Fish sanctuaries are sub-quaternary catchments that are essential for protecting threatened and near-threatened freshwater fish populations that are indigenous to South Africa. Fish sanctuaries were identified at the scale of sub-quaternary catchments. The SAIAB/Albany fish data were used to guide the choices. This shapefile provides a summary of what the sub-quaternary catchment status is in terms of being selected as a FEPA, Fish Support Area, Fish Relocation & Translocation Area, Fish Rehabilitation Area and Migration Corridors for threatenedand near-threatened fish indigenous to South Africa.

Grid cells with = 135 mm/year mean annual runoff that represent national Strategic Water Source Areas. These grid cells were extracted from MAR_SWSA (also on BGIS), which is the data layer for the mean annual runoff for South Africa (mm/year for each 1 x 1 minute grid cell), based on disaggregating the Water Resources Assessment 2005 data (WR 2005; Middleton and Bailey 2009). The WR 2005 data represents the most commonly-used national mean annual runoff data used by the Dept of Water Affairs for water resources planning and management.

Fish sanctuaries are sub-quaternary catchments that are essential for protecting threatened and near-threatened freshwater fish populations that are indigenous to South Africa. Fish sanctuaries were identified at the scale of sub-quaternary catchments. The SAIAB/Albany fish data were used to guide the choices. This shapefile provides a summary of what the sub-quaternary catchment status is in terms of being selected as a FEPA, Fish Support Area, Fish Relocation & Translocation Area, Fish Rehabilitation Area and Migration Corridors for threatenedand near-threatened fish indigenous to South Africa.

This GIS layer codes for Wetland cluster Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs). Wetland clusters are groups of wetlands within 1 km of each other and embedded in a relatively natural landscape. Note: This GIS layer codes: • Wetland cluster Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) • FEPAs for rivers and wetlands are provided in separate GIS layers (River_FEPAs_30Jul11.shp and NFEPA_Wetlands_30Jul11.shp).

This GIS layer shows the outlines of the Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) for surface water (SWSA-sw) that have been updated and refined as part of a Water Research Commission (WRC) project (K5/2431). Surface water SWSAs are defined as areas of land that supply a disproportionate (i.e. relatively large) quantity of mean annual surface water runoff in relation to their size. They include transboundary areas that extend into Lesotho and Swaziland. The sub-national Water Source Areas (WSAs) are not nationally strategic as defined in the report but were included to provide a complete coverage. Dataset citation: Le Maitre, D.C., Seyler, H., Holland, M., Smith-Adao, L.B., Nel, J.L., Maherry, A. and Witthüser. K 2018. Strategic Water Source Areas for surface water (Vector data). One of the outputs of the Identification, Delineation and Importance of the Strategic Water Source Areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland for Surface Water and Groundwater, WRC Report No TT 754/1/18, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa.

A GIS layer of wetland vegetation groups was used to classify wetlands according to Level 2 of the national wetland classification system (SANBI 2010), which characterises the regional context within which wetlands occur.

This layer codes Wetland Freshwater Priority Areas (FEPAs), wetland ecosystem types and wetland condition on a national scale. The delineations were based largely on remotely-sensed imagery and therefore did not include historic wetlands lost through drainage, ploughing and concreting. Irreversible loss of wetlands is expected to be high in some areas, such as urban centres. In addition, there are many gaps in wetlands as remote sensing does not detect all wetlands. Note: This GIS layer codes: • Wetland Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) • FEPAs for rivers and wetland clusters are provided in separate GIS layers (River_FEPAs_30Jul11.shp and Wetcluster_30Jul11.shp).

This GIS layer represents the polygon layer for Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strategic Water Source Areas are areas that supply a disproportionate amount of mean annual runoff to a geographical region of interest. National Strategic Water Source Areas were derived by grouping mean annual runoff in MAR_SWSA (also in BGIS) into categories representing 10, 30, 50, 75, 90 and 100% of South Africa’s water supply. Those areas supplying = 50% (which were represented by grid cells with = 135 mm/year) were taken to represent national Strategic Water Source Areas and converted to this polygon coverage. The mean annual runoff category, depicting grid cells that contribute > 50, 30 or 10% of the mean annual runoff are provided as attributes, as well as the name of the Strategic Water Source Area.

The layer codes for River Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) and associated sub-quaternary catchments, Fish Support Areas and associated subquaternary catchments and Upstream Management Areas. Note: This GIS layer codes: • River Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) and associated sub-quaternary catchments • Fish Support Areas and associated sub-quaternary catchments • Upstream Management Areas FEPAs for wetlands and wetland clusters are provided in the wetland GIS layers (NFEPA_Wetlands_30Jul11.shp and Wetcluster_30Jul11.shp).

This GIS layer shows the outlines of the Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) for surface water (SWSA-sw) and groundwater (SWSA-gw) that have been delineated as part of a Water Research Commission (WRC) project (K5/2431). Surface water SWSAs are defined as areas of land that supply a disproportionate (i.e. relatively large) quantity of mean annual surface water runoff in relation to their size. They include transboundary areas that extend into Lesotho and Swaziland. Groundwater SWSAs are areas which combine areas with high groundwater availability as well as where this groundwater forms a nationally important resource. The sub-national Water Source Areas (WSAs) are not nationally strategic as defined in the report but were included to provide a complete coverage. Surface water dataset: Le Maitre, D.C., Seyler, H., Holland, M., Smith-Adao, L.B., Nel, J.L., Maherry, A. and Witthüser. K 2018. Strategic Water Source Areas for surface water (Vector data). One of the outputs of the Identification, Delineation and Importance of the Strategic Water Source Areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland for Surface Water and Groundwater, WRC Report No TT 754/1/18, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa. Groundwater dataset: Le Maitre, D.C., Seyler, H., Holland, M., Smith-Adao, L.B., Nel, J.L., Maherry, A. and Witthüser. K 2018. Strategic Water Source Areas for groundwater (Vector data). One of the outputs of the Identification, Delineation and Importance of the Strategic Water Source Areas of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland for Surface Water and Groundwater, WRC Report No TT 754/1/18, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa.