BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

1 40 BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION41 Natural WealthIn terms of its biological heritage, South Africa is recognised as one of therichest nations in the world. In the last ten years, Government hasprioritised people s needs while safeguarding the country s considerablenatural arrival of the Europeansettlers. The Sanqua (Bushmen)people some of the earliest com-munities in southern Africa had auniquely symbiotic relationshipwith their environment, which min-imised the impact of human settle-ment while exploiting the country sflora and contrast to European policies,there are records of wise use ethic amongst indigenoussocieties in South Africa datingback centuries.

2 Even undercommunal ownership, propertyrights were conferred on membersof the community to manageimportant resources like wild fruit-bearing 2002, the section responsiblefor BIODIVERSITY and Conservationwas elevated to a branch. Itsmandate was expanded to includedealing with the country s rapidprogress in creating new protectedregions like TransfrontierConservation Areas, BiosphereReserves, World Heritage Sites, national Parks and Bioregionalplans to address gaps in Africa has an incredibly richbiodiversity, third only after Braziland Indonesia. This provides awide range of products andservices for both commercial andsubsistence purposes.

3 Natureprovides water, food, fibre and allthat sustains life. The value the intended NationalBiodiversity Strategy and ActionPlan the department will be takinga practical and holistic approach tothe CONSERVATION of BIODIVERSITY ata national level by allowing allspheres of government and civilsociety to craft a coherent andcommon vision for the department also seeks toprotect the interests of SouthAfrican citizens whose knowledgeor traditional uses of indigenousbiological resources is being usedfor bioprospecting, by ensuringthat benefits derived fromcommercial exploitation areshared equitably. This alsoensures that South Africa sextraordinary plant BIODIVERSITY , isnot commercially exploited bypharmaceutical companies fromother countries.

4 It is based on alegal framework through whichcommunities are rewarded for theirknowledge about the use ofcertain plants. BBEEFFOORREE 11999944 CONSERVATION in South Africa goesback many centuries, long beforeWhen European settlers arrived tocolonise the country, correspon-dents wrote of the hugeabundance of predators, antelope,elephants and rhinoceros. Buthunting for sport, food, andproducts like leather and ivory ledto a rapid depletion of wildlife. By the end of the 1800s, huntersand others were becomingseriously worried about thedecrease in wildlife numbers. Thiseventually resulted in theformation of the first NationalParks, like Kruger and KalahariGemsbok.

5 Both were formedprincipally to preserve animalsseen as valuable by hunters mostly antelope. Predators on theother hand, were frequently shoton sight, and seen as vermin orproblem animals. Expanding settlements, mostlyresulting from the discovery ofgold and diamonds, coincided withdeclining BIODIVERSITY . Most of thedestruction of South Africa sforests can be attributed to theEuropean settlers during theperiod 1860 to 1940, when largetrees were felled for building andmining apartheid era took a particu-larly heavy toll on South Africa scommunities, BIODIVERSITY andecosystems. In addition towidespread impoverishment andsocial dislocation, such policiescaused significant ecologicaldamage.

6 The majority of thepopulation was squeezed into13% of the land in overcrowdedhomelands. These areas sufferedmassive deforestation, soil erosionand loss of BIODIVERSITY . Subsidieson water, energy and agriculturalinputs (available to white industri-al, agricultural and domesticusers) led to wasteful practicesand long-term damage werecaused to the soil, rivers andwetlands of the country. The establishment and expansionof national and provincial parks in42 What Is BIODIVERSITY ? BIODIVERSITY (biologicaldiversity) is the total variety ofliving organisms in allecosystems on Earth, thegenetic differences betweenthem, and the communitiesand ecosystems in which theyoccur.

7 It is the natural wealth of the Earth, which supplies allour food and much of ourshelter and raw materials. BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION many parts of South Africa wasaccompanied by severe hardshipfor people. For example, in the1960s, the Tsonga-speakingMakuleke community in the northof Kruger national Park wereforcibly removed so that the parkcould be extended northwards tothe Limpopo River. Similarly,thousands of people wereremoved to form Ndumo GameReserve and Tembe ElephantPark in northern policies typicallymirrored the apartheid policies ofthe day and aimed at restrictingaccess to protected areas. As aresult, the perception grew thatconservation was elitist and of nobenefit to ordinary people.

8 Thisperception was reinforced by amilitary presence within manyprotected areas, the militarybackground of many wardens, andthe fences and fines approach ofconservation game guards,dressed in khaki uniforms, carryingguns and subjecting black peopleto harsh punishment for AANNDD LLEEGGIISSLLAATTIIOONNThe peaceful transition in SouthAfrica presented a unique opportu-nity for redress and with the constitution, newpolicies and legislation have beendeveloped across all sectors, withfull public consultation fundamental objectives of thepolicies and legislation are tosecure sustainability and equitableaccess to NEMA (Act 107 of 1998)notes: The environment is held inpublic trust for the people.

9 Thebeneficial use of environmentalresources must serve the publicinterest and the environment mustbe protected as the people scommon heritage. It is regarded as framework legis-lation relating to BIODIVERSITY andconservation; its objectives are fur-ther defined and supported by theProtected Areas Act andBiodiversity Act. The national EnvironmentalManagement: BIODIVERSITY Actof 2004aims at providing aregulatory framework to protectSouth Africa s valuable species,ecosystems and its entirebiological wealth. It implementsthe White Paper on theConservation and Sustainable Useof South Africa s BiologicalDiversity and multilateralagreements like the Conventionon Biological provides the framework, normsand standards for theconservation, sustainable use andequitable benefit-sharing of SouthAfrica s biological facilitates the transformation ofthe national Botanical Institute intothe South African NationalBiodiversity Institute (SANBI).

10 It also enables the development ofa national BIODIVERSITY Frame-work, which will provide for anintegrated, coordinated and uni-form approach to the conservationand sustainable use of biodiversityin South national EnvironmentalManagement: Protected AreasAct of 2004provides for theprotection and CONSERVATION ofecologically viable areasrepresentative of South Africa sbiological diversity and its naturallandscapes, seascapes and themanagement thereof. The Actenvisages a national register ofprotected areas, with a simplifiedclassification system of SpecialNature Reserves, national Parks,Nature Reserves and ProtectedEnvironments.