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 << Back to: Member News: ICLEI e-News | issue 15, November 2008 |
Eco-Label awarded to South Africa BeachesNovember 27, 2008
Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Metro (including Port Elizabeth) between them have 10 of the 19 South African beaches that were officially awarded Blue Flag status for the 2008/09 season on 5 November 2008, at a ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Both local authorities, the City of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, are active members of ICLEI. About the Blue FlagThe Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to over 3 200 beaches and marinas in 37 countries. The Blue Flag Programme is owned and run by the independent non-profit organisation, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which has its head office in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Blue Flag Programme includes environmental education and information for the public, decision makers and tourism operators. Blue Flag in South AfricaIn South Africa, Blue Flag is managed by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) in partnership with the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. South Africa’s Blue Flag beaches are sustaining excellence in beach management and rate among the top beaches in the world. The Blue Flag campaign is proving highly successful and there has been a significant increase in response from local authorities wishing to implement the campaign. The number of beaches entering the campaign as pilot is indicative of the growing interest in Blue Flag South Africa. This year, South African municipalities applied to have 35 beaches accredited. The remaining 16 beaches were granted pilot status and could be Blue Flag beaches by 2010. How is the Blue Flag awarded?The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches that comply with fourteen stringent Blue Flag criteria on a regular basis. The Blue Flag criteria cover four aspects of coastal management:
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