Page 6 - State of Biodiversity 2023-2024

FOREWORD BY HEAD: DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & MANAGEMENT UNIT
Mr Lihle Phewa
Advocating for Local Biodiversity: The Power of Partnership in Conservation within eThekwini Municipality
Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, supporting ecosystems that provide essential services such as food, water, air, flood mitigation, and countless other livelihoods that are essential to our survival and well- being. In eThekwini Municipality, our rich natural capital from lush forests and coastal wetlands to the diverse species that call our region home, is an integral part of what makes our community unique. However, as the world faces unprecedented challenges, such as climate change, habitat transformation and loss, as well as pressures from rapid urbanization, it is now more critical than ever before to protect the health and functionality of our natural ecosystems (which are an interaction between biodiversity and its respective habitats).
This State of Biodiversity Report for eThekwini Municipality provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of our region’s biodiversity, highlighting both the successes of ongoing conservation efforts and the areas that still need urgent attention. It serves as a crucial resource for understanding the threats to our ecosystems, species, and natural resources, and for charting a path toward more effective, sustainable conservation strategies that contribute to global biodiversity targets like the 30x30 global commitment as
well as the entire Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets.
As examples of conservation success in eThekwini Municipality are the Widenham and Van Riebeek Park wetland systems, which are critical natural areas that have played a vital role in protecting the coastal regions during extreme weather events. During the devastating flooding event that occurred in eThekwini Municipality in 2022, both the Widenham Wetland and the Van Riebeek Park wetlands systems acted as natural buffers, absorbing excess freshwater runoff, and helping to mitigate the flooding impacts protecting both ecological and the built infrastructure.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and eThekwini Municipality wherein the Widenham Wetland has officially been proclaimed as a protected area in terms of
4 STATE OF BIODIVERSITY REPORT 2023/2024