ApocAlypse now Averted

the climAte &jobs edition

december2020

NATIONAL – A decade of careful planning and mitiga-tion appears to have successfully halted the four horsemen of the Apocalypse – flood, drought, fire and storm – all in the space of a few months.

The recent heavy rainfall in the Gauteng region was the highest in almost 200 years. This, along with the severe drought in the Eastern Cape, weeks of raging fires on the Cape Peninsula and six days of Hurricane Sizwe pounding the KwaZulu-Natal coast, would have had dire consequences ten years ago. Each of these events would have spelled disaster for tens of thousands of South Afri-cans and crippled local economies back in 2010. So what saved us in 2020?

Our biodiversity. Or more specifically, critical in-vestment in important corridors of biodiversity that acted as buffers against this barrage of onslaughts from Mother Nature.

Following the recent floods across greater Johan-nesburg, the annual recorded rainfall for Gauteng has al-ready passed the previous highest figure recorded back in 2011. And while the floods of 2011 wreaked havoc and left thousands destitute, it also served as a crucial wake-up call. The municipality’s bold decision to invest R2 billion in the restoration of the city’s rivers and wetlands nine years ago has saved them almost seven times that amount today.

This network of wetland corridors – along with the rehabilitated wetlands and grasslands upstream – is able to absorb up to 40% more water than its degraded counter-parts. Unhindered, this water would have burst riverbanks across the city, washed away homes and businesses and left communities in tatters.

There is another, equally important spin-off to this investment in the province’s biodiversity corridors and urban greening projects. Almost 18 000 permanent jobs have been created for families who, ten years ago, had no income and limited employment opportunities.

While Johannesburg was experiencing its wettest summer in recorded history, a similar disaster on the op-posite end of the weather spectrum was unfolding in the Eastern Cape. Most of the province, and particularly the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole, faced the driest summer in just over 130 years, and its second devastating drought in under a decade.

As with Johannesburg, it was only thanks to the rehabilitation of healthy biodiversity corridors that a situ-ation far worse than the drought of summer 2010 was avoided. Substantial investment in two major projects – the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme and an alien clearing project with Working For Water – have been more than vindicated.

The alien clearing project saw thousands of hec-tares of water-hungry invasive plant species being removed and the land rehabilitated with indigenous species in the upper catchment. This regularised the water flow in the catchment, allowing 30% more summer rainfall to reach dams and ensured water was still flowing in the rivers dur-ing the dry winter months. This has almost certainly spared the city from a complete water shortage. However, water restrictions are unlikely to be lifted soon and investigations are underway to pipe water from the rainfall heavy north to meet the region’s water shortages.

the municipality’s decision to invest in the restoration

of the city’s rivers andwetlands nine years ago

has saved them seven times that amount today

capital reachescarbon targetsPage 3

jobsjobsjobsPage 10

what’s onat the riopavillion?Page 12

citizens unite AgAinst wAter thievesKURUMAN – This unlikely Northern Cape town was the scene today of the final battle between humans and invad-ing water thieves. A battle that, fortunately, we humans have won quite convincingly. Hundreds of people gathered on a rocky slope about 2km out of town to witness the symbolic end of the last of them – in this case, a South American mesquite plant – and to declare South Africa officially free of water hungry invasive plants.

It’s the culmination of almost a decade of toil for the Working for Water programme as they finally achieved their target of clearing all invasive trees in South Africa.

Established in 1995, and successfully marrying a massive job creation drive with the biggest environmental programme on the African continent, Working for Water

(WfW) set out to control the effect of invasive species on the quality and quantity of our water, as well as protect the functioning of our natural ecosystems.

Extreme water shortages and a dramatic increase in fires from 2005 to 2011 led to WfW issuing a bold and highly ambitious target statement of “invasive-free by 2020”. Initially met with skepticism, it soon became clear that this was a real target with real milestones, driven by a team of people for whom failure is not an option.

A quick glance at some figures might help to dem-onstrate why they are so keen to succeed: More than 7% of our annual run-off was being lost to invasive vegetation, and this number was growing rapidly. Invading alien plants were using three times more water than commercial forestry.

The incremental water use of alien plants was equivalent to the annual run-off of the Vaal River. And, by 2011, it was estimated that South Africa would have lost R48,2 billion a year in ecosystem services had WfW not in-vested in biological control of invasive species. Extrapolate that number to 2020, and the significance of today’s an-nouncement really starts to hit home.

But the water numbers only tell half the story. As an employer of unskilled labour, WfW makes its biggest impact on communities. For the period 1995 to 2009, be-tween 22 000 and 56 000 work opportunities were created annually. This number ramped up significantly when the “invasive-free by 2020” target was announced back in 2011.

And in true sustainable fashion, nothing goes to waste. Under the banner of WfW Value Added Indus-tries, cleared invasive plants become furniture, décor, toys, screens, fences, baskets and even coffins.

spot the difference: spekboom rehabilitation is not only an effective climate change response, but also a major source of jobs in the eastern cape.

continued on page 3

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spreAding the cheerKanna’s feelgood factor goes global

the worldwide percentage of reptile, bird and mammal

species in south Africa

record highs for gArden route tourismKNySNA – “This is only the beginning. Watch this space.” These were the confident words of a spokeswoman for the Eden District Tourism Board after the region recorded its highest ever number of visitors for the period of September to December 2020.

What makes this achievement remarkable is the fact that everywhere else in the world tourism numbers, and particularly long-haul destinations, are facing sharp declines due to stringent carbon emissions taxes. This, coupled with a string of extreme weather events such as prolonged droughts and severe coastal storms, should have been enough to scare visitors away from the Southern Cape.

