National Policy and Legislation

TitleYearPublisherAbstractKeywords

Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act, No. 70 of 1970

1970The Government of the Republic of South AfricaAdministers the retention of productive agricultural land and controls the subdivision of agricultural land and its use for purposes other than agriculture.agricultural land act,

Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA), No. 43 of 1983

1983The Government of the Republic of South AfricaAims to provide control over the utilisation of agricultural resources in order to promote conservation of soil, water sources, natural vegetation, prevention of soil erosion, and the control of weeds and invasive plant species.agricultural resources act,

Municipality Structures Act, No. 117 of 1998

1998The Government of the Republic of South AfricaProvides for the ‘establishment of municipalities in accordance with the requirements relating to categories and types of municipality’ and to regulate the structures and functions of different types of municipalities (from local to district).municipality structures act,

The National Veld and Forest Fire Act, No. 101 of 1998

1998The Government of the Republic of South AfricaProvides a variety of mechanisms, institutions, methods and practices for the prevention, combating and management of veld, forest and mountain fires in South Africa (Republic of South Africa 1998c). These include the formation of fire protection associations, which are voluntary organisations comprising land owners responsible for the prevention, suppression and management of veldfires in their areas of jurisdiction. Fire management entails three key activities: Suppression of wild fires. Implementation of control burns. The preparation of firebreaks.national veld and forest fire act,

National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) 107 of 1998

1998The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThe National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) 107 of 1998 provides a broad framework of legislation fir environmental management that is binding on all sectors. A key prescription of NEMA is that development must be “socially, environmental and economically sustainable”. Furthermore, NEMA requires the SDF to prevent negative effects on the environment and advocates for projects that restore the impacted natural environment.national environmental management act, NEMA,

National Water Act, No. 36 of 1998

1998The Government of the Republic of South AfricaEnsures that the countries water resources are protected, used, development, conserved, managed and controlled.national water act,

National Forests Act, No. 84 of 1998

1998The Government of the Republic of South AfricaPromotes the sustainable management and use of natural forests and woodlands as well as forest plantations in South Africa.national forests act,

National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA), No 25 of 1999

1999The Government of the Republic of South AfricaAims to promote good management of national heritage resources.national heritage resources act,

Local Government Municipal Systems Act, No. 32 of 2000 (MSA)

2000The Government of the Republic of South AfricaProvides provides the ‘core principles, mechanisms and processes that are necessary to enable municipalities to move progressively towards the social and economic upliftment of local communities’ including ensuring access to basic services. It also provides for “a uniform, effective and comprehensive system of spatial planning and land use management” for South Africa. The Act requires all municipalities to produce a Spatial Development Framework (SDF) as a core component of the Integrated Development Plans (IDP) and sets out regulations and guidelines on how this should be done. The MSA requires that the SDF provides basic guidelines for a Municipal Land Use Management System.local government municipal systems act,

Municipal Systems Act, No. 32 of 2000 (MSA)

2000The Government of the Republic of South AfricaProvides for “a uniform, effective and comprehensive system of spatial planning and land use management” for South Africa. The Act requires all municipalities to produce a Spatial Development Framework (SDF) as a core component of the Integrated Development Plans (IDP) and sets out regulations and guidelines on how this should be done. The MSA requires that the SDF provides basic guidelines for a Municipal Land Use Management System.municipal systems act

White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa (Notice No. 227 of 2000)

2000The Government of the Republic of South AfricaA policy intended to support the introduction of preventative strategies aimed at waste minimisation and pollution prevention through the formulation of legislation addressing pollution and waste issues. The vision of the policy is the development of an integrated pollution and waste management system that contributes to sustainable development and human well-being.waste management, pollution management

The Weather Service Act, No. 8 of 2001

2001The Government of the Republic of South AfricaConstitutes the South African Weather Service as the national weather forecasting body. The Weather Service is responsible for weather and climate forecasting and issuing severe weather related alerts (Republic of South Africa 2001).weather service act,

The National Disaster Management Act, No. 57 of 2002

2003The Government of the Republic of South AfricaCalls for: An integrated and coordinated disaster management policy that focuses on preventing or reducing the risk of disasters, mitigating the severity of disasters, emergency preparedness, rapid and effective response to disasters and post disaster recovery. The establishment of national, provincial and municipal disaster management centres. Disaster risk management volunteers.national disaster management act,

