The ball is rolling to develop a South African National Strategy for Plant Conservation
As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, South Africa is required to develop a
national strategy for plant conservation that is aligned with the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation (GSPC). The GSPC, which was adopted by Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2002, and revised for a further 10 years (2011-2020) in 2010,
consists of 16 outcome orientated targets for conserving plants. For more information on the
GSPC please see www.plants2020.net.
In South Africa we have a rather different story. Having our highly diverse floras, and being a
country in which conservation goals need to compete with other government priorities for social
and economic development, the GSPC global targets are highly ambitious and not likely to be
achievable in our unique context. Additionally, South African plant conservation does not take
place in isolation but is rather integrated into general biodiversity conservation work. It is for
these reasons that procedures are underway to develop achievable targets for South Africa within
the flexible framework provided by the global strategy. There is a need for a truly South African
National Strategy for Plant Conservation.
Workshops have been and continue to take place, bringing together organisations and individuals
to table feasible goals for the South African context and to develop means of attaining such
goals. Momentum is being maintained in laying the foundations, the team is completely
committed to ensure that this strategy is developed, albeit the significant workload it will entail.
In October 2013 the Global Plant Conservation Partnership meet to evaluate progress being
made by countries with the strategy, it would be ideal to have South Africa’s strategy complete
and ready for this meeting. Individuals and institutions have been assigned to take responsibility
for working to develop each target and our National Strategy for Plant Conservation is slowly
but surely coming together.
The first of a series of workshops to discuss the way forward for the NSPC for South Africa was
held on the 26th and 27th March at Kirstenbosch, hosted by the SANBI Threatened Species
programme and the Botanical Society of South Africa.
For further information contact: D.Raimondo@sanbi.org.za or
Z.Rabaney@botanicalsociety.org.za