Eleanor McGregor [Director: Conservation]

Gauteng Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

On behalf of Adv. John Nesidoni (Acting HOD)

Overall Policy Perspective on Biodiversity & Governance

Keynote Address

Biodiversity is life- Biodiversity is our life

WRC Seminar Tswaing Meteorite Crater Reserve

Soutpan (Soshanguve)

17 September 2010

Overview of presentation

Biodiversity- South Africa’s rich heritage General value of Biodiversity Biodiversity management pressures &

challenges Legal tools and broad policy framework –

Governance.

2

South Africa3rd most biodiverse country in the

world

Biodiversity underpins development

Biodiversity can alleviate poverty and create work

Biodiversity can increase agricultural productivity

Biodiversity can prevent a water crisis in SA

Biodiversity can reduce the cost of disaster management

Biodiversity can help us adapt to climate change

ForestryAgriculture Mining

Pressures on biodiversity

Loss of natural habitat = single biggest threat to biodiversity in SA

Other key competing pressures / Challenges

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Increased urban sprawl/ urban development Socio-economic drivers Non aligned legislation Aligning and integrating importance of biodiversity &

knowledge of conservation tools in development strategies

Legal context for biodiversity management

Four main pieces of legislation-– Constitution of SA (sec 24)– National Environmental Management Act 1998– National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act

2003– National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 2004

(established SANBI)

Several regulations linked to these Acts

BIODIVERSITY GOALS

• Representation & Persistence• Climate change design principles

STRATEGY 1Expand and consolidate

protected areanetwork

STRATEGY 2Prevent loss of natural habitat in biodiversity

priority areas outside the PA network

Pro

tect

ed A

reas

Act B

iodiversity Act,

NE

MA

& E

IA regs

Tools for conservation agencies

(incl contracts with private and communal landowners)

Tools for land-use planning &

decision-making in other sectors

Policy context for biodiversity management

NBSAP: National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (2005)

NSBA: National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (2004)

NBF: National Biodiversity Framework (2008) NPAES: National Protected Area Expansion Strategy

(2008)

Examples of National Protected Area Expansion Strategies in South Africa

National Protected AreaExpansion Strategy (NPAES)

First for SA Includes

terrestrial, freshwater and marine

Ecosystem-specific protected area targets

Strong focus on climate change resilience

NP

AE

S: F

ocus

are

as fo

rla

nd

-bas

ed P

A e

xpan

sion

1

2

4

3

5

7

8

9

6

Priority areas for offshore MPAs

Offshore MPA Focal Areas

Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area

Fish Support Area

Rehabilitation for FEPA

Upstream Management Area

Flagship Free-flowing River

NFEPA

Identifies National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs)

To inform water resource planning and management

Governance

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Science

Policy

Management

Definition of Governance:

The way in which society as a whole manages the full array of its political, economic and social affairs.

3 key elements linked to BD Governance

Regional/Provincial

Levels of Governance

Local

National

International Agreements

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DWA

DEA

DAFF

SANBI

SANParks

OC

Provincial EA & Conservation

Authorities

LA

E.g. Gauteng Dept of Agric & Rural dev.

etc

NGO

LA Comm

International Agreements

Current flow of inter- relations

in SA

National Frameworks

Systematic Biodiversity Plan(usually provincial)

New ones in future?

Map ofCritical Biodiversity Areas

(local government)

Mu

lti-sectoral

planning tools, framew

orks, assessments etc

Bioregional Plans (e.g. at district

level)

IDPs

EMFs

SEAs

EIAs

Coastal Mgmt Plans

State of Env Reports

SDFs

Biodiversity sector’sinput into…

Mandate for water:

Department of Water Affairs

Mandate for biodiversity:

Department of Env Affairs

Shared mandate for freshwater biodiversity

E.g. The shared mandate for freshwater biodiversity

NFEPA identifies freshwater ecosystem priority areas – the biodiversity sector’s input into DWA-led water resource planning and management

Conclusion

Improve decision-making processes Support biodiversity governance at the local level Improve policy coherence and mainstreaming of

biodiversity across all sectors Resourcing biodiversity conservation implementation

on the ground Value ecosystem services in order understand what it

is ‘worth’ & how much it would cost to attempt to replicate these services – Cost would be astronomical

“Take home message”

“Biodiversity governance should be the way society at all scales manages its social, economic and political affairs with the aim to protect ecological functioning and biodiversity”

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