Mondi responds over fears that plantations are adding to water crisis at lake’s shores

RESPONDING to concerns that timber plantations were adding to the water crisis at Lake St Lucia, Mondi’s head of communications, Lora Rossler, said the pulp and paper company was aware of its responsibility to mitigate the impacts of its business on the environment and had been funding a major national wetlands rehabilitation project for 15 years.

Regarding impacts on the western shores of the lake, Rossler said the extreme drought had been exacerbated by several years of belowaverage rainfall and increasing human impacts in river catchments feeding the lake.

“Mondi has water-use licences in place in all our plantations. However, during drought periods, the relative impact of tree farming on groundwater resources can be greater.”

She said that older Safcol (South African Forestry Company Limited) commercial plantations on the western and eastern shores had been planted without consideration for water and biodiversity.

“Through collaboration with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and other park authorities, Mondi proactively identified the important and extensive wetland systems on the western shores and returned these areas (4 500ha) to the park,” she said.

“In addition, we pulled back all old Safcol plantations on the western shores in accordance with agreed wetland/ zone delineation principles, and agreed on the creation of a number of ecological networks linking key biodiversity aspects.

“This minimised the water footprint even further and enhanced biodiversity of the area… Research into aquifers is a complex area and requires data to be tracked over long periods (30+ years). It is recognised that this research needs to be continued to ensure a more complete understanding and to guide all relevant land-use planning and management going forward.”

Rossler said freshwater needs for the ecological functioning of the St Lucia system encompassed not only localised issues around the lake, but also the regional Maputaland Aquifer and the network of rivers feeding the lake.

Several of these rivers systems had been “grossly modified” and this had had important impacts on the lake. – Mercury Reporter