Page 44 - State of Biodiversity Report 2022/2023

4.6.3. Community Reforestation Project (CRP)
The BMD has partnered with the Wildlands Conservation Trust (WCT) in order to restore selected indigenous forest areas in the EMA. The reforestation programme has adopted the Community Ecosystem Based Adaption (CEBA) model, which demonstrates the strong and vital link between socio-economic upliftment and biodiversity conservation, enhanced ecosystem functioning and carbon sequestration. ‘Treepreneurs’ propagate trees at their homesteads through the Indigenous Trees for Life Programme developed by WCT. Treepreneurs then trade their trees for basic food items, clothes, building materials and even school fees. Ninety percent of people who now benefit from this project were earning wages below the poverty line, and are, therefore, from some of the most vulnerable communities in the country. Many of these Treepreneurs are women and children, unemployed adults and pensioners. Table 11 and 12 reflects work achieved in 2022/2023.
Table 11: Reforestation Projects for the 2022/2023 Municipal Financial Year
Key Performance Indicator Achieved
Buffelsdraai Inanda Mountain
Total IAP control (Ha) 179,42 57
Total initial IAP control (Ha) 43,2 23
Total follow-up IAP control (Ha) 22,44 34
Total maintenance IAP control (Ha) 68.25 0
Total training person days 0 101
Total staff trained (incl. SMME’s) 0 21
Total tree-preneurs trained 0 0
Total tree-preneurs who traded trees 0 10
Total jobs created 0 24
Total contractors 3 2
Total permanent jobs 32 18
Total part-time jobs 4 2
Total temporary jobs 0 2
Total person days 6508 2412
Total plants planted 39 387 1370
Total planting area (Ha) 47.25 ha 6
Value of plants traded R 00.00 R 93 700.00
Total wages R 756 140.00 R 480 400.00
Total SMME spend R 438 830.00 R543 400.00
42 STATE OF BIODIVERSITY REPORT 2022/2023