Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell has established the first coastal management line (CML) in South Africa.
In the face of a changing global climate and the presence of naturally dynamic coastal processes, the safety of settled coastal areas in the Western Cape is increasingly compromised by marine storm surges, terrestrial flooding, shifting dunes and coastal erosion events, the Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Department noted in a statement on March 26.
“The CML will assist in protecting people, properties and any inherent economic activities from extreme coastal events which would otherwise place them at risk.
“Coastal management forms a key part of disaster management strategies and the establishment of a CML contributes to the overall objective of increasing the social and economic resilience of communities,” said Bredell.
He signed the first CML agreement on March 25 with the City of Cape Town, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008.
“The current state of degradation of our coastal and estuarine resources in the context of climate change requires that we take the necessary steps to reduce the negative impacts on coastal communities, the natural environment and coastal infrastructure.
“The City of Cape Town’s CML will better promote sustainable coastal development for the city and the province,” Bredell posited.
The CML for the City of Cape Town would help manage risk and encourage sustainable and resilient coastal development as reflected in the Western Cape Provincial Coastal Management Programme.