At the tenth Living Lakes conference, held recently in Manila, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo acknowledged that environmental protection was a prerequisite for economic development in her country.
According to Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands Conservation Trust and a keynote speaker at the conference, South Africa faces similar environmental challenges to the Philippines. Venter has called on members of the South African government to get personally involved in conservation issues.
‘Our government sees issues of delivery as more important than environmental protection,’ he said. ‘The perception is that environmental degradation does not directly affect the man in the street. However, it is becoming increasingly clear all over the world, that without due consideration to the environment, economic growth and delivery can become counter-productive.’
Wildlands Conservation Trust was one of the key participants in the Living Lakes Conference. ‘We shared valuable lessons with other countries and there was significant interest in our projects,’ said Venter. ‘We were able to introduce the concept of Responsible Tourism – where local communities enjoy a stake in environmentally-friendly tourism development. Our Trees for School Fees project was also highly regarded.’
More information on Living Lakes
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)