The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) is reducing its water consumption because of the drought experienced by the Nelson Mandela Bay area.
The CDC’s head of marketing and communications, Dr Ayanda Vilakazi, said: "The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) is pro-actively implementing water conservation efforts by reducing its water consumption."
Vilikazi said the CDC's head office has a water-wise garden with plants that are able to self-sustain and survive without additional watering. The plants are indigenous and comes from the 11,500 hectare Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
CDC Environmental Project Manager Andrea Shirley said: "As per our policy for the sustainability of the Coega SEZ, investors are not permitted to plant any exotic plants in the SEZ."
The plants found in the garden includes a range of succulents and various aloe species. Shirley said with the announcement of the water restrictions in the Nelson Mandela Bay area, it is their duty as a corporate citizen to implement innovative measures to reduce water consumption.
"The climate at the Coega SEZ is significantly different from that within the rest of the NMBM. Coega is within a rain shadow with an annual precipitation approximately 300mm per annum less than the rest of the Metropolitan area," Shirley said.
According to Shirley, the plants are more drought tolerant and many of them have important landscaping functions. The urban form that is being pursued by the SEZ is influenced by biomimicry, which is the attempt to integrate natural processes in the built environment forms including landscaping and architecture.
Shirley added: "The manner in which the garden is self-sustainable is through the cluster and fertilizing concept. The cluster concept is when plants compete for space to grow therefore constantly encouraging growth amongst the plants without having to water them."
The CDC will soon be implementing another concept where they will be placing stones in between plants, as this will reduce evaporation and create a habitat for plants, as any rainfall will stay locked in.
- African News Agency (ANA)
