Pressure increases on resources
REGIONAL –
According to the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI), fast-growing populations and urbanisation are placing increasing pressure on sparse natural resources. According to Cobus Meiring of the SCLI, the urban expansion is particularly visible around towns on the coastal plateau and also in the Klein Karoo. “As a mere example, sprawling new developments and townships on the outskirts of Oudsthoorn and formerly small rural communities such as Dysselsdorp are not only a presentday and future concern from a socio-economic perspective but also in terms of natural resources, especially freshwater resources. The impact of more housing developments on the survival of biodiversity and the irreversible destruction of natural habitat where new land has to be cleared, increase pressure on the region’s natural resources.”