Page 37 - State of Biodiversity 2018/19

ETHEKWINI BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMME: CONSERVATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LANDOWNERS
The EPCPD, through the eThekwini Biodiversity Stewardship Programme (EBSP), aims to facilitate the establishment and formalisation of partnerships with private and traditional landowners/administrators toward a goal of sustainable natural resource management.This is in response to the growing threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services within the EMA. Biodiversity Stewardship (BS) provides a new tool that will assist EM in fulfilling its mandate to conserve biodiversity outside of state-owned protected areas. Although eThekwini Municipality also has a land acquisition programme that aims to expand protected areas, acquiring environmentally- sensitive land is, in many cases, a costly approach. BS provides a cost-effective alternative by promoting landowner commitment to conserving and managing biodiversity located on their land. This includes private land, communal land and land owned by other government departments.
Currently, the EBSP is mainly focused on the Ingonyama Trust Areas, areas where more than 60% of eThekwini’s important biodiversity assets are found. Since the inception of the programme, the biodiversity stewardship Task Team has managed to collaborate with several traditional leaders in efforts to protect biodiversity in these areas,
which include KwaXimba, KwaCele, Amaphephethe and Thoyana. The
following activities have been undertaken in these areas since the inception of the programme.
• Five letters of commitment to the EBSP from five traditional authorities
• Over 50 traditional healers have been trained on medicinal plant propagation to reduce demand from natural systems
• Over 20 community workshops have been held with community members to raise awareness, understand environmental challenges and develop and implement action plans aimed at dealing with the challenges.
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