ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The karstified dolomites of the Chuniespoort Group are vital water resources for the expanding rural, urban and industrial complexes in Gauteng and Rustenburg, South Africa. Another example of the importance of the dolomites is their roles in sustaining the protected areas of the Blyde River Canyon and Sudwala Caves, Mpumalanga, South Africa, which are under threat from mining and forestry activities. The importance of the aquifer is in both cases not matched with any sound scientific based protection areas to prevent degradation of the resource from these potentially harmful activities. The present pressure on expansion of urban and agricultural development onto the dolomites is cause for major concern due to the enormous potential for pollution of the dolomitic aquifers underlying these areas as well as the renowned surface instability of these aquifers. The concept of vulnerability mapping is an important decision tool when expansion of urban, industrial or agricultural areas onto dolomitic land must be evaluated. For this reason the European COP vulnerability mapping method was adapted to suite the unique properties of South African karst terrains as well as the climatic conditions in semi-arid environments. The developed vulnerability mapping method is applied to the well known Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, Gauteng as well as to the Sudwala Caves/Blyde River Canyon dolomitic area in the Mpumalanga.