So why the profound change in fortune? The short answer: biodiversity.

The Garden Route Conservation Plan, imple-mented by the South African National Parks a decade ago, saw the integration of conservation and economic develop-ment for the region on an unprecedented scale. It required substantial investment, but the pay-off is nothing short of astounding. To date in 2020, a staggering 360 000 tourists have visited the region, many of whom then went on to visit other destinations in South Africa.That’s more visitors than the total number brought in by the Soccer World Cup back in 2010.

Not only has this planning resulted in a touristdestination rich in natural wonders, but thanks to the buffering effects of these corridors, tourism infrastructure is safe from the harsh effects of our changed climate and provides natural carbon sinks to offset travel. This provides travellers with a safe environment in which to enjoy what is elsewhere a dwindling biodiversity resource. Corridors of healthy ecosystems are proven to be far more robust in the face of extreme weather patterns and offer plants, insects, birds and mammals a rich range of options for adapting to these changes.

Testament to the success of this SANParks project is the inclusion of the Tsitsikamma National Park as an 8th natural wonder of the world due to its unique resilience to biodiversity loss. And while this park is the jewel in the crown of the Garden Route Conservation Plan, it is by no means the only winner here.

The almost R2 billion spent on rehabilitating the networks of corridors that crisscross the province has already been repaid tenfold in tourism revenue alone. It is estimated that around 25 000 new jobs were a direct result of the investment – a figure that looks set to rise even more as we head into the peak holiday season.

Good news for our marine and coastal environment – the conservation plan is not limited to terrestrial biodi-versity. Vast marine protected areas around Knysna have resulted in this being one of the few remaining places on earth where visitors can indulge in a wealth of sustainably harvested local seafood. The protection of fish breeding grounds along this stretch of coast has allowed fish stocks to not only stabilise, but in fact thrive.

testament to the success of this sAnparks project is the inclusion of the tsitsikamma national park asan 8th natural wonder of the world due to its unique resilience tobiodiversity loss.

NOURIVIER – Local communities gathered yesterday to celebrate the opening of the tenth commercial Kanna farm in the country. This small yellow shrub has brought happiness to the world, and economic development and cultural preservation to the Khoi, San, Nama and other indigenous people.

Kanna, or Sceletium Tortuosum, is well known around the world as the most commonly used natural mood enhancing substance. However, just ten years ago the secrets of this highly commercialised plant was known only to those traditional knowl-edge holders, the San people of South Africa.

Early movers, HGH Pharmaceuticals, already recognised the potential of Kanna in 2009, and received an integrated export and bioprospecting permit for commercialisation. The rest of the world took a year or two to catch on, but since then the cultivation of Sceletium has grown into one of the most lucrative business prospects yet to come from the multifaceted biodiversity sector.

This commercialisation process could have easily resulted in the unfair exploitation of South Africa’s indigenous biological resources and traditional knowledge. However, timely and relevant policy, such as the Regulations on Bioprospecting, Access and Ben-efit Sharing (BABS), meant that these resources could be properly governed, and authorities ensured that the communities continue to reap the economic and ecological benefits.

The last decade has seen massive sustainable growth in the industry thanks to the correct ecological management of resources. This ensured a sustainable supply of cultivated indigenous plants, thereby reducing pressure on indigenous wild populations.

With the start of the boom in the industry in 2013, climate change in particular put new pressures on the cultivated variety, threatening the viability of the industry. But through the effective management and protection of the wild genetic stock, these threats were negated.

The Sceletium project has provided numerous benefits to indigenous stakeholders, not to mention the economy of South Africa as a whole. The cultivation and sustainable use of Sceletium has contributed to thousands of employment opportunities over the last ten years. This includes jobs ranging from the labour inten-sive cultivation of the plant to management and skills development with the development of commercial farms.

Once a San secret to mood enhancement, Sceletium is now truly making the world smile, one small yellow flower at a time.

RICHTERSVELD – The second annual People for Peace Parks Conference was held this month to discuss the future of this col-laboration effort between the six Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in Southern Africa. Eighteen delegates representing com-munities and governments from each region, met to discuss how they could work together more effectively to facilitate and promote regional peace, co-operation and socio-economic development.

Represented were the six conservation areas of the !Ai-!Ai Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Area, Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development Area, Great Lim-popo Transfrontier Park and the Lubombo Transfrontier Conser-vation and Resource Area.

For eight years these regions have worked together to miti-gate climate change by ensuring that interlinked ecosystems are well managed for the benefit of all countries. From this collabora-tion the annual People for Peace Parks Conference was established to strategise future collaboration.

The TFCAs, or Peace Parks, consist of large areas of pristine nature conserved for the vital ecosystem services they pro-vide to countries that straddle international borders in the region. Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Member States committed themselves almost two decades ago in 2003 to “promote the conservation of the shared wildlife resources through the establishment of transfrontier conservation areas”. The trans-location of fauna is an ongoing enhancement to the strategy.

Against the backdrop of Africa’s turbulent history, it is clear that the Peace Parks have brought a sense of unity amongst neigh-bouring countries and established a common platform to address economic, social, and environmental goals. The official collabora-tion efforts were kick-started in 2012 when numerous large carbon finance projects, brokered at the 2011 COP 17 Conference in Dur-ban, were initiated in the TFCAs.

These projects were launched in order to stimulate invest-ment into rehabilitating woodlands, conserving wildlife, avoiding deforestation, and promoting fire management. They also boosted tourism with the establishment of Tourist Access Facilities that ena-bled tourists and officials to move with ease across borders into the parks in order to explore walking trails and cycling adventures.

