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Biodiversity Offsets

Where significant impacts to biodiversity are identified, offset planning becomes a key component during the final stages of the EIA process.  Eco-Pulse is well placed to offer sound technical support to address the full spectrum of offset planning requirements from calculating offset requirements through to site identification, detailed rehabilitation planning and formalizing protection through stewardship or other formal protection mechanisms.  We also have sound experience in developing management plans and undertaking monitoring and auditing necessary to ensure that biodiversity offsets deliver tangible benefits to society. 

Services Offered:

  • Specialist wetland and biodiversity assessments to assess residual impacts associated with planned developments.
  • Liaising with regulating authorities to discuss and finalise offset requirements.
  • Landscape – level planning to identify and screen candidate sites.
  • Estimating financial requirements & recommending financial instruments necessary to ensure that offsets are appropriately implemented and maintained.
  • Undertaking baseline ecological assessments of offset sites.
  • Developing rehabilitation and management plans to meet offset requirements.
  • Implementing ecological monitoring programmes and auditing project outcomes.

Selected Project Involvement:

  • Drafting of Wetland Offset Guidelines for South Africa – SANBI
  • Participating in the drafting of South Africa’s National Offset Policy – DEA
  • Exploring the opportunity to pilot a conservation banking scheme in the eThekwini Municipality – CEPF
  • Development of a strategic offset plan for the eThekwini North Project Area – DTPC / THD
  • Piesang River Floodplain Rehabilitation and Offset Project – eThekwini Architects
  • Offset planning for the Fairbeeze Mine – Tronox KZN Sands.
  • Offset planning for the TradeZone 2 & AgriZone 2 Developments – Dube TradePort Corporation.
  • Offset planning for the uShukela & Inyaninga Developments – Tongaat Hulett Developments (THD)
  • Offset planning for the Clairwood Racecourse Development – Fortress / KSEMS
  • Wetland Mitigation Pilot Project – SANBI
  • Development of a conceptual wetland and riparian area rehabilitation and onsite mitigation plan for the proposed Rohill Business Estate in Red Hill, eThekwini, KZN – GCS
  • Development of a wetland rehabilitation plan to mitigate impacts associated with the proposed Edendale business & industrial site – Jeffares & Green

Research Publications:

  • DWA and SANBI, 2013.  Wetland Offsets:  A best-practice guideline for South Africa.  Pretoria.  100 pages.  Technical Editors:  D. Macfarlane, S. Holness, A von Hase, S. Brownlie and J. Manuel.

Recent Presentations:

  • 2013:  Wetland Offset Guidelines:  Providing a structure for rational decision making – Stakeholder Consultation Workshop
  • 2012:  Wetland offsets: Emerging Policy and future practice – Symposium on Contemporary Conservation Practice