Draft Situation Assessment Report

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape (DEA&DP), as the Responsible Management Authority, has appointed Coastal and Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd (CES) to run the process for the updating of the Estuarine Management Plan for the Onrus estuary. The updating of the Draft Situation Assessment Report for the Onrus River Estuary is the first step in this process. The updates to the Draft Situation Assessment Report for the Onrus River Estuary are required to address the significant changes in the estuary’s ecological functioning following the 2019 peatland fires and the September 2023 flood, which resulted in the system degrading to a Category E Present Ecological State.