Articles

Various best practice guidelines exist to guide pre and post construction bird monitoring at wind energy facilities. This has emerged at a recent information sharing session led by Birdlife South Africa together with, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform and other Northern Cape Stakeholders.

The Northern Cape is a focal point for renewable energy facilities including solar energy and wind energy. Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZ), were Gazetted to promote and fast track renewable energy developments within these zones.

 

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations under the National Environmental Management Act (No. 107 of 1998), as amended, requires the mitigation hierarchy to be implemented exhaustively, of which mitigation is one of its components, to minimize residual negative environmental and biodiversity impacts renewable energy facilities may have. Unfortunately, despite the risk mitigation interventions such as changes to the design layout of wind farms, bird impacts are still being observed.

 

Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) further aims to reduce such environmental and biodiversity impacts through further management practices.

 

In the Northern Cape a number of bird species are at risk from wind turbine collisions. These include amongst others Jackal buzzard, Verraux’s eagle, Martial eagle, Ludwig’s bustard, White-backed vulture and various other birds of conservation concern. Scientists are concerned as all these species are key to ecosystem services.

 

One of the risk mitigation activities being implemented is “observer-led shut down” of wind turbines. Observers are strategical positioned across a wind energy facility and warn the operations control room of birds in the vicinity of turbines. Individual turbines are then accordingly stopped until the potential collision risk subsides.

 

The most recent interventions currently being assessed is to paint one of the blades of each wind turbine red. This creates visual signals for birds that deter them from flying into the blades. All role players are optimistic for positive findings towards protecting our avifauna. END

 

Mr. Bongani Silingile – Media Liaison Officer

Office of the MEC

Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs

Rural Development and Land Reform

Cell: 082 675 1841