements

vi. Scheduling is done at the “Define Scope” and “Define Requirements” level.vii. For each task and sub-task in the work breakdown structure enter:viii. -The estimated effort to complete the work and the unit XXX of measure of the estimate.

Example unit measure: Days, Hours, Weeks etc.- Enter the date the task is planned to start.- Enter the date the task is planned to end.

ix. Enter the name of the staff resource (one or many) assigned to the task. The staff resource could be entered as first names, last names, initials etc. Example: Peggy or Jones. If the staff resource is not known, enter the role that will be assigned to the task. Example: programmer, technical writer etc.

Network Diagram Template:

Project Title

CategoryCategory Category Category

The network diagram is a precedence diagramming method that identifies: -the tasks that must be completed before other tasks can begin -the tasks that can be done while other tasks are being performed

1.1 Task

2.1 Task

2.3 Task 3.1

Task

3.3 Task

3.4 Task

4 Task

2.2 Task

3.2 Task

INSTRUCTIONS:i. Enter the title of the project.

ii. Enter the major tasks from your work breakdown structure that you want to include in the network diagram. Use arrows to diagram the precedence of tasks and the tasks that can be done in parallel.

iii. Optionally categorize or group the tasks at a higher level. Refer to your work breakdown structure for higher level organization. Example: categories could be the project management stages - Initiate, Plan, Execute and Control, Close.

Gantt Chart Template:

Project Title:Label LabelUnit of Time

Unit of Time

Unit of Time Unit of Time

Unit of Time

Unit of Time

Unit of Time

Unit of Time

1 Activity 1,1 Task 2 Activity 2,1 Task 2,2 Task 2,3 Task 3 Activity 3,1 Task 3,2 Task

---- horizontal bar -----

3,3 Task 3,4 Task 4 Activity

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A Gantt chart graphically represents a project by showing each task as a horizontal bar whose length is the time needed to complete the task.

INSTRUCTIONS:i. Enter the title of the project.

ii. Enter the Activities, Tasks and Sub-tasks for your project. Use outline numbering if desired. Enter the level of detail you wish to display in the Gantt Chart - for communication purposes the Gantt chart could show a high-level rollup of tasks.

iii. This information is taken from your project schedule.iv. Enter the unit of time for the timeline. Example: day, month, week year etc.v. Enter any other label that gives more information about the time frame displayed in the Gantt chart. Example: If

the unit of time is Month, the label could be the year (2006) or the label could indicate quarters of a year (QTR 1) etc. Enter what makes sense for the project and what helps clarify the information being presented.