In the course of the last eight years these have combined to become multifaceted development and conservation programmes, enabling vital fundraising to invest back into local green economies in and around the Peace Parks in support of the biodiversity and resilience of the environment.

The result today is economic growth and the development of permanent job opportunities in the communities, who also now have the skills and training to maintain the TFCAs, TAFs and herit-age sites while managing self-sustaining tourism businesses.

The 3rd annual People for Peace Parks Conference is sched-uled for December 2021 at the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

trAns-frontiernAtionAl pArKsnature knows no boundaries

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ApocAlypse now Avertedcontinued from page 1

The third event, fire, came in the form of the worst firestorms to have hit the Cape Peninsula since the late 1950’s. At least eight separate fires – a natural part of the fynbos ecol-ogy – were aided by very hot and dry conditions combined with unusually heavy winds for this time of year.

Had these fires broken out several years earlier, the cost in terms of lives and livelihoods would have been severe. But thanks to the implementation of pre-emptive fire management through ecologically based controlled burns, the removal of hundreds of hectares of alien vegetation and well-organised Working on Fire units, the worst damage was limited to the city’s outer limits.

2020 also saw the first ever Category Four tropical storm hit our shores as Hurricane Sizwe battered the KwaZulu-Natal south coast for almost a week. Seafront properties from Margate to Durban were under threat from gale force winds and some of the biggest waves ever recorded on our coastlines for six consecutive days. Coastal storms of this magnitude were unthinkable just a few decades ago.

If it weren’t for a similar storm in 2012 the eThekwini Municipality might never have implemented measures such as the rehabilitation of mangrove swamps and dune systems to act as buffers against storms of this nature. The R2.2 billion invested over the last decade in these projects, along with the in-troduction of planning regulations preventing new property de-velopments within 1km of the coastline, has saved billions more in damages that could have resulted from this year’s storms.

It is telling to note that all these initiatives were made possible due to large – and now justified – increases in invest-ment in the DEA’s Biodiveristy and Conservation Branch, in partnership with the Natural Resource Management Pro-gramme, SANParks and the SANBI.

Evidence for the catalyst for this dramatic increase in investment in restoring our natural ecological infrastructure appears to point towards the COP17 Climate Change Con-ference back in 2011 in Durban. Delegates negotiating at that critical event in our recent history recognised the role of biodiversity management in adapting to the effects of climate change. Those delegates acted in time.

cApitAl reAchescArbon tArgets

PRETORIA – It’s official. As of 2 December 2020, the City of Tshwane has reached its goal to become a carbon neutral capital city. This important and prestigious milestone was announced at a special parliamentary session today, as almost ten years of planning and work finally paid off.

Following the United Nations Framework Conven-tion on Climate Change in Durban back in 2011, the presi-dency realised the importance of setting an international standard in good climate governance. Partnered with the Tshwane Metro, they laid out a ten-year plan with strict car-bon target milestones. This included substantial investment in reducing emissions in the city as well as increasing the carbon storage capacity of ecosystems within the city limits.

According to a spokesman for the presidency, this was truly an investment in the future of our country. “We realised at Cop17 that we did not have many more opportu-nities to get it right. We wanted to send a strong message to the world, and we did it with almost a year to spare.“

The biggest investment was in the restoration and rehabilitation of wetlands and grasslands in and around the city to increase their carbon storage capacity. According to the CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Insti-tute, the notion that forests alone are the carbon stores of our planet is not simply true. “Grasslands and wetlands, along with mangrove swamps and subtropical thickets, account for far more of our carbon storage. Keeping them healthy is the best investment we could possibly make. But destroy them, and all that carbon gets released into the atmosphere. It’s an incredibly delicate situation.”

Crucial to the success of this project were partners such as the Department of Environmental Affairs Biodiversity and Conservation Branch, SANBI’s Grasslands, Working for Wetlands and Municipal Planning Programmes, South Afri-can National Parks and the Natural Resource Management Programmes.

Other initiatives included planning biodiversity cor-ridors into the urban landscape, ensuring habitat for species, space for residents to relax, the use of rooftop food gardens, vertical gardens, resource efficient architecture, the creation of urban green spaces and the greening of transport routes through walkways, cycle lanes and buses.

While the gauntlet has now been thrown down to other capital cities across the globe, South Africa is not going to rest on its laurels. Both Durban and Cape Town have plans of their own to become carbon neutral in the near future.

tshwAne leAds the wAy in climAte governAnce

orAnge river:life blood of A dry country

where else, so everyone needs to know what they can and can’t do.If we don’t maintain the flow of the river from its source all the way to the sea, millions of people will suffer.”

Since the festival’s inception, it has generated several mil-lion Rands in donations from the private sector, which Govern-ment has pledged to match Rand for Rand. “Maintaining ecosys-tems has so many benefits,” a spokesperson said yesterday. “It helps with climate regulation, it maintains marine resources, it protects food sources, it’s a failsafe in times of drought… If we’re serious about liberating ourselves from conditions that hinder progress, this is something we simply have to do.”

The administrators of the Orange River Ecosystem Fund (OREF) admit that it’s a tricky process to earmark the money for specific projects. “The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa, and the catchment covers about 77% of the land area of South Africa. Complex systems of dams and inter basin transfers are involved in shifting water to where it is needed both inside and outside the basin. For now, we’ve made the Vaal River Barrage Reservoir our biggest priority. We’ve launched a major operation to clean it up, and it should be back in use within the next two to three years.”

By far the biggest success story, however, is the rehabilita-tion of land use practices in Lesotho. By 2011, approximately 2% of topsoil in the Lesotho highlands was being lost every year, silting up dams and even forming sandbars in the river mouth hundreds of kilometres away. The negative impact on the marine ecosystem of the Benguela current had the potential to be devastating, but the timely intervention of the OREF significantly reduced the risk.

