• Several laws have been created to ensure the safe keeping and proper use of the environment, including the Environmental Conservation Act 73 of 1989.
• Various regulations have introduced the EIA process and the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, which was created to elevate the importance of environmental management throughout government.
• Several organisations have been established, such as Green Peace, the SPCA and Keep South Africa Beautiful, that promote education on conservation to all sectors of society.
• More education is needed on basic conservation, and people need to adopt an environmental attitude.
• The GJMC has formulated a water conservation policy to comply with existing legislation. Water conservation has been defined as the planned control of all water usage, and its effective management to optimise the benefits of its use to society and to satisfy the basic needs of all. The policy has six general objectives :
  • to promote the efficient and cost effective utilisation of a scarce natural resource;
  • to support national water conservation policies and initiatives;
  • to ensure the optimum utilisation of existing infrastructure and defer capital expenditure on the upgrading and augmentation of infrastructure;
  • to ensure that all persons in the metropolitan area have access to at least the minimum requirements for water at affordable prices;
  • to educate and inform the water-using public regarding the need for water conservation and with regard to appropriate water conservation practices, and
  • to create the necessary legal framework at Local Authority level to promote and enforce water conservation.

It intends to attain those objectives through four components, including:

• the control of water loss;
• the accounting for all water;
• control over water demand; and
• the conservation and augmentation of water resources in the catchment.

Specific methods will be used for each component to ensure that the process is effectively completed from inception of policy to implementation.

• The EMLC has developed a proposal for the provision of a nature conservation service in the area involving a wide variety of initiatives from planning, development and maintenance of nature reserves, bird sanctuaries, river trails, to law enforcement, environmental education, stormwater management, erosion control, introduction of indigenous plant and animal life, projects involving the improvement of biodiversity and ecological sustainability and research projects. The key elements of their service delivery are:

• environmental conservation
• environmental education
• environmental research
• law enforcement and
• technical support service.

• In the WMLC a formal plan is needed to protect the natural areas such as rivers, streams and ridges, as well as the wetland system running north to south in the western part of the area (WMLC: LDO, 1997).
• In the WMLC no ridges above a 1:4 slope may be developed, but ideally no ridges should be developed. The picking and gathering of indigenous plant is prohibited by the Transvaal Nature Conservation Ordinance, 1983, while river courses may not be changed according to the Water Act (WMLC: LDO, 1997).
• In the NMLC the conservation of all hills, ridges and other environmentally valuable features is seen as a priority (NMLC, 1997).
• Other than the Environmental Conservation Act, other acts and policies that contribute to the conservation of the natural environment are as follows:

• Soil Conservation Act 76 of 1969
• Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983
• Water Act 36 of 1998
• White Paper on an Environmental Management Policy for SA: Government Notice 1096 of 1997
• White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of SA’s Biological Diversity: Government Notice 1095 of 1997
• Forest Act 122 of 1984
• Mountain Catchment Areas Act 63 of 1970
• Natal Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974
• Lake Areas Development Act 39 of 1975
• Minerals Act 50 of 1991(Fuggle & Rabie, 1992).

• Conventions and protocols in terms of conservation include:

• Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)
• Convention on Trade of Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES)
• Montreal Protocol for protecting the ozone layer
• International Whaling Convention
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• World Heritage Convention
• Convention on Desertification
• Convention on Climate Change (Hugo et.al., 1997).

• Lastly the rehabilitation of all areas transformed by man, should be undertaken to return the land to its original natural status.
• The greatest challenge lies in the area of reconciliation between conservation and development.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Data are needed on the manner in which water is handled; on its provision, and the payment thereof.
• An audit of all indigenous and exotic fauna and flora species in Greater Johannesburg is needed, as well as the effect that exotic species have on the environment.
• A list of endangered and red data species in the metropolitan area is needed.
• Action is needed around the conservation of soil, and the prevention of soil erosion.
• Communities and NGO’s need to be actively involved and consulted on the conservation of the built and natural environments.

REFERENCES

Fuggle, R.F. & M.A. Rabie 1992: Environmental Management in South Africa. Juta: Cape Town.

Hugo, M.L.; A.T. Viljoen & J.M. Meeuwis 1997: The Ecology of Natural Resource Management. Kagiso: Pretoria.

NMLC 1997: Land Development Objective. NMLC: Randburg.