CHAPTER 5: STAKEHOLDER’S PERCEPTIONS OF USING ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESSING
5.2. General reflection on the causes of flood vulnerability
5.2.1. Stakeholders’ perceptions and the severity of floods in relation to the Qedusizi dam
The outcome of the interviews about flooding in Ladysmith has shown that those who have witnessed earlier severe river floods (namely old respondents who witnessed the Klip River flooding) stated that this flooding happened before the construction of Qedusizi9 flood attenuation dam. They stated that the Qedusizi dam flood control scheme has reduced the risk of flooding significantly (Respondent 2:
RC Stakeholder-Elder, 2015; Respondent 5: LG Stakeholder-Disaster Section, 2015; Respondent 12: LG Stakeholder-Flood Liaison Committee Member, 2015; Respondent 10: Farming Stakeholder
9 Qed’Usizi is a Zulu word, which means an end to suffering.
59 | P a g e Representative, 2015; Respondent 11: FT Community Stakeholder-Elder, 2015). These respondents have less fear and trauma of the frequently appearing current floods of Ladysmith in comparison to those who arrived later on to live and work in the municipality, as they have witnessed the severe floods prior to the construction of the dam (Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit, 2015;
Respondent 7: NG Stakeholder-Environmental Affairs, 2015; Respondent 8: Flooded Business Stakeholder-Store Deputy Manager, 2015; Respondent 13: LG Stakeholder-Parks & Gardens Section, 2015). This was the case as Respondent 12: LG Stakeholder-Flood Liaison Committee Member (2015) further clarified that,
I have seen the real floods in the past where the cars floated in the water, electric poles being washed away, bridges being ripped off, homes inundated and properties washed away, grocery in the stores spoilt by flood waters, farms eroded, to name but a few. From seeing that in the past, I realised that- there is an amazing force carried by the floodwaters.
This means that hard engineering solutions, such as the Qedusizi flood attenuation dam, and other flood control schemes in Ladysmith have meaning and value to the stakeholders and citizens of the area. In the ‘eyes of the people’, i.e. those directly affected stakeholders that still have memories of the major flood impacts and previous trauma, and the current citizens the technological fixes or the structural solutions have given them hope to continue their activities in the rich floodplain of Ladysmith town.
Some of the old respondents believe that the flash floods that happen almost every year in Ladysmith are normal events (Respondent 12: LG Stakeholder-Flood Liaison Committee Member, 2015).
According to Respondent 12, some people [referring to the new stakeholders] are romanticising the flooding events, as they have never seen the real flooding events from the Klip River.
This means that there is a general trust of the resilience of the engineered technology [dam] as they value the protection they obtain from the Klip River that made them suffer in the past by the flood control schemes. Endorsing its effectiveness or power, Respondent 6: LG Stakeholder-Disaster Management Unit (2015) further stated that, “Qedusizi Dam has stopped the floods of up to 12,5m height which happened in six hours”. According to his view, this is an indication that the dam is properly designed and that it is an effective strategy in flood risk management.
Even though this is true, the studies on Ladysmith flooding and other areas in the world (i.e. INR, 1988., Qedusizi Dam: Flood Control Scheme Manual cited in the DWAF, 1998a., and Scott et al, 2013) show that engineering solutions in flood risk management cannot work alone. A study by Botes et al (2011) on the recent flooding events in Ladysmith in 2011 shows that there is a significant impact that
60 | P a g e relatively minor flooding can have on people and infrastructure. Therefore, the minor floods should not be underestimated and must be planned for.
This section has revealed the significant difference in perceptions among older respondents who experienced severe floods and the newer residents who experienced flash floods or heard about the flooding of Ladysmith town. Due to their previous traumatic experience, the older respondents have shown that they are in support of the Qedusizi flood control scheme as they believe that it has stopped the floods coming from Klip River.
5.2.2. Spatial planning and the cause of flood risk and EI mismanagement
Planning and the management of environmental resources plays a significant role in the cause and mitigation of flooding. According to Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit, (2015) the causes of flood risk and degradation of EI is that there is no formal planning (i.e. schemes) followed in rural areas especially in the areas falling under the traditional authorities (former Bantustans). Due to informal development mostly in the areas under the traditional authority, residents and small scale developers settle in unsafe areas such as those that are susceptible to flooding and prone to natural disasters (Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit, 2015). Most of the literature in the communal land in KwaZulu-Natal has revealed that the Amakhosi10 and Izinduna11 are not fully capacitated in dealing with technical issues required in the allocation and management of land in these areas. The technical issues may include an understanding and interpretation of flood risks and the maps of environmentally sensitive areas that can be used to guide land use planning. For example, the allocation of land for housing and agricultural practices needs to take into account environmental risks. Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit (2015) further states that there is still no rangeland management plan to assist with the grazing of the livestock. Overgrazing leads to loss of vegetation and soil erosion, which exacerbates flooding.
Lack of compliance with the zoning guidelines and scheme controls is one of the challenges faced by the ELLM and this leads to increased flood vulnerability of citizens. When it comes to the peri-urban areas, Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit (2015) also revealed that there are households that are susceptible to flood risks or inundation because of political interference and poor leadership. For instance, warnings about the importance of recognising environmentally sensitive areas such as the flood-lines in land allocated for housing were given to the ward councillors in
10 Amakhosi are Zulu tribal leaders or chiefs leading certain clans
11 Izinduna are headman or commanders for the tribal leaders and the people of the Zulu clan
61 | P a g e Steadville (located near Ladysmith town in the South) but they did not respond to these guidelines.
Due to the pressure for development and delivery of housing in these areas, the ward councillors preferred to ignore the advice from the professionals and municipal officials and this has put the lives (and properties) of the communities at risk of flooding (Respondent 4: LG Stakeholder-Town Planning Unit, 2015). In this way, they are also disrespecting the planning and environmental legislation aimed at protecting the citizens of South Africa from flooding (See Appendix F1: Flood line Map showing flood line area encroached by human settlements colored in pink).
This section has revealed that the town planning department understands the importance environmentally sensitive areas and flood risk areas as these areas are clearly mapped in their municipality (DWAF, 1998a; Botes et al, 2011). However, the respondent has not revealed that the degradation of EI in the sensitive areas could cause more flood vulnerability. However, there is an understanding that these areas should be protected from the pressure of development. Despite their effort, these areas are used illegally especially in the rural and peri-urban areas due to the political interference of the ward councillors and poor capacity of the traditional leaders.