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 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 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

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

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

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

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)

Examples of National Protected Area Expansion Strategies in South Africa

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

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

Offshore MPA Focal Areas 1 2 4 3 5 7 8 9 6 Priority areas for offshore MPAs

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

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

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

Levels of Governance National Regional/Provincial Local International Agreements

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

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?

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

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

“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”