1. 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

2. Overview of presentation
Biodiversity- South Africa’s rich heritage
General value of Biodiversity
Biodiversity management pressures & challenges
Legal tools and broad policy framework – Governance.

3. South Africa 3rd most biodiverse country in the world

5. 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

6. Pressures on biodiversity
Agriculture
Forestry
Mining
Loss of natural habitat = single biggest threat to biodiversity in SA

7. 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

8. 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

9. STRATEGY 1 network STRATEGY 2
BIODIVERSITY GOALS
Representation & Persistence
Climate change design principles
STRATEGY 1
Expand and consolidate protected area
network
STRATEGY 2
Prevent loss of natural habitat in biodiversity priority areas outside the PA network
Biodiversity Act,
NEMA & EIA regs
Protected Areas Act
Tools for conservation agencies
(incl contracts with private and communal landowners)
Tools for
land-use planning & decision-making in other sectors

10. 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)

11. Examples of National Protected Area Expansion Strategies in South Africa

12. National Protected Area Expansion Strategy (NPAES)
First for SA
Includes terrestrial, freshwater and marine
Ecosystem-specific protected area targets
Strong focus on climate change resilience

13. land-based PA expansion
NPAES: Focus areas for
land-based PA expansion

14. Offshore MPA Focal Areas1 2 4 3 5 7 8 9 6
Priority areas for offshore MPAs

15. Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area
Fish Support Area
Rehabilitation for FEPA
Upstream Management Area
Flagship Free-flowing River

16. NFEPA Identifies National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs)
To inform water resource planning and management

17. Governance Policy Science Management
3 key elements linked to BD Governance
Definition of Governance:
The way in which society as a whole manages the full array of its political, economic and social affairs.
Science
Policy
Management

18. Levels of Governance National Regional/Provincial
Local
International Agreements

19. Current flow of inter- relations in SA
International Agreements
DAFF
DWA
SANBI OC
DEA
Current flow of
inter- relations in SA
SANParks
Provincial EA & Conservation Authorities
E.g. Gauteng Dept of Agric & Rural dev.
etc LA
NGO LA
Comm

20. planning tools, frameworks, assessments etc
National Frameworks
planning tools, frameworks, assessments etc
Multi-sectoral
IDPs
Systematic Biodiversity Plan
(usually provincial)
SDFs
Map of
Critical Biodiversity Areas (local government)
EMFs
Bioregional Plans (e.g. at district level)
SEAs
EIAs
Coastal Mgmt Plans
State of Env Reports
Biodiversity sector’s
input into…
New ones in future?

21. 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
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

22. 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

23. “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”