“We had no idea that this was happening,” a farmer from the area told a documentary crew at the festival. “But now we know how to farm better. And when you know better, you do better.”

VIOOLSDRIF – Thousands of people from South Africa and neighbouring countries congregated today on the banks of theOrange River to pay homage to the river that impacts all of our lives in some way, however indirect.

The annual Orange River Festival, established in 2012, functions not only as a showcase of the region’s produce and in-dustry, but also serves to raise awareness and highlight the river’s vital function as a life-sustaining force on a continent where water scarcity is more often the rule than the exception.

The festival was the brainchild of a number of South Af-rican delegates at the 2011 COP17 Climate Change Conference. The chairwoman of the festival committee explains their rationale: “Every action in the Orange River basin has a consequence some-

the orange river is the longest river in south Africa, and the

catchment covers about 77% of the land area of south Africa

Biodiversity underpins the ecosystems on which all life depends.

Ecosystem based adaptation provides a natural solution to many of the problems associated with climate change, and millions of nature’s creatures play an important role.

Through ongoing investment in the science and policy of natural capital and ecological infrastructure in South Africa, the South African National Biodiversity Institute is helping to defend against climate change by proving the power of natural solutions and building the green economy.

SANBI Leading the way for ecosystem-based adaptation science, policy and action.

tel: 012 843 5000 email: info@sanbi.org.za

www.sanbi.org Biodiversity for LifeSANBI

Harnessing Nature’s Forces in Response to Climate Change

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soil is A diAmondcArbon credits fund improved Agriculture

people don’t reAlisethAt soil is in mAnywAys more vAluAble tosouth AfricA thAn diAmondsor gold or Any of our othermAjor resources”

but also of the hard work, cooperation and financial support that made the rehabilitation a reality.

While the joint efforts of local municipal and devel-opment planners and the community contributed greatly to the reversal of the desertification of the soil, adequate fund-ing is key to the success of a project of this magnitude, and here the DEA played an integral role.

According to the DEA, COP17 presented South Africa with the opportunity to spread awareness about the importance of issues such as soil investment. The first step towards land rehabilitation is the realisation that soil is the substrate that all living plants depend on. Healthy soils that are maintained with a good groundcover of vegetation pro-vide minerals and nutrients to plants, maintain soil moisture and provide a massive carbon sink.

“People don’t realise that soil is in many ways more valuable to South Africa than diamonds or gold or any of our other major resources,” said a spokesman for one of the major investors in the project. “If we want the land to take care of us, we have to take care of the land. Perhaps in future we will have a greater awareness of our impact on the soil.”

Environmentalists remain positive that Limpopo Province’s success story will be but one of many to come out of the soil investment project. However, the challenge faced by the project is immense. 91% of South Africa is made up of water stressed areas known as Drylands – areas which are highly prone to desertification. Still, if investors keep on pledging their support, it is possible to continue making headway in the process of rehabilitating the agricultural loci of our country.

According to the DEA there is no reason to drag our feet on this. Soil investment is not money wasted – it creates jobs, boosts food security and mitigates the threat and dam-age of natural disasters such as flash floods, landslides and storms.

THABINA, LIMPOPO PROVINCE – yesterday, the Lim-popo province declared the first fully rehabilitated agricul-tural area in South Africa – a success that can be wholly at-tributed to a R200 million soil conservation project started in 2011.

The idea behind the project was to build on the ef-forts of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) Social Responsibility Programme, which, at the time, was focused on the agricultural rehabilitation of the Thabina area. Representatives of several interest groups attended the unveiling of a monument in Thabina yesterday, celebrating a success that started there and which has had far reaching repercussions in the last decade and a half – from creating thousands of jobs in the province to boosting food security for the nation as a whole.

Organisers of yesterday’s celebration pinpointed Thabina as the logical choice for the festivities. Today, if you visit Thabina, you find yourself in a hub of agricultural de-velopment where man and nature coexist to the benefit of both. But this “beehive thinking” has not always been the case. By 2010, 70% of South Africa was facing widespread degradation from erosion caused by water and wind on poorly managed lands.

In Thabina, as early as 2006, the situation was dire: millions of tons of soil had eroded into the rivers and the freshwater supplies. Nearby rivers became shallower and the amount of good quality freshwater available in storage dams decreased significantly. The soil became shallow, rendering large tracts of land unsuitable for agriculture, and as the soil became poorer, so did the inhabitants of the area.

The DEA’s social responsibility programme, working with an investment of R9.5 million, brought much needed relief to the Thabina area – not only in terms of restoring the land, but also by creating close on two hundred jobs between 2006 and 2011. The monument that was erected yesterday is intended as a symbol, not only of the hardship of the past,

pArtners in biodiversity

successful soil rehabilitation means food security for the country as well as jobs where they are needed most.

feAture

biodiversity, wAter& cArbon storAge

91% of south AfricA is clAssified As drylAnd

70% of south AfricAis Affected by erosion

10% of south AfricAis covered by invAsive

plAnt species

7% of south AfricAnrAinwAter is lost to

invAsive plAnts

30% heAlthy wetlAnds 10% dAmAged wetlAnds

40% heAlthy grAsslAnds 50%

dAmAged grAsslAnds

20%

emit cArbon (dAmAged)store cArbon (heAlthy)

wetlAnds Act Assponges controllingthe flow of wAter in

ecosystems thAt bufferAgAinst floods And droughts

natural regulatory systemsof water in ecosystems that

buffer against floodsand droughts

grAsslAnds

disAster preventionthe world bAnK estimAtes thAt every dollAr spent on ecosystem bAsed

disAster prevention sAves seven dollArs in the cost of nAturAl disAsters

$$

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The rehabilitation of wetlands across South Africa unites people, biodiversity and engineering to create thousands of climate friendly jobs.

