The Water Research Commission (WRC) and WildTrust have jointly funded a study and the development of a socioecological system (SES) model to provide a comprehensive analysis of the interconnectedness of ecosystems and socioeconomic systems within Durban Bay.

The study found that the Port of Durban, located in a deep-water estuarine bay, faces significant environmental challenges, including plastic pollution from local rivers, exacerbated by urbanisation and climate change.

Given an urgent need to conserve the remaining natural resources and identify sustainable and practical solutions to maintain the port’s health and functioning, the SES model aims to mitigate the challenge of ports becoming pollution hotspots owing to unmanaged waste and stormwater runoff.

Despite the ecological importance of the bay, over 90% of its habitats have been lost, including a complete loss of seagrass beds and significant constriction of both mangroves and sandbanks, negatively impacting water quality and biodiversity.

This necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between river catchments and port activities to identify key areas to lever sustainable change.

The study, evaluating the origin and type of plastic pollution in Durban Bay and attempting to understand the impact of this on ecosystem services and the potential consequence for the people relying on them, found significant plastic waste, primarily single-use plastics that were ubiquitous throughout the bay, causing “smothering and physical disturbance” of local ecosystems.

The study further examined the Transformative Riverine Management Programme launched in 2021, which aimed at improving catchment governance through community-driven river rehabilitation projects.

The study found that despite efforts to address pollution and flooding, chronic issues, such as aging infrastructure and poor waste management, persist.

The report underscores the need for immediate interventions to manage existing pollution and long-term strategies to reduce plastic waste generation.

“Addressing plastic pollution in Durban Bay requires a coordinated, multisectoral response, recognising it as a complex social-ecological issue affecting urban resilience, public health, biodiversity and local economies,” the WRC noted in a statement.

The SES model identifies key leverage points for action and serves as a roadmap for transforming plastic production, consumption and disposal systems, fostering ecological, social and economic resilience in Durban Bay and promoting a sustainable future.

The WRC and WildTrust will hand over the report to the beneficiaries, such as the eThekwini municipality and Transnet, since there is an opportunity for a further coordinated project to create action-based research to restore the natural functioning of the port, create awareness to prevent further degradation and a clean environment.