Population : Response
Home
 Feedback
Search
Back to section


The Durban Metropolitan Area's (DMA) Spatial Development Plan and Integrated Development Planning processes are seeking to provide for the needs of Durban's residents in a more sustainable manner. The draft Durban Metropolitan Environmental Policy has a range of provisions which seek to address the impact of people on the environment including carrying out population development activities and ensuring that infrastructure provision is environmentally sustainable.

Durban Metropolitan Environmental Policy Initiative

The draft Durban Metropolitan Environmental Policy contains a range of provisions to address the impacts of the population on the natural environment. These include the following:

Objective B2: To respond to the challenge posed by physical urban development by identifying, promoting and nurturing appropriate environmental interventions that add value to this development

Policy statements
  • Local government shall recognise the need for rapid new development in the DMA and shall strive to enhance, support and add value to the developing urban environment.
  • Local government shall strive to enhance the quality of life and health of all through proactively realising the development opportunities provided by the environmental resource base of the DMA.
  • Local government shall promote an understanding of the economic value of natural resources and urban systems and their role in ensuring sustained service delivery, the provision of basic needs and economic opportunity to all.
  • Local government shall recognise the positive role that environmental assessment can play in optimising the benefits that can be obtained from development.

  • Local government will continue to undertake population development activities including strategies that empower women, in order to work towards a sustainable balance between population and available resources.

Objective B6: To ensure that planning and delivery of infrastructure, housing and services in the DMA takes into account environmental opportunities and challenges

Policy statements
  • Housing delivery by local government, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations shall strive to create well-planned living environments by addressing community needs in making provision for facilities for recreation, education, religion culture, healthcare and commercial activity.
  • Local government shall strive to ensure that the provision of housing and services does not encroach on environmentally sensitive areas or on open space areas which are agreed upon through the D'MOSS system as having significant value.
  • Local government shall minimise environmental health risks by ensuring that housing delivery is accompanied by appropriate services and infrastructure.
  • Local government shall minimise environmental health risks by ensuring that housing delivery is accompanied by appropriate services and infrastructure.
  • The provision of infrastructure by different agents, e.g. roads, electricity, sewerage and stormwater drainage, shall be better coordinated.
  • The delivery of new housing and services shall seek to minimise the use of nonrenewable resources, and consumption of water and energy.

  • Local government shall provide training to ensure the environmental capacity of infrastructure providers is built.

Possible implementation strategies
  • Investigation of alternative building materials and methods, passive energy design and efficient use of local resources.
  • Designs and technologies to enhance savings in resource consumption, including waste minimisation, re-use and recycling, e.g. to actively promote solar water heating.
  • Researching efficient use of resources in housing and service delivery.
  • Capacity building for infrastructure and service providers around EIAs and environmental management.

  • Investigation of the environmental implications of providing unserviced land release areas for housing.


 



Maintained by Metropolitan Durban

Page editor: Webmaster
Last update: October 1999