Conservation officials at Addo Elephant National Park support a burgeoningtourism economy in South Africa’s poorest province.

Value added industries that use wood from invasive plant clearing projectscreate jobs and ensure school children get strong, sustainable desks.

Carefully managed indigenous nurseries ensure that South Africa’s gardensare increasingly water wise and biodiversity friendly.

Entrepreneurial teams are being up-skilled nationwide through rehabilitationand restoration work in the biodiversity sector.

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Teams of fire fighters prepare themselves to manage the wildfires that ravagemillions of hectares of South Africa every year.

A burgeoning wild flower industry supports the sustainable management ofSouth Africa’s rich biodiversity while fuelling low-carbon economic opportunities.

Various ‘working for the environment’ programmes created hundreds of thousands of work opportunities across South Africa between 1994 and 2011.

Highly skilled fire fighters save South African cities from increasinglyintense wildfires.

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1 025 8301 025 830jobs creAted AnnuAlly in south AfricA

from economic Activities directlysupported by biodiversity

weAlth generAted AnnuAllyin south AfricAfrom economic Activitiesdirectly supportedby biodiversity

r27.2billion

r55.9billion

r27.9billion

total foreign direct spend from all tourism in south Africa (r28 billion more than gold exports)

biodiversitypowering A green economy

486 000worK opportunities creAted

in environmentAl rehAbilitAtionprogrAmmes since 1995

27 000 jobs &r4.5 billion

the south AfricAn fishingindustry AnnuAlly generAtes 70 000 jobs & r1 billion

generAted AnnuAlly through gAme rAnching Activities in south AfricA

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PRETORIA – The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) today announced an increase of 10% in revenue from the fishing industry since 2011. The official press release states that “an increased focus on Marine Protected Areas in the wake of the 2011 COP17 Climate Change Conference, coupled with government’s previous commitment to the protection of wetlands and estuaries as nurseries for fishing stocks, has allowed fish stocks in all the major fishing centres of the country to be replenished on a continual basis. This has resulted in bigger catches, a greater contribution to the country’s GDP and, consequently, the creation of a substan-tial number of new jobs and a marked decrease in crime in fishing communities.”

The upturn in the fishing industry has been wel-comed by economic analysts from all quarters. In 2011, the South African commercial fishing industry contributed 0,5% to the national GDP, and 28 000 households in 147 com-munities across the country were dependent on subsistence fishery for their survival. A marked decline in the catch rate since the 1950s did not bode well for either commercial fish-ing or subsistence fishing; aside from the obvious economic and socio-economic implications such as decreased revenue, job loss, poverty and the concurrent hikes in the crime rate, subsistence fishing also represents a valuable part of South Africa’s rich cultural heritage. Research suggests that of the 28 000 households that practice subsistence fishing, 80% have done so for more than 50 years.

Government’s first significant step towards prevent-ing a total collapse of the fishing industry manifested in the

mArine protected AreAssAve fishing industryfrom collApse

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adoption of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries manage-ment (EAF), which took full effect in 2012.

This approach is supported by a comprehensive body of research, which points out that the protection of nurseries can prevent the depletion of fish stocks. The re-verse is equally true: Forbes et al (1994) estimated that “the loss of the Richards Bay Harbour’s nursery area could re-duce the offshore catch of prawns by 30-40%”. Since the KwaZulu-Natal crustacean trawl fishery alone amounted to an industry of roughly R12.1 million per year in 2011, EAF was the logical approach to adopt in order to sustain the fish-ing industry.

Furthermore, two thirds of fish species targeted by subsistence fishers in KZN are estuary dependent, com-pounding the importance of implementing an approach to marine conservation based on the establishment and safe-guarding of marine protected areas.

“The subsistence fishermen are just as important to us as the big guys,” a government representative said in 2011, as the EAF initiative was being finalised. “In this country we all de-serve equal consideration. Fishing is no exception.”

Today, nearly a decade later, the government’s timely intervention in the fishing industry has reaped real rewards, as is clear from the massive increase in revenue from the in-dustry. But what about subsistence fishers? Did government’s promise hold true?

“Now we can all make a living,” commented a fish-erman from Richards Bay when approached by a journalist from a local paper. “We can now get licences every season. My children have food. My wife is happy. I feel proud to be a fisherman again. And now I tell everyone: my government did that.”

sAfAri Airline boostswildlife economyDURBAN – Today marks the touchdown of world-re-nowned Safari Airline’s 1000th flight at Durban’s dedicated wildlife travel airport, Hippo International. From Durban the flight will depart for Kruger International Airport.

While several distinguished guests, including the American president and other public figures from the worlds of politics, entertainment and nature conservation are ex-pected to arrive on the special flight, the true focus of the excitement is the flight itself. With its 1000th flight, Safari Airline officially becomes the world’s first fully operational, dedicated, daily wildlife tourism airline, by proxy designating South Africa the African safari destination of the world.

Safari Airline has struck up a direct partnership with conservation and rural development initiatives across South Africa. This has allowed the airline to invest directly in car-bon sequestration activities through a series of ‘payment for ecosystem services’ projects countrywide. These projects allow rural communities to generate income for managing their biodiversity assets while providing visitors with magnifi-cent landscapes to enjoy during their travels.

