1. UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION SOUTH AFRICA’S NATIONAL ACTION PLAN (NAP)
Portfolio Committee Briefing
Presenter: Maria Mbengashe
11 October 2004
Tuesday, 24 September 2019

2. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
OVERVIEW
Why National Action Program (NAP)?
Objectives of UNCCD
Desertification/land degradation- issues and implications
Global and National legal frameworks
NAP vision and objectives
How NAP was developed
Existing Programmes
Progress made in the development of the NAP
Plans for the next six months.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

3. OBJECTIVES - NATIONAL ACTION PROGRAM (NAP) – UNCCD-Article 10
Requirement of Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
NAP- Long term integrated strategies focusing on improved productivity of land aimed at:
Prevention and/or reduction of land degradation
Rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems e.g.. grasslands
Reclamation of desertified land
Integrating strategies for poverty eradication
Promote cooperation among departments, spheres of govts, civil society and other MEAs
Mobilisation of funds and resources
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

4. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
OBJECTIVES OF UNCCD
“To combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought … through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in affected areas.”
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

5. DESERTIFICATION-ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS
Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from erosion, deforestation, water scarcity, loss of soil fertility overgrazing and climatic variations
Land degradation – is worldwide in geographic extent and global in its environmental and socio economic impacts. 91% of South Africa surface area has arid, semi-arid or dry-subhumid climates
Drylands ecosystem have immense scientific, economic and social value and are source of livelihood to a quarter of earth’s population
Since 1990, 6 million hectares of productive land has been lost every year due to land degradation
14 African countries are subject to water scarcity
Threatens the livelihoods of one billion people and has already made 135 million people homeless
As a result of declining food security the number of undernourished people in Africa doubled from 100m in 1960 to 200m in 1995
Prevention and control of land degradation is critical to achieving sustainable development
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

6. GLOBAL AND NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS
RIO CONVENTIONS: CBD,UNCCD AND UNFCCC-
Adopted in1997 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (the UNCCD). South Africa ratified in 1997
WSSD 2002 and Millennium Development Goals
NEPAD- commitment of preventing land degradation
NEMA-Biodiversity Act no 10 of 2004
National Forest Act & National Veld and Forest Fire Act
National Water Act and Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA)
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

7. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
NAP VISION
Prosperous and healthy South Africans living in an environment restored and maintained through universal improvement in land management to its beautiful landscapes and productive ecosystems that sustain livelihoods and ecosystem services, for the benefit of current and future generations.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

8. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
NAP- PURPOSE
To promote sustainable land management throughout South Africa
Establish strategies and priorities to combat desertification
Implementation of policies that affect natural resource management and rural development
Partnerships between governments departments, private sector, communities, civil society and land owners
Strengthen implementation and collaboration among existing program initiatives
Poverty alleviation, promotion of the enhancement of sustainable livelihoods and sustainable land management through land reform, community based projects, rural finance human resource development and awareness raising and education
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

9. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
DEVELOPMENT OF NAP
South Africa has established institutional and legal arrangements to meet its commitments in terms of the UNCCD.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is the Focal Point for the Convention.
A multi-stakeholder Steering Committee guides the role as Focal Point for the UNCCD.
The SA-UNCCD Steering Committee has been the principal coordinating mechanism since 1995, prior to South Africa’s accession to the Convention.
SA has involved relevant national and provincial government departments, communities, NGOs, academic institutions and private sector in the development and implementation of the NAP
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

10. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
EXISTING PROGRAMS
The National Landcare Programme -DoA
Working for Water -DWAF
Community Based Natural Resource Management Projects (DEAT and others)
Desert Margins Programme (DMP) regional GEF funded research activities involving 9 African countries (Kenya, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Namibia, Senegal Niger, South Africa and Zimbabwe
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

11. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
ACHIEVEMENTS
National Steering Committee established
The development of NAP based on intensive consultation with all stakeholders, from community to national levels as well as officials from the UNCCD Secretariat and Global Mechanism in Rome.
A national awareness campaigns in 1998,1999 and
Cabinet memorandum and NAP have been drafted.
Private Sector Survey Report Towards the Nap Resource Mobilization Strategy has been concluded.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

12. PLANS FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS
Minister to present NAP to Parliament and submission to Cabinet for approval.
National Steering Committee to function as a catalyst in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the NAP as a required by the Convention.
Private Sector Forum launched by the Deputy Minister and followed by the finalisation of the Resource Mobilisation Strategy.
Presentation of the NAP and Resource Mobilisation Strategy at the UNCCD Inter-sessional meeting in 2005.
NAP becomes a baseline for land management projects.
Projects are monitored, evaluated and records developed into national reports.
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism