BOCMA & CapeNature Boost Water Sustainability
On 8 May 2025 a capacity building event was held at the Barn Owl Conference Venue in Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve provided by the Breede Olifants Catchment Management Agency (BOCMA) to CapeNature staff from Landscape South and Central. BOCMA are responsible for implementing the National Water Act (NWA) within the Breede and Gouritz catchments, which regulates water use. A similar event was held in Oudtshoorn with the Landscape East staff on 23 May 2025. Water is an essential natural resource that requires responsible management to ensure the sustainability of the resource both for human use and ecological function.
CapeNature needs to be familiar with the NWA, as we require water for use within our nature reserves, which are mainly outside of the municipal provision for towns. We have embarked on a process of registering our water uses across the province, with many of the water uses dating back many decades before the NWA. We also have external parties who abstract water from our nature reserves. CapeNature, therefore, invited BOCMA to provide capacity building regarding the NWA to the Conservation Managers and Officers both on reserve and off reserve.
The first presentation focused on institutional and stakeholder relations and provided an overview of BOCMA and its area of operation. Insights into the support provided to communities in supplying rainwater harvesting tanks for setting up food gardens were also provided.
The second presentation dealt with water use licensing for nature reserves, outlining the application requirements for water use. Water uses are not only those we typically associate with water use, such as abstraction and storing water, but also activities which could impact watercourses, such as impeding flow or altering the banks. Depending on the type and scale of water use, authorisation can be obtained through a water use license application (WULA) general authorisation, schedule 1 exemption or existing lawful use.
The final presentation dealt with compliance monitoring and enforcement. The NEMA activities, which CapeNature off-reserve staff report to DEA&DP related to rivers and wetlands, also transgress the NWA. Guidance was provided regarding the completion of the BOCMA complaint form for unlawful activities, and processes followed for law enforcement were outlined.
The capacity building event was very well received as the information is useful for implementation, and much of it was new to the participants. There was active engagement from the participants, which helped to forge a relationship with BOCMA, which is a very important partner for CapeNature. The event will hopefully spur continued collaboration among the key authorities in the landscape, particularly within the agricultural sector.
Related News
Boost for freshwater biodiversity as Wilderness Nature Reserve declared
A new nature reserve has been declared in the Western Cape, marking another significant milestone for the province’s environment. The Wilderness Nature Reserve, spanning over 643 hectares, has been declared a Provincial Nature Reserve in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003).
Rocherpan clean-up kicks off MPA Day 2025 celebrations
CapeNature kicked off Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day celebrations with a community-driven beach clean-up at Rocherpan Nature Reserve on 31 July 2025. With school learners, volunteers, and the ever-popular Cubs Club mascot, Kai, lending a hand, all to highlight the link between marine and ocean protection and a public responsibility for conservation.
Winning hearts and minds through Marine Protected Areas
Our marine areas are teeming with life and a variety of protection measures are used to protect the ocean, such as precautionary fishery management principles (bag limits, size limits, catch limits and closed seasons) and shipping and pollution regulations. But at the heart of the protection efforts, are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are demarcated areas to conserve this incredible biodiversity. MPAs can form critical refugia for some more resident species, which may become extinct without protection. All species and ecosystems form part of the overall functioning marine ecosystem and its ability to sustain direct and indirect use. The need to conserve MPAs is based on scientific evidence as well as frequent public engagement and participation in active protection of these areas.
New nature reserve secures rare Cape Vernal Pools habitat
The Franco Three Fountains Nature Reserve is declared a protected area, marking a significant conservation turning point as the first and only reserve dedicated to safeguarding the rare and ecologically important Cape Vernal Pools (a rare and endangered type of seasonal wetland ecosystem found within the Greater Cape Floristic Region). This unique vegetation type, previously unrepresented across our conservation areas, now finds its largest protected expanse within the boundaries of this reserve.
Biodiversity crime often overlooked but its impact is devastating
Biodiversity crime is a growing and often overlooked threat that directly harms South Africa’s unique ecosystems. From the illegal plant trade in the Western Cape to poaching and even picking wildflowers in protected areas without a permit, these acts all contribute to the degradation of biodiversity and the loss of crucial natural resources.
New EPWP intake launches careers in conservation and eco-tourism in the Western Cape
CapeNature has welcomed 475 new participants into a three-year Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) cycle, emphasising its commitment to skills development, conservation, and community upliftment across the province.
A small cohort of these participants, based at Kogelberg and Stony Point Nature Reserves, were officially welcomed at an event hosted at Kogelberg and led by Western Cape Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell.
How can I assist you today?
How can I assist you today?