Towards blue flag status at Eastern Beach in East London, South Africa: current context and future plans

Abstract

The Blue Flag award has become a prevalent tool for beach management worldwide. It applies environmental law and focuses on sustainable management of beaches. The literature reveals that Blue Flag beaches grant visitors assurance of compliance with approved international standards of safety, quality and acceptable user regulations. South Africa was accorded accreditation rights, 20 years ago, to pursue this status as a sustainable ecological approach. Yet, a research gap exists with fragmented environmental legislation and policies which continue to afflict certain regions, such as Eastern Beach in the Eastern Cape. This has complicated conservation efforts and reached a critical stage, requiring urgent attention to sustainable and optimal management plans. In addition, very little research exists to investigate beach management with a focus on Blue Flag beaches in South Africa. The main focus of this study was, therefore, to investigate the perceptions of public and private stakeholders involved in the management of Eastern Beach, regarding the current context and future plans for attaining Blue Flag status. This empirical research followed a qualitative approach via virtual semi-structured interviews with twenty participants who were tourism public and private stakeholders. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Findings reveal that organisations are involved in planning and management of land activities to achieve Blue Flag status and are promoting environmental awareness amongst the public. They promote engagement, economic returns and infrastructure investment, while they plan for tourism projects, create environmental public awareness and support tourism projects. The results revealed that having Blue Flag status would improve the quality of the water, the beachfront, and environmental education and training. Current conservation-related plans include infrastructural development, such as sewerage pipe replacement and environmental cleaning campaigns. Participants highlighted the need for enhanced collaboration on conservation initiatives; management of pollution and land activities; public awareness and voluntary conservation initiatives. This study also considered current compliance of Eastern Beach with the Blue Flag criteria. Findings showed that this beach is currently not complying with the Blue Flag ecolabel criteria of environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, and safety and services. Stakeholders confirmed that there is lack of control in managing people, which leads to overcrowding at Eastern Beach. Alcohol usage is an additional challenge, which can endanger other beach users, especially children. Participants made reference to safety and security, expressing that beach users do not feel safe to use the beach at night. This study provided improvement plans, which could assist Eastern Beach in working towards Blue Flag status. The Blue Flag status framework was developed from this research, and it sets the context to assist stakeholders involved at Eastern Beach, to move towards attaining Blue Flag status. The goal is to take this beach into the desired future. The attainment of the status, effective implementation, and use of ICZM, as well as the triple bottom line benefits of sustainability, portray the desired future for Eastern Beach. Findings provide guidance to stakeholders towards attaining the status, which can have positive socio-economic and ecological impacts on Eastern Beach and its surroundings.