Renewable Energy Policy of South Africa White Paper

2003The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThis White Paper on Renewable Energy (herein referred to as the White Paper) supplements the White Paper on Energy Policy, which recognises that the medium and long-term potential of renewable energy is significant. This Paper sets out Government’s vision, policy principles, strategic goals and objectives for promoting and implementing renewable energy in South Africa.renewable energy policy of south africa,

National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), No. 10 of 2004

2004The Government of the Republic of South AfricaProvides for the management and conservation of South African biodiversity within the NEMA framework, the protection of species and ecosystems, and the sustainable use of indigenous biological resources (amongst others).national environmental management biodiversity act, NEMBA),

Disaster Management Act: Policy framework for disaster risk management in South Africa

2005The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThe legal instrument specified by the Act to address the need for consistency across multiple interest groups, by providing ‘a coherent, transparent and inclusive policy on disaster management appropriate for the Republic as a whole’. The Framework is structured according to key performance areas (KPAs) such as institutional capacity for disaster risk reduction, disaster risk assessment, reduction and recovery. Enablers, which are components that need to be in place to implement the KPAs include: 1) information management and communication; 2) education, training, public awareness and research; and 3) funding structures for disaster risk management (Republic of South Africa 2005).disaster management act,

The Drought Management Plan of 2005

2005The Government of the Republic of South AfricaSeeks to reduce the impacts of droughts, by providing an information management, monitoring and evaluating system for drought situations. A specific drought policy is currently under development (Ngaka 2012).drought management plan

National Energy Efficiency Strategy of the Republic of South Africa (Notice No. 908 of 2009)

2009The Government of the Republic of South AfricaA strategy geared towards the implementation of energy efficient practices taking its mandate from the White Paper on Energy Policy (Notice No. 307 of 1998). The vision of the strategy is to reduce the costs of energy and to reduce the negative impacts of energy usage on human health and the environment.national energy efficiency strategy

National Climate Change Response White Paper (NO. 757 of 2011)

2011The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThis White Paper presents the South African Government's vision for an effective climate change response and the long-term, just transition to a climate-resilient and lower-carbon economy and society.national climate change response

National Development Plan 2030: Our future - make it work, Chapter 5 Ensuring environmental sustainability and an equitable transition to a low-carbon economy

2013The Government of the Republic of South AfricaSouth Africa faces urgent developmental challenges in terms of poverty, unemployment and inequality, and will need to find ways to “decouple” the economy from the environment, to break the links between economic activity, environmental degradation and carbon-intensive energy consumption. In the past, resources were exploited in a way that was deeply unjust and left many communities excluded from economic opportunities and benefits while the natural environment was degraded. The country must now find a way to use its environmental resources to support an economy that enables it to remain competitive, while also meeting the needs of society. Thus, sustainable development is not only economically and socially sustainable, but environmentally sustainable as well.national development plan 2030

Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, No. 16 of 2013 (SPLUMA)

2013The Government of the Republic of South AfricaAims “to provide for inclusive developmental, equitable and efficient spatial planning at the different spheres of government”; national, provincial and municipal. SPLUMA adds to existing requirements on IDPs from the MSA and requires that municipalities align their SDF and land use management schemes.spatial planning and land use management act

Climate Change Adaptation Sector Plan for Rural Human Settlements

2013Department of Rural Development and Land ReformThe overarching goal of the Climate Change Adaptation Sector Plan for Rural Human Settlements is to create sustainable livelihoods that are resilient to the shocks and stresses caused by climate change and do not adversely affect the environment for present and future generations. climate change, rural human settlements,

The National Coastal Management Programme of South Africa

2014The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThis document presents South Africa’s National Coastal Management Programme (NCMP) under the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act No. 24 of 2008) (ICM Act) for the period 2013 to 2017.national coastal management programme

