Decision Making Climate Change and Biodiversity in South African Protected Areas AIACC Regional Workshop Dakar

Strategic Decision Making On A Broad Regional Scale The Trend Towards Landscape Connectivity Through Partnerships Protected areas urged to break with the ‘island mentality’ Linkages in the landscape: ecological, political, cultural, economic Landscape connectivity achieved through connectivity between stakeholders Breaking barriers and creating partnerships

The impact of the trend towards connectivity through partnerships Connectivity through partnerships is an appropriate strategy to: Resolve conflict and mobilize political will Counteract biodiversity losses through habitat destruction and fragmentation Counteract biodiversity losses through climate change.

Connectivity through partnerships, some important developments New legislation in South Africa on protected areas and biodiversity conservation Replaces old fragmented legislation Facilitates cooperative governance between South Africa’s diverse array of conservation agencies Strengthens the possibility of partnerships to develop biodiversity-friendly land uses.

Connectivity through partnerships, some important developments Transboundary conservation areas promote new partnerships and landscape connectivity over large areas Ai-Ais Richtersveld (Namibia-South Africa) Kgalagadi (Botswana-South Africa) Great Limpopo (Mozambique-South Africa-Zimbabwe) Limpopo-Shashe (Botswana-South Africa-Zimbabwe) Maloti-Drakensberg (Lesotho-South Africa) Lubombo (Mozambique-South Africa)

Decision Making On A Local Scale Decisions on individual protected areas, particular taxa Traditional mindset: maintain species assemblages that were preset in historical times, eradicate invasive aliens. New mindset: species that were historically perceived to be alien may need to be permitted, or even actively aided, to colonize.

Difficult Decisions Many confounding factors on a local scale, the effects of climate change often difficult to distinguish from other factors. For example: What is the cause of a population decline, habitat fragmentation through land use change, or climate change? What differentiates an ‘alien invasion’ from a climate- induced range shift? The ‘correct’ management response will seldom be unequivocal.

Further difficulties Variable record of success in establishing populations in new habitat, problems being the ‘small population problem’ and poor assessment of habitat suitability. Climate change threatens to ‘reformulate species communities’, making habitat suitability difficult to predict.

Resolving dilemmas Requirement: predictive understanding of responses of plants and animals to a changing climate. Research that clearly demonstrates the impact of climate change as distinct from other factors will be of great value.