Umklomelo weBlue Flag usuyithuluzi elivamile lokuphatha amabhishi emhlabeni wonke. Usebenzisa umthetho wezemvelo futhi ugxile ekuphathweni okusimeme kwamabhishi. Izincwadi zembula ukuthi amabhishi e-Blue Flag anikeza izivakashi isiqinisekiso sokuthobela izindinganiso zamazwe ngamazwe ezigunyaziwe zokuphepha, izinga eliphezulu kanye nemithethonqubo eyamukelekayo yabasebenzisi. INingizimu Afrika yanikezwa amalungelo okugunyazwa, eminyakeni engama-20 edlule, ukulandela lesi simo njengendlela esimeme yezemvelo. Nokho, likhona igebe locwaningo ngemithetho ehlukene yezemvelo nezinqubomgomo ezisaqhubeka nokuhlukumeza izifunda ezithile, njenge-Eastern Beach eMpumalanga Kapa. Lokhu kuye kwenza nzima imizamo yokongiwa kwemvelo futhi kwafinyelela esigabeni esibucayi, okudinga ukunakwa okuphuthumayo ezinhlelweni zokuphatha ezisimeme nezifanele. Ukwengeza, luncane ucwaningo olukhona lokuphenya ukuphathwa kwamabhishi ngokugxila emabhishi eBlue Flag eNingizimu Afrika. Okugxilwe kakhulu kwalolu cwaningo, ngakho-ke, bekuwukuphenya imibono yababambe iqhaza emphakathini nabazimele ababambe iqhaza ekuphathweni kwe-Eastern Beach, mayelana nesimo samanje nezinhlelo zesikhathi esizayo zokuthola isimo se-Blue Flag. Lolu ucwaningo olusekelwe ekuqapheliseni nasekukalweni kwezimo lulandele indlela yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya imininingwane okungeyona eyezinombolo ngokusebenzisa umhlangano lapho oxoxisana naye ebuza imibuzo evulekile nabahlanganyeli abangamashumi amabili ababengababambiqhaza bomphakathi nabazimele kwezokuvakasha. Imininingwane yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa indlela yokuhlaziya imininingwane ehlanganisa ukufunda ngeqoqo lemininingwane. Imiphumela yembula ukuthi izinhlangano ziyabandakanyeka ekuhleleni nasekulawuleni imisebenzi yomhlaba ukuze kuzuzwe isimo seBlue Flag futhi zigqugquzela ukuqwashisa ngemvelo emphakathini. Bakhuthaza ukuxoxisana, izinzuzo zezomnotho kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali kwingqalasizinda, kuyilapho behlela amaphrojekthi wezokuvakasha, baqwashisa umphakathi ngemvelo futhi besekela amaphrojekthi ezokuvakasha. Imiphumela iveze ukuthi ukuba nesimo seBlue Flag kuzothuthukisa izinga lamanzi, ugu lolwandle, imfundo nokuqeqeshwa kwezemvelo. Izinhlelo zamanje ezihlobene nokongiwa kwemvelo zihlanganisa ukuthuthukiswa kwengqalasizinda, njengokushintshwa kwamapayipi endle kanye nemikhankaso yokuhlanza imvelo. Abahlanganyeli bagqamise isidingo sokubambisana okuthuthukisiwe ezinhlelweni zokongiwa kwemvelo; ukuphathwa kokungcola kanye nemisebenzi yomhlaba; ukuqwashisa umphakathi kanye nezinhlelo zokuzithandela zokongiwa kwemvelo. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwacubungula ukuhambisana kwamanje kwe-Eastern Beach nemibandela ye-Blue Flag. Okutholakele kubonise ukuthi leli bhishi okwamanje alihambisani nenqubo yamamaki abekwe emaphaketheni omkhiqizo e-Blue Flag yemfundo yezemvelo nolwazi, izinga eliphezulu lamanzi, ukuphathwa kwemvelo, nokuphepha nezinsizakalo. Ababambisene nabo bakuqinisekisile ukuthi kukhona ukuhluleka ukulawula abantu, okuholela ekutheni kugcwale abantu kakhulu e-Eastern Beach. Ukusetshenziswa kotshwala kuyinselele eyengeziwe, engafaka engozini abanye abasebenzisi bebhishi, ikakhulukazi izingane. Abahlanganyeli bakhulume ngokuphepha nokuvikeleka, bezwakalisa ukuthi abasebenzisi bebhishi abazizwa bephephile ukusebenzisa ibhishi ebusuku. Lolu cwaningo luhlinzeke ngezinhlelo zokuthuthukisa, ezingasiza i-Eastern Beach ekusebenzeleni isimo seBlue Flag. Uhlaka lwesimo seBlue Flag lwasungulwa kusukela kulolu cwaningo, futhi lubeka umongo ukusiza ababambiqhaza abathintekayo e-Eastern Beach, ukuze bafinyelele esimeni seBlue Flag. Inhloso wukuyisa leli bhishi ekusaseni elilifisayo. Ukufinyelelwa kwesimo, ukuqaliswa ngempumelelo, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwe-ICZM, kanye nezinzuzo eziyisisekelo ezintathu zokusimama, kubonisa ikusasa elifiselekayo le-Eastern Beach. Okutholakele kunikeza isiqondiso kubabambiqhaza ekufinyeleleni isimo, esingaba nomthelela omuhle kwezenhlalo-mnotho kanye nemvelo e-Eastern Beach nasezindaweni ezizungezile.