The National Disaster Management Amendment Act, No.16 of 2015

2015The Government of the Republic of South AfricaCalls for: Establishes a strong link between the impacts of climate changes for both Disaster Management and Human Settlement the establishment of national, provincial and municipal disaster management centres. Requires disaster management plans to include risk assessments, mapping of vulnerable areas. Provides measures to reduce the risk of disaster through adaptation to climate change and developing of early warning mechanisms.national disaster management amendment act

Climate Change Sector Plan for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (NO. 500 of 2015)

2015The Government of the Republic of South AfricaIn implementing an effective climate change programme in compliance with the National Climate Change Response White Paper (NCCRWP, 2012) and in support of disaster risk management, DAFF has developed a Climate Change Sector Plan for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (CCSPAFF, 2013). climate change sector plan for agriculture forestry and fisheries

State of Renewable Energy in South Africa

2015The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThis, the first State of Renewables Report in South Africa, traces the historic journey through the narratives of individual trailblazers and decision makers who influenced energy policy direction and, ultimately, RE implementation, in various ways. Building on these narratives, this report also highlights the main policy documents, legislative framework and institutions that are responsible for driving the RE agenda. state of renewable energy

Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP) 2015 -2020 (NO. 880 of 2015)

2013Department of Rural Development and Land ReformSection 11 of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998) requires that the national and provincial departments exercising functions which may affect the environment, in terms of the Schedule 1 of the Act, prepare an Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP) and to monitor the implementation on a regular basis. The Department of Human Settlements has published its Environmental Implementation Plan, 2015-2020 in Government Gazette No. 39164 of 3 September 2015. The National Department's core functions are to establish and facilitate a sustainable national housing development process and to fund the National Housing Programmes. This requires that the Minister, through the National Department, establish and facilitate a sustainable national housing development process.​housing

Climate change adaptation plans for South African biomes

2015The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThe Department of Environment Affairs is driving a national process, with participation of provincial and local government and civil society, to develop climate change adaptation action plans for South African biomes. One of the initial steps is to establish a plan for identifying and prioritising adaptation actions which apply to the broad South African landscape, the ecosystems which occur within it, the species which make up those ecosystems and their ecosystem services such as food and water supply; climate and disease regulation; crop pollination and tourism opportunities provided by the landscapes, and the various economic activities which take place in and depend on those landscapes. This has been called the ‘Adaptation plan for South African Biomes’.climate change adaptation, carbon sinks,

Strategic Framework and Overarching Implementation Plan for Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) in South Africa 2016 – 2021

2016South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)Developed under the leadership of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and in consultation with biodiversity and climate change stakeholders, the Strategic Framework and Overarching Implementation Plan for EbA (hereafter referred to as the EbA Strategy) aims to take forward EbA as a central component of South Africa‟s programme of work on biodiversity and climate change.ecosystem-based adaptation, EbA

Climate Change Bill (NO. 580 of 2018)

2018The Government of the Republic of South AfricaTo build the Republic's effective climate change response and the long term, just transition to a climate resilient and lower carbon economy and society in the context of an environmentally sustainable development framework.climate change bill

Climate Smart Agriculture Strategic Framework (NO. 428 of 2018)

2018The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThis framework outlines the role that Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) can play in addressing vulnerabilities facing the agriculture sector. Various stakeholders, and farmers, have a role to play in promoting resource efficiency, increased productivity and social equity through mitigation and adaptation efforts. All South Africans have a role to play through implementation of this framework in ensuring sustainability of the agriculture sector as one of the anchors of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Targeted efforts will be made to ensure that women, youth, people living with disability and subsistence farmers are involved in implementation of this framework. climate smart agriculture strategic framework

National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of South Africa (NO. 644 of 2019)

2019The Government of the Republic of South AfricaThe NCCAS serves as South Africa’s National Adaptation Plan and fulfils South Africa’s commitment to its international obligations as outlined in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The NCCAS will be used as the basis for meeting South Africa’s obligations in terms of the adaptation commitments outlined in the NDC. The NCCAS is a ten-year plan that will be reviewed every five years.national climate change adaptation strategy

District Health Planning and Monitoring Framework

2017National Department of Health The revised District Planning and monitoring system is an effort to improve both efficiency and effectiveness of the process, thereby promoting better service delivery of District Health Services and improve health outcomes in South Africa through a direct focus on planning and monitoring for implementation. health planning and monitoring,