CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
ALONG THE WILD COAST

The new N2 Wild Coast Road is going ahead and all environmental conditions are being carefully adhered to

THE Wild Coast is a pristine stretch of South African coastline, with abundant indigenous forests, rolling hills, plunging waterfalls and beautiful, untouched beaches. The new N2 Wild Coast Toll Road will bring access and upliftment to the region, but since it is building a road in such an environmentally sensitive area, SANRAL had to make sure it was compliant with all regulations to minimise harm. This was no small feat.
The approval of the construction of the road

was based on an environmental authorisation or record of decision. This contains several conditions that include obtaining permits, appointing a number of environmental personnel to ensure adherence to the conditions and the signing of a biodiversity offset agreement. All of this was achieved and the biodiversity offset agreement was signed with the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Board as the implementing agent. This will ensure that the Pondoland Biome is preserved for generations to come through the declaration, rehabilitation

and ongoing protection of approximately 15 000 hectares of new protected areas. The programme will also work extensively with local communities in and around the new protected areas to ensure local stakeholder buy-in.
The offset is expected to contribute significantly to job creation, as well as formal biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Cape and will help to realise the long-held vision of an expanded protected area network in the Eastern Cape.

Search and rescue

ON THE N2 WILD COAST

SANRAL has appointed two independent environmental companies to conduct a massive search-and-rescue operation along the N2 Wild Coast Road – but the operation hasn’t been searching for people; it’s searching for plants!

Some of the rarer species are being rescued to protect the biodiversity of the area. Around 4 700 plants were rescued along the Msikaba Bridge road reserve and more than 20 000 plants were rescued from the Mtentu Bridge Road Reserve. Some of the rescued species include:

  • Stangeria eriopus, also known as Imfringo, which is used on livestock to prevent excess bile in the gall bladder
  • Bulbine latifolia (Ibhucu), which is used to remove powerful herbal medicines from the body, as well as cleansing ‘dirty blood’ caused by fatty foods and excessive alcohol
  • Scabiosa columbaria, which is used to treat skin rashes
  • Callilepis laureola, which helps to soothe stomach cramps.
Traditional healers in the area were invited to come and harvest some of the plants that were useful to them.

Most of the search-and-rescue activities for the haul roads have been completed and the environmental companies are now turning their focus to caring for the plants, collecting their seeds and growing new seedlings.

The rescued species are being looked after in holding areas or temporary nurseries that have been established for the haul roads. The plants will either be taken care of until they can be replanted after the construction activities are finished or they will be moved to more isolated areas where they will not be affected by construction.

Seeds of indigenous grasses and sedges that are not available commercially have been harvested for storage. Over the next few growing seasons, more seeds will be collected to make sure there is sufficient stock to rehabilitate the entire 112km of road after the construction.