Safari Airline initially attracted international me-dia attention when it launched its first test flights in 2016. “It’s been a slow process,” said a spokeswoman for the air-line, “but considering the success of the Airline, we are very pleased. Our vision from the get-go was to draw on South Africa’s rich natural and cultural heritage in order to create sustainable jobs and to unlock the immense human potential of the rural people of South Africa.”

The first steps towards making Safari Airline a real-ity were taken at the COP17 Climate Change Conference in Durban in 2011, when co-founders first presented their blue-print for the airline to various government representatives.

The idea of a dedicated wildlife tourism airline just made sense. By 2005, tourism was already a major economic driver in South Africa with a Total Foreign Direct Spend of R55.9 billion. This was R28 billion more than gold exports. By 2010, the wildlife industry was worth R1 billion a year, creating 70 000 jobs in job scarce provinces like Limpopo, the Northern Cape, and the Eastern Cape.

Consequently, in 2012, a vision was born to advance the possibilities of the rural communities of South Africa based on the expansion of the vibrant “economy of wild-life”. Safari refer to this vision as the “Corridors of Hope” vision, since the idea was to showcase the South African nat-ural and cultural treasures which lay dormant in seemingly forgotten corridors of South Africa.

Statistics SA has confirmed that the initiative has yielded 500 000 new jobs in the rural provinces of Mpu-malanga, KZN, the Eastern Cape and the Free State since its inception. And, of course, it has helped South Africa to become the most sought after and diverse safari travel desti-nation in the world. Safari Airline hostess Janice Adams just laughs when asked if she could have conceived of this when Safari started out. “Seeing your dreams become a reality is part of what it means to be a South African. If we want something, we make it happen.”

sAfAri refer to this As the

“corridors of hope”

and

Make a beeline . . . for theFreshlyground

Concertthe Living

Beehive

Join COP17 ambassadors

Freshlyground

at Durban Botanic Gardenson the 8th December at 7pm in laying the path for

beehive thinking about

biodiversity

and

climate change . . .

Go to www.webtickets.co.za or buy tickets at the door

Book a Corporate spot through laurenl@wildlands.co.za

government intervention in safeguarding marine protected areas has reaped rewards for subsistence fishermen and the commercial industry alike.

business

10

biodiversity invests inhumAn cApitAldriving growth in Knowledgeeconomy through skills development

CAPE TOWN – The start of our journey towards a nation with employment and equal opportunities for all by 2030 may have been credited in the history books to the National Planning Commission’s vision almost ten years ago. However, if you look closer, you will find that part of this journey started much earlier, in 2005.

At the halfway mark of the NPC’s 20 year vision, South Africa can look back at a fruitful decade in which the government and the biodiversity sector joined hands to truly utilise the country’s rich natural resources. What this meant for the country with the third richest biodiversity in the world was economic development, job creation and poverty eradication. It also contributed to the preservation of the ecologically and economically sustainable resources enjoyed by all South Africans today.

Six years before the NPC released its vision for 2030, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2005) had already outlined the need for capacity and transformation in South Africa’s biodiversity sector.

However, there were numerous challenges to achieving these objectives. For starters, far too few resources were allocated to Natural Resource Management (NRM) and conservation. The development of this sector also had limited institutional capacity, limited human capacity and inappropriate development concepts.

The skills shortage in the sector, in particular, created a cycle of underdevelopment: without the skills to manage our biodiversity optimally, recruiting a high level of qualified – and demographically representative – managers and scientists was near impossible.

A strategy development in 2008 (and rebranded more accurately in November 2011) along with contribu-tions by the National Revenue Fund and private sector partners, enabled the South African National Biodiversity Institute to invest heavily in education and recruitment. This lead to large scale skills development and job creation in areas such as green engineering, agricultural extension in conservation farming, biodiversity system analysis and modelling, resource economics, wetland specialists, and educators specialising in human capacity development.

The National Revenue Fund and the National Biodiversity Institute are currently busy establishing measur-able strategic goals for their journey forward, of which the primary objective remains combining ecological develop-ment and conservation with eradicating unemployment and inequality by 2030.

jobs

environmentAl mAnAgementinspector (emi)

Positions are available to act as an Environmental ManagementInspector for the Department of Environmental Affairs, ProvincialEnvironmental Departments and Provincial Organs of State.

Successful applicants will be designated as EMIs after completing anEMI training course. The position requires the employee to enforce the specific environmental legislation including the National Environ-mental Management Act pertaining to Biodiversity, Air Quality, and Protected Areas.

Responsibilities will include route inspection, investigation, enforce-ment, and exercising administrative duties. All suitable applicants can send their applications to the Department of Environmental Affairs before 30 December 2020.

gAme rAnger

Employment opportunities are available for dedicated and hardworking individuals to become Game Rangers in one of SouthAfrica’s numerous National Parks.

The individual must have practical knowledge and a love for nature, be able to use a firearm, and be fluent in English, Afrikaans andpreferably a third African language. Responsibilities will include tasks such as capturing game, culling, monitoring actions, fencing, andsupport to research projects. The Game Ranger will also beresponsible for law enforcement in the protected areas.

Individuals who are interested in the positions available can send their applications to the National Parks Board before 30 December 2020.

environmentAl officer (eo)Positions are available to act as Environmental Officers for the Department of Environmental Affairs in various locations around South Africa. Prospective Environmental Officers need to be in possession of a qualification in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management,or Nature Conservation. Responsibilities will include reporting on specific issues related to work areas and providing feedback to stakehold-ers, preparing policy discussion documents, and facilitating stakeholder consultations with relevant multilateral institutions, organisations, forums and partners.

The Environmental Officer will also have to conduct research relatedto their area of operation, whereby the Officer will have to apply theBioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations in terms of Chapter 6 of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act.

