Overall Policy Perspective on
Biodiversity & Governance
Keynote Address
Eleanor McGregor [Director: Conservation]
Gauteng Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
On behalf of Adv. John Nesidoni (Acting HOD)
Biodiversity is life- Biodiversity is our life
WRC Seminar Tswaing Meteorite Crater Reserve
Soutpan (Soshanguve)
17 September 2010
Overview of presentation
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Biodiversity- South Africa’s rich heritage
General value of Biodiversity
Biodiversity management pressures &
challenges
Legal tools and broad policy framework –
Governance.
South Africa
3rd most biodiverse country in the
world
Biodiversity underpins development
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Biodiversity can alleviate poverty and create work
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Biodiversity can increase agricultural productivity
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Biodiversity can prevent a water crisis in SA
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Biodiversity can reduce the cost of disaster
management
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Biodiversity can help us adapt to climate change
Pressures on biodiversity
Agriculture
Forestry
Mining
Loss of natural habitat =
single biggest threat to
biodiversity in SA
Other key competing pressures /
Challenges
Increased urban sprawl/ urban development
Socio-economic drivers
Non aligned legislation
Aligning and integrating importance of biodiversity &
knowledge of conservation tools in development
strategies
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Legal context for biodiversity management
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Four main pieces of legislation–
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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
STRATEGY 1
Expand and consolidate
protected area
network
Tools for conservation
agencies
(incl contracts with private
and communal landowners)
STRATEGY 2
Prevent loss of natural
habitat in biodiversity
priority areas outside the
PA network
Tools for
land-use planning &
decision-making in other
sectors
Biodiversity Act,
NEMA & EIA regs
Protected Areas Act
• Representation & Persistence
• Climate change design principles
Policy context for biodiversity management
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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 Area
Expansion Strategy (NPAES)
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First for SA
Includes
terrestrial,
freshwater and
marine
Ecosystemspecific
protected area
targets
Strong focus on
climate change
resilience
NPAES: Focus areas for
land-based PA expansion
Offshore MPA Focal Areas
Priority areas for offshore MPAs
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Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area
Fish Support Area
Rehabilitation for FEPA
Upstream Management Area
Flagship Free-flowing River
NFEPA
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Identifies National Freshwater Ecosystem
Priority Areas (FEPAs)
To inform water resource planning and
management
Governance
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
Policy
Science
Management
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Levels of
Governance
National
Regional/Provincial
International Agreements
Local
International
Agreements
DAFF
DWA
SANBI
OC
DEA
Current flow of
inter- relations
in SA
SANParks
Provincial EA &
Conservation
Authorities
LA
LA
NGO
Comm
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E.g. Gauteng
Dept of Agric
& Rural dev.
etc
IDPs
Systematic Biodiversity Plan
(usually provincial)
SDFs
Map of
Critical Biodiversity Areas
(local government)
EMFs
Bioregional Plans
(e.g. at district
level)
Biodiversity sector’s
input into…
State of Env
Reports
SEAs
EIAs
Coastal Mgmt
Plans
New ones in
future?
Multi-sectoral
planning tools, frameworks, assessments etc
National Frameworks
E.g. The shared mandate for freshwater biodiversity
Mandate for
water:
Department of
Water Affairs
Mandate for
biodiversity:
Department of
Env Affairs
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
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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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