Moputso wa Blue Flag o fetohile sesebediswa se tlwaelehileng bakeng sa tsamaiso ya mabopo lefatsheng ka bophara. O sebedisa molao wa tikoloho mme o tsepame hodima tsamaiso ya nako e telele ya mabopo. Dingolwa di supa hore mabopo a Blue Flag a fa baeti netefaletso ya tatelo ya maemo a amohetsweng a matjhaba a polokeho, boleng le melawana e amohelehang ya mosebedisi. Afrika Borwa e fuwe ditokelo tsa ho ananelwa, dilemong tse 20 tse fetileng, hore e lelekise boemo bona jwalo ka katamelo ya nako e telele ya tsa tikoloho. Empa, hona le dikgeo tsa dipatlisiso tse amanang le melao ya tikoloho le dipholisi tse sa fellang tse tswelang pele ho ama dibaka tse itseng, tse jwalo ka Eastern Beach ho la Kapa Botjhabela. Hona ho thatafaditse diteko tsa poloko ya tikoloho ha ba ha fihlela maemo a tlokotsi, a hlokang ho sebetswa ka potlako ho merero ya nako e telele le tsamaiso e sebetsang ka nepo. Ho feta moo, hona le dipatlisiso tse fokolang haholo ho ka fuputsa tsamaiso ya mabopo ka tsepamiso hodima mabopo a Blue Flag Afrika Borwa. Kahoo, tsepamiso ya mantlha ya phuputso ena e bile ho fuputsa maikutlo a baamehi ba setjhaba le ba poraefete ba amehang ho tsamaiso ya Eastern Beach, mabapi le boemo ba hajwale le merero ya nako e tlang ya ho fumana boemo ba Blue Flag. Patlisiso ena e entsweng ka mokgwa wa dipotso le ho boha e latetse katamelo ya bongata e entsweng ka dinthaviu tse ne di batla di hlophisitswe ka bankakarolo ba mashome a mabedi, bao e neng e le baamehi ba setjhaba le ba poraefete ba tsa bohahlaudi. Datha e manollotswe ka tshebediso ya manollo ya ditema. Diphetho di supa ha dikhamphani di kentse letsoho therong le tsamaisong ya mesebetsi ya lefatshe ho fumana boemo ba Blue Flag hape di matlafatsa tsebo ka tsa ditoloho hara setjhaba. Di matlafatsa kopano, dipoelo tsa moruo le tsetelo ho meaho le ditsela, ha di ntse di etsa merero bakeng sa diprojeke tsa bohahlaudi, di theha tsebo ya setjhaba ka tsa tikoloho le ho tshehetsa diprojeke tsa bohahlaudi. Diphetho di bontsha hore hoba le boemo ba Blue Flag ho ka ntlafatsa boleng ba metsi, lebopo, le thuto le thupelo ya tsa tikoloho. Merero ya hajwale ya diprojeke tse amanang le poloko ya tikoloho e kenyeletsa ntshetsopele ya meaho le ditsela, jwalo ka puseletso ya dipeipi tsa dikgwerekgwere le matsholo a ho hlwekisa tikoloho. Bankakarolo ba totobaditse tlhloko ya tshebedisanommoho e eketsehileng ho mesebetsi ya tshireletso ya tikoloho; taolo ya tshilafatso ya lefatshe le mesebetsi ya lefatshe; temoso ya setjhaba le matsholo a boithaopo a tshireletso ya tikoloho. Phuputso ena e boetse e lekotse tatelo ya hajwale ya Eastern Beach ho ditlhoko tsa Blue Flag. Diphetho di bontshitse ha lebopo lena hajwale le sa latele ditlhoko tsa Blue Flag tsa ecolabel tsa thuto ya tsa tikoloho le tlhahisoleseding, boleng ba metsi, tsamaiso ya tikoloho, le polokeho le ditshebeletso. Baamehi ba netefaditse hore hona le tlhokeho ya taolo tsamaisong ya batho, e lebisang ho kgobokano e mpe lebopong la Eastern Beach. Tshebediso ya tahi ke bothata bo bong, bo ka lebisang ho dikotsi ho basebedisi ba bang ba lebopo, haholo bana. Bankakarolo ba buile ka polokeho le tshireletseho, ba hlalosa hore basebedisi ba lebopo ha ba ikutlwe ba bolokehile ho ka ya lebopong bosiu. Phuptso ena e fane ka merero ya ntlafatso, e ka thusang Eastern Beach ho sebeletsa ho fumana boemo ba Blue Flag. Moralo wa boemo ba Blue Flag o hlahisitswe ho tswa phuputsong ena, mme o theha tema e tla thusa baamehi ba amanang le Eastern Beach, hore ba sebeletse ho fumana boemo ba Blue Flag. Maikemisetso ke ho isa lebopo lena bokamosong bo labalabetsweng. Phihlello ya boemo, tshebetso e nepahetseng, le tshebediso ya ICZM, hammoho le melemo e menahaneng hararo ya motheo ya tshwarello ya nako e telele, di supa bokamoso bo batlehang bakeng sa Eastern Beach. Diphetho di fana ka tataiso bakeng sa ho fihlella boemo bo ka bang le ditlamorao tse molemo ntlheng tsa moruo wa setjhaba le tikoloho ho Eastern Beach le dibaka tse e potileng.