The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, which stretches across 275 000 square kilometers through parts of Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa, is one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots identified around the globe as Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened areas. Its status as a hotspot, as well as the unique biological, economic and cultural importance of the region, led the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to create a conservation strategy for the entire hotspot.
The CEPF small grants (maximum grant amount of R160 000) program supports a number of innovative community projects that combine biodiversity conservation and the capacity building of civil society. The small grant mechanism ensures that communities participate in and, directly manage their conservation initiatives while building their capacity to manage the CEPF priority ecosystems effectively. Wildlands, together with CEPF, allocate these funds in the form of “small grants” to community projects around the country, and engage with communities and civil society.
Some of the organisations contributing significantly to conservation through these funds include: The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); SAWC (South African Wildlife College); GRAA (Game Rangers Association of Africa) and CORC (Community Organisation Resource Centre).
SANBI, who completed their project in August 2011, focused their project around planning an integrated approach to improve conservation and management of the MPAH priority sites and through this workshop ultimately sparked several other small grant projects, including that of the South African Wildlife College (SAWC).
SAWC are using their grant to facilitate a workshop that will determine the human capacity needs for the Lubombo TFCA (transfrontier conservation area). Through this, training needs will be highlighted and ways of addressing capacity building in the area will be explored. SAWC’s Clive Poultney commented on the project, “The College will have accessed and collated a Training Plan for the Lubombo TFCA which, if supported through the subsequent larger grant application, will have a tremendous positive impact on the beneficiary communities and their ability to develop alternate livelihoods and make a sustainable living within the TFCA, but more importantly, on the conservation of biodiversity in the TFCA.”
The GRAA aim to use their grant for capacity building and improved management in the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve in KZN, through the development and implementation of the protected Area Management System (PAMS). “Our project at Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve is still a work in progress,” comments GRAA’s Peter Thompson. “A team of 7 members of the GRAA are working with the staff of the reserve to develop and implement a Protected Area Management System (PAMS) for the reserve, which belongs to the Wildlife and Environment Society of Southern Africa (WESSA). The team is happy with progress so far and with the involvement of the Umgeni Valley staff and support from WESSA management. The outcome will be improved and sustainable management of the reserve through a structured system that is designed for continuity. It involves all staff and provides them with a better understanding of protected area management,” concluded Thompson.
CORC – The Community Organisation Resource centre, who administered their grant on behalf of the Alliance for Rural Communities (ARC), focused their grant funds on the Environmental School Awareness Program, involving 11 schools in the Pondoland region. This project, completed in March this year, aimed to create environmental awareness amongst young learners – in the hope that they will in turn transfer their knowledge onto their families and community members. It envisaged that a broader understanding of environmental issues would safeguard the community against unsustainable development and exploitation of natural resources. This project is viewed as a huge success with 270 learners in 6 high schools and 8 educators having been educated in areas with high levels of poverty.
The above mentioned projects are all contributing significantly to maintaining biodiversity conservation and the capacity building of civil society. These organisations (SANBI; SAWC; GRAA & CORC) are inspiring in that they are making the important link between human existence and our natural resources, and reminding us that we are inextricably connected to our habitat.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)