2.1 Environmental deficits in sa  (Page 2/4)

Besides the inward migration, the birth rate in the homelands was very high. It is ascribed by some to the defective educational system, health care, family planning and guaranteed sources of support. Gender discrimination also contributed to this situation. The birth rate from 1985 to 1990 was estimated as 5,12 per woman. Research has shown that women that were not employed and therefore did not earn a fixed salary had fewer decision-making rights in their families. This,

together with the value that children had as workers in regard to what had to be done in the homes – such as gatherers of firewood and taking care of animals – also led to a higher birth rate.

4. Availability-driven deficits

The apartheid government placed the homelands in fragile environments with poor topsoil. This environment couldn’t carry the agricultural production that was needed by the people. This resulted in serious soil erosion. The per capita food production fell drastically and food had to be imported without anything being exported. Research shows that the South African loss of topsoil was 20 times higher than the world average. Experts estimate that, since 1900, South Africa has lost 25% of its topsoil and that 55% of the country is threatened by the growth of desert areas. This has happened at a time when South Africa’s need for food is a central concern and is expected to double by the year 2020.

Deforestation is an important type of availability-driven environmental deficit. The destabilisation of soil and changing local water cycles disrupt the ecological balance. Unfortunately for many black South Africans in rural areas firewood is the

most available and cheapest of all sources of energy. This leads to deforestation. In the past 50 years, 200 forests in KwaZulu have vanished.

Another problem is the shortage and degradation of water. South Africa is a country with serious water shortages: 12 to 16 million people haven’t any access to water that is suitable for putting into a can. About 70% of Black people in urban areas have no access to running water and have to rely on polluted river systems for their daily needs. About 21 million people need adequate sanitation. Industrial pollution threatens the quality of river and underground water. Die health of the South African society generally is threatened.

Activity 1:

To identify the different environmental deficits in the RSA

[LO 1.5]

1. Physical Geography

The South African ecosystem is fragile and we all need to contribute to its maintenance. Give reasons for the fragility of the South African ecosystem. How would you define “fragile”? How would you be able to contribute to the sustainability of the ecosystem (so that it remains intact and is not negatively affected)? Do this in table form, as follows: