Articles for tag Helihack South Africa

Mar 18 2022

Helihack Alien Vegetation Clearing Operation: Western Cape, South Africa Posted by Admin

Combine a highly skilled pilot, a capable helicopter for the environment, and a skilled team of volunteers and you get Helihack. It’s an ambitious and challenging project, placing skilled chainsaw operators high-up by helicopter in otherwise inaccessible mountainous locations. In late 2017, Cape Town was the first major city in the world to announce it was approaching “Day Zero” – a reference for the day its water supply would largely run dry. Authorities say they will shut down the municipal water system when the city’s water reservoirs drop to 13.5 percent capacity. The Helihack project offers one more way to help avoid or at least delay Day Zero by eradicating prolific non-native vegetation in the watersheds surrounding the reservoirs. The Western Cape mountain ranges cover one of the Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) for surface water in South Africa. SWSAs cover 8% of South Africa yet supply 50% of the mean annual runoff. Among the biggest threats to SWSAs are invasive alien vegetation and drought exacerbated by climate change. [Read More...]



Tags: AS350 Helicopter Vegetation Eradication Helihack South Africa Rotorcraft Pro Airbus Helihack Rotorcraft Pro Helicopter Vegetation Removal Rotorcraft Pro Helihack Utility Helicopter

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