The BCA has been compromised by reckless and inappropriate off-road vehicle usage which has caused great damage to the coast dunes and the Blaauwberg Hill, by damaging vegetation, causing erosion and impacting on archaeological sites.
It is encouraging to note, however, that off-road vehicle activity has reduced dramatically, thus slowing down the degradation of the Hill. This has been largely due to the following interventions:
»	The Friends of the Blaauwberg Conservation Area, in association with the 4 Wheel Drive Club (Western Cape) and the Landrover Club of South Africa, have been assisting the BCA Management with the rehabilitation of erosion gullies on Blaauwberg Hill. In addition, they have been involved with raising awareness amongst off-road vehicle users of the importance of the BCA and that in order to protect the Blaauwberg Hill it needs to be off-bounds for off-road vehicle activity.
»	The City, working in co-operation with the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board, have also undertaken law enforcement campaigns and issued fines to persons found illegally accessing the hill with off-road vehicles. An appeal and warning is made to all 4x4 drivers, quad bike and scrambler riders to please not use the Blaauwberg Conservation Area as playground.
Being situated on the axis of urban growth, the BCA is under significant threat from the impacts of urbanisation including potentially inappropriate developments on its periphery, service infrastructure, e.g. roads, stormwater infrastructure, resource depletion and loss of biological corridors important for movement of species.
Invasive alien vegetation is also a great threat not only because of the potential loss of biodiversity but also because it poses a fire hazard. The Working for Water programme of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has over the last 3 years provided funding for removal of invasive alien vegetation. This has made a great difference to the areas where the clearing has occurred and the naturally-occurring vegetation is making a remarkable recovery.
Vandals have been damaging signs and infrastructure designed to raise awareness of and protect the valuable resources of the area.
One of the biggest challenges is obtaining funding to realise the BCA vision and achieving (as far as possible) financial self-sustainability in the medium to long term.
The picture on the left shows erosion gulleys on Blaauwberg Hill.