An expert vegetation survey commissioned by MMSEZ identified four tree species of conservation concern. (Photo provided)
More than 125,000 hectares of indigenous vegetation in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, including thousands of protected trees, have been destroyed to make way for coal mining and heavy industry in the Msina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) in Limpopo province. I'm planning on doing it.
Boasting one of South Africa's most unique and unspoiled natural landscapes, the reserve is one of only 10 UNESCO-designated biospheres in South Africa and the largest in the country.
Designated in 2017, the planned economic zone consists of light industrial land in the north near Musina, with a focus on manufacturing, agro-processing and logistics, and heavy industrial land in the south, primarily for steel manufacturing.
Non-profit organization Living Limpopo records show that 658,058 protected trees, including 10,000 baobabs, have been cut down on the southern site, and a further 10,000 trees must be felled on the northern site. I got it.
These records were released by the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment in response to an application under the Protection of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The report was prepared by All Rise Lawyers for Climate and Environmental Justice on behalf of Living Limpopo and the Center for Applied Law Studies (CALS) at Wits University.
The document states that out of multiple applications submitted by MMSEZ since 2020, two permits have been granted so far, both for the northern site in 2023, and the destruction of 1,000 baobabs, marula and baobab trees. The organizations said the document suggests that the 2020 law was updated on May 20, 2024. The lead tree and the shepherd tree.
Records revealed discrepancies with environmental impact assessments. The 2022 approval application calls for 658,058 protected trees on the south site to be “chainsawed into stumps,” according to the 2021 environmental impact assessment conducted for the site's establishment. “This would reduce the size of an estimated 109,034 protected trees” on the designated site.
As for why there is such a discrepancy, All Rise's Kirsten Younes says: And I don't have an answer. That’s very strange.”
The group noted that environmental clearance was granted in July 2022, although several experts argued at the time that the assessment had serious flaws.
A judicial review lawsuit brought by Living Limpopo, CALS and others in December 2022 against the decision to grant environmental approval for the establishment of the South Site is still pending. All Rise is scheduled to face an unopposed High Court hearing in Polokwane on December 6 to finalize the issue regarding the sentencing record.
The true number of trees and other vegetation that will ultimately be destroyed across vast swathes of Vhembe remains unknown, according to Living Limpopo's Lauren Liebenberg. What is certain is that the impact on the health of both the savanna biome ecosystem and surrounding communities will be devastating.
Expert tree survey
According to the National Forest Act, “No person shall cut down, disturb, damage or destroy any protected tree or possess, collect, remove, transport, export, purchase, sell or donate any protected or protected tree. , or otherwise obtained or disposed of” products derived from protected trees. except pursuant to a license or exemption granted to the applicant by the Minister, subject to such period and conditions as may be prescribed. ”
An expert vegetation survey commissioned by MMSEZ identified four tree species of conservation concern that are protected under the Act.
The total number of recorded specimens was 109,034, of which 51.3% consisted of marula trees, 41.9% shepherd trees, 5.2% baobabs, and 1.65% lead trees.
The poorly protected Musina-Mopane bushveld habitat was the largest vegetation unit in the area and, as a result, had the highest number of protected trees at 96,336.
The report notes that, with the exception of baobab species, most species are “easily translocated” and can be established outside footprint areas with “some success”. All species “still thrive in undisturbed locations.
In August this year, in a letter to senior forest officials requesting removal and destruction of protected trees in the MMSEZ and application for establishment of MMSEZ townships, Yuansu said that the report indicated that these trees (more than 109) could be relocated. He pointed out that it is recommended. 034 of them.
“There is no indication as to where these trees will be relocated. The cost of moving baobabs is between R20,000 and R100,000 per tree and the success rate is only 50%. The success rate for transplanting is less than 10%, and for marula and lead trees it is about 10%,” she said.
“What is clear is that the granting of the license would cause significant and irreversible environmental damage and loss of biodiversity to the area and would be contrary to the desired status of the area. Our client therefore strongly opposes this application. I'm doing it.
The PAIA application was initially denied but later granted on appeal. For Liebenberg, the issue was “ultimately a question of the destruction of natural and cultural heritage, obstruction and evasion of authorities in disclosing records, but also a question of our right to access information.” .
“A prudent and responsible approach”
Ministry spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa said the ministry's forestry division “plays an important role” in the sustainable management of natural forests and protected tree species.
The ministry has received MMSEZ license applications for both the northern and southern sites. A report dated August 2022 for the south site did not meet National Forest Act requirements because “Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act and water permit approvals were incomplete.”
The department also received permit applications for the disturbance of 10,000 protected trees.
“The license was not issued because of the significant impact it would have on the protected trees and the sensitive environment that they receive,” Mbelengwa said. “There has been ongoing engagement with the project manager regarding the project.The applicants have since submitted a permit application to disturb 1,000 protected trees, the permit application has been evaluated and on-site inspections have been conducted. It was done.”
The applicant was issued a permit to cut down 1,000 protected trees, excluding environmentally sensitive areas such as riparian areas, waterways and areas with high concentrations of protected baobab species.
“To reduce the impact of development on protected trees, the license conditions include mitigation measures. To date, the Department has received 1,500 trees as part of the mitigation measures for felled trees. At least 500 of these trees were planted in Musina, 500 in Chikwalani and 500 in Mauluma village,'' Mbelengwa said.
He said the ministry was taking a “cautious and responsible approach” to issuing licenses to ensure the impact on protected tree species was minimized.
Liebenberg pointed out that the baobab is an iconic species with significant cultural, spiritual and economic value for local rural residents.
“Nevertheless, they are still just an indicator of the scale of destruction…The majority of the 125 hectares are located in areas classified as Critical Biodiversity Area 1 or Critical Biodiversity Area 2 (irreplaceable areas). ), or at least an ecologically supportive area, all of which is natural,'' she said.
“All of that is a savannah biome that is going to be stripped away for coal mining and heavy industry. In other words, the permission to destroy all these protected trees, whatever their at-risk status, and our continues to pursue this, but they all stem from environmental permits for vegetation removal.
“It is indigenous vegetation that represents a natural carbon sink and a reservoir of biodiversity. And in the context of the war on coal resources and natural carbon sinks aimed at carbon capture and storage in natural ecosystems. This is…this is downright criminal.”
More than 1 in 3 people tree species endangered around the world
For the first time, the majority of the world's trees have been placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with at least 16,425 of the 47,282 species assessed at risk of extinction.
Trees currently account for more than a quarter of the species on the list, and the number of trees at risk of extinction is greater than that of endangered birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. This is more than double the total number of people.
Tree species are at risk of extinction in 192 countries around the world. Islands have the highest percentage of endangered trees. “The island's trees are at particularly high risk due to deforestation, invasive species, pests and diseases due to urban development and agriculture of all scales.
“Climate change is increasingly threatening trees, especially in the tropics, through rising sea levels and stronger and more frequent storms,” the report said.
Addressing the threats facing trees and ex situ conservation through habitat protection and restoration, seed banks and botanical garden collections are important to prevent extinction on the island and around the world.
The loss of trees is a major threat to thousands of other plants, fungi, and animals. “A distinctive component of many ecosystems, trees are the basis of life on Earth through their role in carbon, water and nutrient cycling, soil formation and climate control.”
People also depend on trees, with more than 5,000 IUCN Red Listed tree species used for construction wood and more than 2,000 for medicine, food and fuel.