Qualified individuals must send their applications to the Department of Environmental Affairs before 30 December 2020.

wildlAnd fire fighteryouth from marginalised South African communities are invited to jointhe Working for Fire team to help fight unwanted wildland fires andimplement integrated fire management initiatives.

Successful applicants will receive extensive training in fire awareness and education, fire prevention and fire suppression. They will make up groups of fire fighting ground crews stationed at bases around the country.Additionally, the fire fighters will educate local communities about fire safety and highlight the potential benefits of responsible custodianshipof their environment.

Any individual interested in this opportunity must get into contact with Working for Fire. No previous experience required.

eco-tourism: nAture-bAsed tour guides

Motivated individuals with an in-depth knowledge of plant and animal species (especially game) and strong interpersonal skillsare invited to apply for positions available as Tour Guides in the Eco-tourism industry.

The position will entail providing nature-based services to tourists by communicating information and imparting knowledge on the natural aspects, such as game, fauna and flora, as well as thecultural heritage aspects of the Protected Area.

Training can be obtained through affiliation with the Field Guid-ing Association. Individuals who fit the above description must send their applications to the Field Guide Association before the 30th of December 2020.

Various science museums and research centres offer you theopportunity to work in the field of Taxonomy and Systematics.

This comprises the describing, naming and classifying of nature, and studying its origins and interrelationships.This forms the basic building blocks of the study of nature, and comprises a key discipline of science on which manyothers depend.

Specific employment for individuals with the necessary qualifications include opportunities in the field of Ornithology, Mammalogy, Entomology, Palaeontology and Herpetology.

hAve you considered:A cAreer in tAxonomy?

11trAvel

A flourishing estate developed on 200 hectares of this land also benefits the local community and contributes towards the management of the reserve.

somKhAndA: A plAce whereconservAtion And development meet

for further details, contact the reserve

on 034 414 1094

A little piece of paradise – This is what you will find when you start exploring the various natural jewels in the KwaZul-Natal region.

The Somkhanda Game Reserve and Pongola Bio-sphere Reserve is not just a tranquil retreat where you can experience this beautiful region at its best, but by visiting this reserve you will also be contributing to over ten years of Black Rhino conservation and development of the local communities.

The Somkhanda Game Reserve is 16 000 hectares of biodiversity heaven located between Mkuze and Pongola, bordering the Pongola Biosphere Reserve. With the original land claim by the Gumbi community, land was set aside for housing and subsistence farming. With the help of a long established partnership with the eLan property group, The Green Trust, WWF and The Wildlands Conservation Trust, the reserve has grown into one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most successful tourism and conservations sites. A flourishing es-tate developed on 200 hectares of this land also benefits the local community and contributes towards the management of the reserve.

In addition to a weekend hide-away, breathtaking sights, luxury camps and superb African cuisine, your stay at the Somkhanda Game Reserve will also help build further employment opportunities and expand conservation efforts. The community has played a pivotal role in taking owner-ship of the WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, as well as serving the greater scope of Biodiversity manage-ment through bush clearing and invasive plant control initia-tives inside and outside the reserve.

The community’s role in developing the reserve and its conservation efforts has been invaluable. Through the creation of employment opportunities, local residents have taken ownership and joined hands with the reserve to share in the fruits of their labour and celebrate together the birth of every new Black Rhino. This mutually beneficial relation-ship has been the cornerstone for the success in protecting the once endangered Black Rhino and celebrating eight “poacher-free” years.

contact 033 845 1000 orbookings@kznwildlife.comfor further details

Weary travellers and nature lovers alike will find a home away from home on the sandy banks of the Black Mfolozi River. The Nselweni Bush Camp is situated in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park and it was originally built as a joint venture with members of the surrounding community.

Nestled in a stand of well grown uMtombothi trees, the camp consists of four two-bed elevated sleeping units, a central lounge and dining area, and a fully equipped kitchen. Staff can attend to a maximum of 16 guests and cooks can produce a variety of tasty meals with the food of choice pro-vided by the visitors.

Bush camps only cater for one party at a time and guests can enjoy the relaxed privacy of their camp, or a field ranger can lead visitors on walks into the corridor area of the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park.

nselweni bush lodge

rocKing the crAdleworld heritage convention celebrations scheduled for fossil site

JOHANNESBURG – Just under two years from now, in 2022, UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention will celebrate its 50th anniversary. And, in what has been described as a major coup for South Africa, the official venue of the half-centenary celebra-tions will be the Cradle of Humankind, just outside Johannesburg.

According to a UNESCO statement released earlier in the week, the awarding of the honour to this world famous fos-sil hominid site was in recognition of the pioneering work in safeguarding the area against the effects of climate change.

Extensive wetlands and grasslands rehabilitation projects over the past eight years have meant that the area, in-cluding the Sterkfontein Caves complex, was spared from the devastating effects of floods and the subsequent erosion following Gauteng’s record breaking rainfall this summer.

Following the COP17 conference in Durban in 2011, cli-mate change was identified as the most important new threat to the 936 cultural and natural world heritage sites spread across 153 coun-tries. Related impacts include the forced migration of species, the loss of archeological evidence, coastal erosion as well as aesthetic im-pacts due to visual degradation. South Africa has been strengthening its efforts to ensure the effective management of its world heritage properties and those of the African Region for more than a decade.

