National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003
The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003 or NEMPAA provides for the declaration and management of protected areas in South Africa.
There are many different kinds of protected areas:
- Special nature reserves,
- national parks,
- nature reserves (including wilderness areas)
- protected environments;
- world heritage sites;
- marine protected areas;
- specially protected forest areas, forest nature reserves and forest wilderness areas declared in terms of the National Forests Act 84 of 1998; and
- mountain catchment areas declared in terms of the Mountain Catchment Areas Act 63 of 1970.
NEMPAA requires the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to keep a register of all declared protected areas. You can find this register here: https://dffeportal.environment.gov.za/
Chapter 3 of NEMPAA details how you can have a certain area declared as a protected area and the process to withdraw the declaration. Chapter 4 provides for the management of any declared protected area, and chapter 8 provides for crimes relating to protected areas.
Did you know?
- Not all protected areas allow for tourism, access to special nature reserves are restricted to people doing scientific or conservation related work or people performing official duties.
- NEMPAA provides for co-management agreements meaning that some protected areas can be managed by local communities and other people.
- NEMPAA allows for mining in protected environments (one of the kinds of protected areas) if written permission is obtained from the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. In our view, this provision is flawed and the EWT and other NGO’s are legally challenging the approvals for mining in the Mabola Protected Environment. For for more details click here.
NEMPAA Regulations
Regulations for the proper administration of nature reserves
Norms and Standards
Norms and standards for the management of protected areas in South Africa