Present Ecological State, Ecological Importance & Ecological Sensitivity
The information obtained from these assessments should be used as first level desktop assessments
for purposes of ecological reserve determination and for Ecological Water Resource Monitoring (EWRM).
Select a whole primary drainage region below (may exceed 100Mb)
or choose a secondary drainage region.
Optional downloads
A compressed file containing each secondary region river shapefile.
A compressed file containing all secondary region rivers in a single shapefile.
PESEIS is not a replacement or addition to
the NFEPA project
- It relates to all SQRs and not only to sections that should be
considered as potential priorities for aquatic biodiversity protection.
- The ecological sustainability of a SQR is assessed within its
EI and ES given the PES of such a reach.
- EI refers to biophysical aspects in the SQR that relate to
its capacity to function sustainably. EI does not refer to IUCN criteria which
are addressed in the NFEPA approach, or issues related specifically to
NFEPA principles to protect such biodiversity components.
- ES considers SQR attributes that relate to the sensitivity of
biophysical components to general environmental changes such as flow, physico-chemical
and geomorphic modifications.
- The objective of the PESEIS is to provide desktop level information on
ecological issues as it relates to the protection and management of SQRs.
For management purposes this refers specifically
to the consideration of ecological reserve issues, water use
licensing issues and EWRM (including
the National Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring Programme
(NAEHMP) activities) and the determination of priorities for monitoring.
- The PESEIS relates specifically to Rivers (Instream & Riparian aspects)
and limited aspects of Valley Bottom Wetlands. Endorheic Wetlands are not addressed.
This PESEIS replaces
the
1999 PESEIS assessment of DWA and other desktop approaches that
were followed for Ecological Reserve purposes and the NAEHMP.
- Estuaries were not part of the PESEIS. However, a link between the
REC of an estuary and the outputs required from an associated freshwater
SQR to attain the REC is provided.
- The efforts of many many reviewers are acknowledged, for example Delana Louw, Piet Kotze and James MacKenzie.
Whenever an assessment is done, the PESEIS and NFEPA information on the SQR should be interrogated.
Provision for such a basic approach is provided in the PESEIS model (sheet: REC DSS).
Suggested citation
Department of Water and Sanitation. 2014.
A Desktop Assessment of the Present Ecological State,
Ecological Importance and Ecological Sensitivity per
Sub Quaternary Reaches for Secondary Catchments in South Africa.
Secondary: [W5 (for example)]. Compiled by RQIS-RDM:
https://www.dwa.gov.za/iwqs/rhp/eco/peseismodel.aspx
accessed on [date].
Contact
Please
contact us if you have any queries.
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