South Africa is well represented on the prestigious list with eight sites: iSimangaliso, Robben Island, Richtersveld, Mapun-gubwe, Vredefort Dome, Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg, Cape Floral Region and the Fossil Hominid Sites, comprising of the Cradle of Humankind, Taung and Makapan Valley.

climate change was identifiedas the most important threat

to the 936 heritage sites

constructed to resemble a massive burial mound, the maropeng visitor centre at the cradle of humankind offers a truly world class experience. maropeng means “returning to the place of origin” in setswana.

weeK two

Registration09:00-10:00

Opening & Keynote Address10:00-11:15 DEA,UNCCD & ICRAF

Panel 1: Can the world afford not to go land degradation neutral?

11:15-13:00

tue 06 lAnd dAy 5: Achieving zero net lAnd degrAdAtion: impActs on climAte chAnge issues

Panel 2: How will land degradation neutrality impact climate change issues such as adaptation, mitigation and resilience building?

15:00-15:40

Panel 3: Potential contribution of ‘zero net land deg-radation target’ in driving the synergy agenda at all levels: best practices and successful case studies

15:50-17:30

Summary and Closing17:30-18:00

Evening Reception with UNCCD Drylands Ambas-sador and South African Gospel Star, Deborah Fraser

18:00-19:00

Business Engagement in the Rio Conventions– Breakfast event

08:30-10:00 CBD (D. Steuerman)

wed 07 business, mitigAtion,economics And synergies

Managing Coastal Ecosystems forClimate Mitigation

10:00-11:30 Blue Carbon (D. Herr)

Biodiversity, Climate Change and Sustainable Devel-opment - Harnessing Synergies for PremiumsVenue TBC

12:30-15:00 South Africa, DEA & World Bank

Integrated economic assessment – Unlocking the investment potential of land resources and ecosystem services

15:30-17:00 The Global Mechanism

Innovative Financing17:15-18:45 DEA & National Treasury

what’s on at the rio conventions pavilion?pongola room, networking marquee,climate change response and expo101 bram fischer road, durban

weeK one

Indigenous Peoples: Key proposals for mitigation and adaptation actions based on the sustainable use and management of their land, territories and resources

10:00-12:00 Conservation Intl.

Taking Community Voices to COP17 through the medium of Photo Stories and Theatre

13:30-15:00 DEA &Resource Africa

Outcomes of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency, International Student Conference on Climate Change and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

15:30-17:00 DEA & DST

Pavilion Opening EventChair: Mr Mketeni DEA DDG B&C ; Key note: Min-ister DST opening; followed by welcome reception

17:30-18:30 DEA & Pavilion Partners

tue 29 indigenous peoples & locAl Knowledge

Gender Mainstreaming in the Rio Conventions10:00-14:00 Rio Conventions

Gender High-Level segment: Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs: Mrs. Rejoice Mabudafhasi;Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities; Chief Executive Officer: South Africa National Biodiversity Institute: Dr Abrahamse; Chief Operations Officer: DEA: Ms McCourt

13:30-15:00 DEA

Gender and the Art of Implementation15:30-17:00 IUCN

One World: The MusicalEducating about the impacts of climate change

17:30-19:30 Responding to Climate Change (E. King)

wed 30 gender And the rio conventions

Building Capacities for REDD+10:00-12:00 UN-REDD, UNDP & IUCN

Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration – Restoring 150 million hectaresby 2020

13:30-17:00 IUCN & GPFLR

Biocultural protocols: Safeguards lessons for REDD+ from the CBD

17:30-19:30 Natural Justice &IPACC

thu 01 redd+

Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Mountain Regions

09:00-12:30 UNDP, UNEP & IUCN

Landscape Approach to Adaptation 13:30-15:00 DEA & SANBI

EBA as a key component of SA government Climate change response. Convener: Dr Guy Preston

15:30-17:00 DEA & SANBI

Connect4Climate: Smart-Crowding 4 Climate Change 2.0

17:30-19:30 Connect4Climate

fri 02 AdAptAtion

Ecosystem-based Adaptation: Lessons learnt from islands’ experience and proposing EBA guidelines

10:00-12:00 IUCN/EC & GLISPA

Pacific Voyage to Climate Change Adaptation12:00-13:30 SPREP

Exploring the Synergies between Ecosystem and Community based Adaptation

13:30-15:30 ELAN

Practical design and implementation of joint Ecosystem and Community based adaptation strategies at sub-national levels in Least Devel-oped Countries and Small Island States

15:30-17:30 The Nature Conservancy

sat 03 AdAptAtion

Raising awareness of the central role of oceans in global climate processes, followed by a cocktail event at 18:15. Featuring talks by:Deputy Minister Mrs. Rejoice Mabudafhasi, DEA;Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum; Dr. Wendy Watson-Wright, Executive Secretary UNESCO

10:00-17:45 DEA, Global Ocean Forum, IOC-UNESCO,GEF UNDP/UNEP, African LME projects

oceAns dAy (separate venue)

thu 08 protected AreAs & closing eventCSOs for Land Restoration: A land degradation neutral green economy breakfast event

10:00-12:00 UNDDD & IATF

Protected Areas: Nature’s Response toClimate Change

12:30-16:30 DEA, SANParks & MDTP

Rio Conventions Pavilion Closing Event:Looking Forward to Rio+20

17:00-19:00 DEA & Pavilion Partners

pleAse recycle After reAding

www.ogilvyearth.co.za

sun 04 forest dAy (olive convention centre)

Climate Smart Cities: Synergies of Adaptation and Mitigation

10:00-12:00 ICLEI, DEA &TCPA

Cities as Green Economic Drivers: Ecosystem Services for Climate Smart Cities

12:30-14:00

Cities Becoming Productive Producers: Panel debate and audience Q&A

14:30-16:00

mon 05 climAte smArt cities: locAlgovernments plAnning for nAture

Happy Cities: Reception Event16:30-18:30