Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation …naturalresourcespolicy.org/docs/Hands Across Borders/TBC...Page 1 of 4 Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation and Development

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MalotiDrakensbergTransfrontierConservationandDevelopmentArea

[email protected] +27332391884mobile+27832820900 www.maloti-drakensberg.org Locationandcountriesinvolved:LesothoandSouthAfrica Size:+/-48000sq/km)

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Participantsincoordinatingtheongoingtransboundarycooperation:

NationalGovernment: • NationalDepartmentofEnvironmentalAffairs• NationalDepartmentofTourism

LocalGovernment:• EasternCapeProvincialDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment,• EnvironmentalAffairsandTourism• FreeStateProvincialDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment• SmallBusinessesDevelopment• TourismandEnvironmentalAffairs• KwaZuluNatalProvincialDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment• TourismandEnvironmentalAffairs

Protectedareaadministration:• SouthAfricanNationalParks• EasternCapeParksandTourismAgency• EzemveloKZNWildlife• FreeStateProvincialDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment• SmallBusinessesDevelopment• Tourism• EnvironmentalAffairs

NationalNGOs:• PeaceParksFoundation

Objectives:

• ConserveandsustainablymanageandusethenaturalandculturalheritageresourcesoftheDrakensbergandMalotimountainregion

• Contributetoeconomicdevelopmentoftheregionthroughthepromotionofnaturebasedtourism

Valuesandimportance:

• Theregionsuppliesmorethan25%ofwatertoSouthAfrica’seconomichub,theGautengProvince,throughtheTugela-VaalWatertransferscheme

• ThewatertransferschemealsoprovidesallofLesotho’selectricityrequirements

• TheareahasthehighestconcentrationofrockartimagesinSouthernAfrica

• TheMalotiDrakensbergParkTransboundaryWorldHeritageSiteinscribedbasedonitsuniqueculturalandnaturalheritageresourcesformsasignificantpartoftheTFCA

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Aspectsoftransboundarycooperation:Natureconservation;Ecosystembasedmanagement;Watershedmanagement;Tourism;Firefighting;SafetyandSecurity.

Stageintheprocess:Heads-of-StateAgreementinplaceinaBi-lateralMoUJointManagementPlaninplace:20-Year(2008–2028)ConservationandDevelopmentStrategySeriesof5-YearActionPlansDateEstablished:June,11,2001(bilateralMoUsigned)OfficialProtectedAreaDesignation:

• +/-5Naturereserves• 1nationalpark• 1transboundaryWorldHeritageSite

TheCatalyst

• Protectionofthewatershedwiththeinitiationofthewatertransferscheme,fromdamsontheLesothosidetoSouthAfrica

• Securityconcerns–wildfires,stocktheftandothersecurityconcernsHistory

• LeadershipandPoliticalwill–Followingonthe1950sfirstdiscussionsaroundthepotentialoftheLesothohighlandsasawatersource,aroundthelate1960stheSouthAfricangovernmentstartedmakingsignificanteffortstosupportLesothotobettermanagethecatchmentarea.Theseeffortsculminatedin,amongotherinitiatives,the1970declarationofLesotho’sfirstprotectedarea,SehlabathebeNationalParkwhosefirstmanagementplanof1990alreadymadereferencetomakingprovisionawildlifecorridorbetweenthisparkandtheDrakensbergParkontheSouthAfricanside.

• TheleadershipoftheKwaZuluNatalprovincialconservationagencyinitiateddiscussionswiththeirLesothocounterpartsoncollaborativemanagementofthemajorthreats,likewildfires,tothemountainresources.

• Externalsupportanddonorfunding-WiththesupportoftheWorldBankthe

effortsoftheprovincialconservationagencyresultedinthe1997GiantsCastledeclarationbykeystakeholdersfrombothcountriescommittingthemselvestocollaborativemanagementoftheregion’sresources.Atwoyear,1999–2000,preparatoryphasefundedbytheJapanesegovernmentthroughtheWorldBankwasinitiatedandbasicallypavedthewayfortheformalestablishmentoftheTFCAin2001.

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Barriers,challenges,obstacles,orconstraints:• Disparitiesinaccesstofunding–SouthAfricansideisalwaysbetterfundedthanthe

Lesothosidemakingcoordinationachallenge.SouthAfricaisalwaysreadytoassistwhereverandwheneverpossible.

• Lackofpoliticalcontinuityandsupport–frequentchangesatpoliticallevelsresultsinlackofcontinuityandsupport–constantmeetingswithnewleadershipistheonlysolution

• Limitedfundingamongconservationagenciestomeettheirobligations

TheGovernanceandManagementStructures

● Cooperativerelationship:ThereisformalcooperationarrangementswithoutaverystronglegalbasisintheformofaMemorandumofUnderstanding

● Legalbasisforcooperation:MoU

● Whatisthegovernancestructure:TheBilateralCoordinationCommitteeisthe

highestdecisionmakingbody.ItcomprisesofNationalCoordinationCommitteemembersofeachcountry.TheNationalCoordinationCommitteesarecomprisedofconservationagenciesanddepartmentsineachprovincethenationaldepartmentinSouthAfricaandinLesothoitiscomposedofmostMinistries.

● Cooperativemanagementarrangement:Jointplansandactivitiesincluding

monitoringofspecies.Results

• Translocationof25ElandtoTsehlanyaneNationalParkinLesotho

• Facilitationoftheestablishmentanddeclarationofthe4600haMatatieleNatureReserveandTranslocationof30RedHartebeestand15MountainReedbuck

• DevelopmentofaBeardedVultureBiodiversitymanagementplan,establishmentofvulturerestaurants;fittingofsatellitetrackingdevicesformonitoringofvultures

• FacilitatedtheextensionoftheUkhahlambaDrakensbergParkWorldHeritagesiteontheSouthAfricansidetoincludeSehlabathebeNationalParkontheLesothosideintoaTransboundaryWorldheritageSite–theMalotiDrakensbergParkWorldHeritageSite

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LessonsLearned

• Therewillalwaysbeskepticsinanytransboundaryarrangementsandthereisneedforpatienceinbuildingtrust.Theskepticismwillalwaysbemorepronouncedwherethelevelsofdevelopmentofthecountriesinvolvedaredifferent

• Donorfundingneedstobeproperlymanagedtofacilitatemoreeffectivecoordinationandcollaboration.Donorfunding/supportthatcomeswithconditionsforseparatenationalcoordinationunitsdoesnotencourageeffectivecoordination

ForMoreInformation

Name Title Organization Email Phone

Mr.ErnestMokganedi

DirectorTFCAs SouthAfricanNationalDepartmentofEnvironmentalAffairs

[email protected]

+27836522675

Mr.StanleyDamane

Director-DepartmentofEnvironment

LesothoMinistryofTourism,EnvironmentandCulture

[email protected]

+26662000010

Ms.PhumlaMzazi-Geja

SeniorManager-Conservation

EasternCapeDeptofEconomicDevelopment,EnvironmentalAffairsandTourism

[email protected]

+27827752206

Mr.ThabangSelemela

Director-Conservation

FreeStateDeptofEconomicAffairs,TourismandEnvironment

[email protected]

Dr.WilliamMngoma

A/ChiefDirector-Environment

KZNDeptofEconomicDevelopment,TourismandEnvironmentalAffairs

[email protected]

+27824618013

https://maps.ppf.org.za/sadc/?extent=26.6576,-30.5844,31.2719,-28.2980