Integrated partnerships for securing natural resources in the Western Cape, South Africa

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Authors:
Jan Smit

Publication Date:
2019

Abstract/Summary:
The tremendous diversity of plants and animals within the Cape Floristic Region is under constant threat due to the ever-increasing development footprint, particularly in the lowlands and spreading rapidly up to the Cape West Coast. Through the Dassenberg Coastal Catchment Partnership, private owners, communities, and government aim to secure water resources and build climate change resilience through biodiversity conservation. The focus area of the partnership is 34,500 hectares and 50 percent is made up of private and communal land. A number of plant species thought to have been extinct for more than 50 years actually have remaining populations growing on the seasonally wet lowlands within Critically Endangered ecosystems here. These unique wetland habitats are choked by invasive Australian Acacias. The cost of clearing these dense infestations is very high and most landowners are not able to cope with the constant costs, despite their best efforts. It is only through public-private partnerships that significant impacts can be made towards the restoration of these Critically Endangered ecosystems and the multitude of threatened species they contain. By clearing invasive alien vegetation through partnerships in this integrated effort, about 250 jobs are created yearly.  This is done by employing more than 20 teams through the partnership of the 12 members. West Coast LandCare is a partner in this integrated effort and funds at least three of these teams yearly.

Resource Type:
Audio/Video, Conference Presentation, SER2019

Pre-approved for CECs under SER's CERP program

Source:
Society for Ecological Restoration