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Chapter 5 Human settlements - Department of …

Human settlements | 62 Human settlements | 62 Chapter 5 Human settlementsOn the most basic level, the interaction of Human settlements on the environment is that they extract non-renewable natural resources on the one hand and on the other, produce waste products and pollution that has to be absorbed by the natural environment. Human settlements | 63 Human settlements | 63 Chapter INTRODUCTION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Human settlements AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT POPULATION GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION Population growth Urbanization Population distribution and settlement typology Rural settlements settlement distribution as a driver of environmental change settlement STRUCTURE Sustainable settlement structure Low-density sprawl Housing as a driver of urban sprawl From housing to sustainable Human settlements T

per cent of the total area of the country, their environmental impact is huge. The relationship between human settlements and the natural environment or ecological systems is complex, iterative and . continually changing. The natural environment provides the basic elements that human beings need to survive such as food, water and shelter (Box 5.1).

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Transcription of Chapter 5 Human settlements - Department of …

1 Human settlements | 62 Human settlements | 62 Chapter 5 Human settlementsOn the most basic level, the interaction of Human settlements on the environment is that they extract non-renewable natural resources on the one hand and on the other, produce waste products and pollution that has to be absorbed by the natural environment. Human settlements | 63 Human settlements | 63 Chapter INTRODUCTION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Human settlements AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT POPULATION GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION Population growth Urbanization Population distribution and settlement typology Rural settlements settlement distribution as a driver of environmental change settlement STRUCTURE Sustainable settlement structure Low-density sprawl Housing as a driver of urban sprawl From housing to sustainable Human settlements Transport Impact of

2 settlement structure on the state of the INFRASTRUCTURE Infrastructure The impact of the delivery and consumption of basic services on the environment VULNERABILITY AND FOOD INSECURITY RESPONSES Breaking New Ground Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act Comprehensive Rural Development and Development Programme Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Rural Human settlement The National Greening Framework for Events Management and the Built Environment Policy on Non-motorised Transport Rapid Public Transport INTRODUCTIONThis Chapter deals with the state of South African Human settlements and their impact on the natural environment.

3 It focuses on the material conditions of the entire spectrum of Human settlements from large metropoles or city regions to villages, and addresses a range of settlement the most basic level, the interaction of Human settlements on the environment is that they extract non-renewable natural resources on the one hand and, on the other, produce waste products and pollution that has to be absorbed by the Human settlements | 64 Human settlements | 64natural environment. As the population grows, urbanizes and consumes more, the impact of Human settlements on the natural environment increases.

4 In South Africa, as in the rest of the world, these processes present a considerable challenge to governments and much effort is placed on creating sustainable Human and rural sprawl, housing demand, modes and character of transportation and basic service infrastructure, are the physical elements of Human settlements that have the most noticeable impact on the natural environment and are the focus for the creation of more sustainable Human settlements with a reduced ecological challenge is even greater in South Africa where the apartheid legacy left us with a distorted settlement form that amplifies unsustainability and to change the inherent settlement form remains one of the most challenging issues facing the government.

5 The often conflicting demands of social and economic needs on the one hand, and environmental needs on the other, needs to be balanced. South African settlements are in a unique situation due to historical patterns, driven by a political ideology of separate development, selected under-development and restricted urbanization, which have created a legacy of unsustainable, inefficient, inequitable and wasteful settlements (DHS 2009; Financial and Fiscal Commission 2011). The challenge presented to government is to find a balance between ecological unsustainability and socio-economic has been done to redress apartheid settlement patterns and form towards greater equity and sustainability since 1994, especially on the policy front.

6 However much still remains to be THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Human settlements AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTH uman settlements are of extreme social and economic importance. In South Africa, they generate more than 90 per cent of all economic activity and house over 70 per cent of the total population (CSIR 2011). Although they cover only seven per cent of the total area of the country, their environmental impact is relationship between Human settlements and the natural environment or ecological systems is complex, iterative and continually changing. The natural environment provides the basic elements that Human beings need to survive such as food, water and shelter (Box ).

7 In the process of harvesting the natural resources, Human beings impact on the environment by overuse or exploitation of non-renewable resources and through the production of waste materials and pollution greenhouse gasses, ozone-depleting substances and hazardous materials. This leads to a degradation of the very environment that Human beings depend impact of Human settlements on the environment increases with population growth, settlement expansion, economic growth and increased consumption. All indications are that the impact of Human settlements on environmental resources is increasing. The ecological footprint1 of South Africa for instance, has increased from ha worth of natural resources per person in 2010 to ha in 2012 (WWF 2012).

8 This is however still lower than the world average of ha ( Chapter 2: Sustainability in South Africa).Box 5. 1: settlements and the water cycleAn example of the impact of Human settlements on the environment can be found in the water cycle. Human settlements reduce evaporation from 40% to 30%, reduce infiltration of water to underground aquifers from 50% to 15%, and increase run-off from 10% to 55%. The implications of these figures for replenishment of underground water (an important source of drinking water for humans) and for increased flooding is POPULATION GROWTH AND Population growthThe population size of South Africa has increased from million in 1996 to million in 2011 (28 per cent), just over 11 million people.

9 It is the 24th largest country in the world as far as population numbers are concerned, but only the 169th biggest in the world for density ( people/km2) illustrating the country s sparseness of population distribution. The population is expected to grow to over 70 million by 2050 (World Population Review 2013).The average annual per cent change in the population, results from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving the country. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure ( schools, hospitals, housing and roads), resources ( food, water and electricity) and annual population growth rate in South Africa declined between 2003 and 2007, but increased rapidly in 2008 to per cent.

10 In 2012, the growth rate was per cent (IndexMundi 2016) (Figure ).1 An ecological footprint is a measure of how much biologically productive land and water a person needs in order to produce everything he or she consumes, and absorb his or her waste. Human settlements | 65 Human settlements | 65 Figure 5. 1: Population growth over timeSource: IndexMundi (2016)Table 5. 1: Distribution of population per provinceProvinceCensus 2011 Per cent of total populationPer cent population change 2001-2011 Western Cape5,822, Cape6,562, Cape1,145, State2,745, ,267, West3,509, ,272, ,039, ,404, Africa51,770, : StatsSA (2012a)The South African population is not only growing through natural growth but also immigration.


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