SYNERGIES BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES

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2 SYNERGIES BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP AND GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES Biodiversity Stewardship as a mechanism is key in supporting the implementation of the following conservation-related programmes 1. Wildlife Economy 2. Securing NRM investment 3. Biodiversity Offsets 4. Corporate environmental management 5. Man and Biosphere Programme

3 1. WILDLIFE ECONOMY BABANANGO COMMUNITY SITE

4 BABANANGO COMMUNITY SITE

5 BENEFITS TO THE LANDOWNERS WILDLIFE ECONOMY INVESTMENT Enable the Somkhanda Game Reserve model - opportunity to develop a tourism and game utilisation model Readiness for uptake into the widlife economy: Huge landowner willingness Qualifies to be declared as a nature reserve in terms of Section 23 of the Protected Areas Act, through the KZN Biodiversity Stewardship Programme. The site has optimal habitat for a range of game species, including plains game and Big 5 game. Partners include Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Conservation Outcomes, WWF-SA

6 BENEFITS TO LANDOWNERS NRM INVESTMENT Timber plantation thinning Sawmill Charcoal production

7 2 SECURING NRM INVESTMENT UPPER UTHUKELA Area is under Ingonyama Trust. Allocated to two separate communities. Headwaters of the Tugela River. High diversity levels, including a number of rare and threatened species. Linking Cathedral Peak and Royal Natal creating an unbroken World Heritage site across the Drakensberg. Values consistent with the rest of the Maloti Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.

8 BENEFITS TO LANDOWNERS NRM INVESTMENT Secures the current investment (WfW, Donga rehab) Rehabilitation of degraded areas = improved water provisioning downstream Opportunity partner with CSA s Meat Naturally

9 3. BIODIVERSITY OFFSETS INGULA NATURE RESERVE Need for peak electricity generation Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme developed (1330 MW of capacity) Licence issued in 2002, with a requirement to offset wetland losses

10 INGULA NATURE RESERVE OFFSET - properties were purchased by Eskom. An area of 8,000 ha is being secured as a new protected area. An entire environmental management system has been resourced. Key partners BirdLife SA, Middlepunt Wetland Trust. The area is registered as an Important Bird Area with BirdLife SA. BENEFITS Enables the development. Contributes to biodiversity security.

11 4. CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT MOUNT GILBOA Property owned by Mondi Limited. Important wetland and grassland area. A number of rare and threatened species, including Wattled Crane. Value to Mondi contributes to their environmental management, through its value to the FSC certification process.

12 5. MAB PROGRAMME Greater Umgeni Biosphere

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14 6. BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP IN A LANDSCAPE Declared sites: o o o Somkhanda Game Reserve Zululand Rhino Reserve Thanda-Mduna Royal Nature Reserve Sites in negotiation: o o Zimanga Private Game Reserve Mun-Ya-Wana Conservancy PA expansion sites: o o Usuthu Gorge Nature Reserve Tshanini-Bhekula Nature Reserve

15 BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES 1. BIODIVERSITY STEWARSHIP works we need to celebrate that 540,000 ha have already been secured through this process. 2. UNDERSTANDING OF BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP better understanding of BDS, how it works, what it can do. 3. SCALE if we are committed to PA expansion, land reform and building a biodiversity economy, we need to do things at SCALE (financial and human capacity) and at SPEED Wildlife economy, NRM, EPIP, etc. 4. SUSTAINABILITY OF FUNDING need to secure long-term funding through partnerships between government and NGOs. 5. POLITICAL WILL more than just better messaging to be able to unlock the final declaration steps of BDS HOW?

16 Kevin McCann