Promoting sustainable development through Biosphere reserves … · 2012. 9. 26. · Medicinal plants National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act Partnership with Rhon Biosphere

Promoting sustainable development through Biosphere reserves in

South AfricaKaren Steenkamp

Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Limpopo province

South Africa

Orientation and background to paper

Background to Limpopo province

The BRs of Limpopo and examples of sustainable development: 1. Waterberg BR2. Kruger to canyons BR3. Vhembe BR

Threats to sustainable development

Measures to enable SD

Priority areas for conservation

1 North Eastern Escarpment

2 Bushveld Bankenveld

3 Moist grasslands

8 Cape floristic region

Limpopo Biosphere Reserves

Background to Limpopo province

Socio-economically: Limpopo Province has the lowest per capita

income of the provinces in South Africa and the highest unemployment rate: almost 51% of the rural population is jobless

High illiteracy Slow migration of skilled and qualified people

to urban areas A great deficiency in the distribution of

necessities such as water and electricity Biodiversity: SA 3rd most biodiverse country 3000 plant types in the Soutpansberg

Item Kruger to Canyons Waterberg  VhembeSize: 2 474 700 ha 403 571 ha (will increase 

according to management plan)3 070 000 ha

Core: 898 300 ha  103 571 ha 460 000 ha

Buffer: 476 400 ha 150 000 ha 357 500 ha 

Transition: 1 100 000 ha  150 000 ha 2 252 500 ha

Population size: Approx 1 500 000 Approx 62 000 Approx 2 000 000

Management structure:

NPC established 2012 Section 21 company In  process – NPC

Board: 6 board members elected by stakeholdersFounding directors (5 public + 5 private)

5 board members (chairperson of each of the sub‐committees)

9 board members

Committee/ Exco: 5 members  and  4 Additional Members of EX‐OFICIO Capacity from LEDET, MTPA, Mopani ‐ and  Nhlazeni District Municipality

5 sub‐committees1) Finance,  2)Land reform and economic development, 3) Environment , 4) Education and training  and 5) Research and monitoring

4 sub‐committees1) Institutional,  Research, Education and Funding 2) Development 3) Conservation 4) Communications 

10

Total size = 1 500 000 ha Population size = 80 000

Waterberg mountain range

The Waterberg Meander Route

The Waterberg Meander includes prime tourist attractions within the area, exposes a series of community linked projects and provides a rich informative self-drive tour of historical, geological, cultural and environmental sites along the route.

The Meander is organised in 3 sections:

13 community linked projects along the route

22 sites of interest along the route

accommodation, arts and crafts

Each of these aspects of the route is colour-coded and accompanied with detailed maps.

Community linked projects map

1,2

6,5

11

10

1 Kamotsogo Craft Art

2 Waterberg Welfare Society

5 Beadle Craft Workshop

6 Lehlabile Cultural Tours

10 Pedi Potters

11 Telekishi RamasobanaHospitality

'Telekeshi' a community tourism project

Features include 1.5 & 3 hour hikes along the escarpment to view Middle Stone Age tools, San rock art, 18-19th century iron age settlement sites and an initiation site.

Offers ideal opportunities for school groups wishing to be exposed to a rich and varied, yet safe, natural setting, and also for local and international groups seeking to do community work in an authentic rural setting where there are tremendous educational and developmental needs.

Telekeshi offers simple, comfortable accommodation for up to 16 people -complete self catering facilities.

Skills development(in partnership with Texas University at San Antonio)

Waterberg BR projects:

Environmental Education within the Waterberg biosphere (in association with Lapalala Wilderness School)

Lehlabile Cultural Tours

Four women working on a farm, established the Lehlabile Cultural Tours in 2005 by opening up their traditional style Pedi homes to visitors.

The women conduct tours giving visitors a greatinsight into local lifestyles, food, decor, song and dance, and oral history.

Tours start with viewing of the community crecheand school, moving through the village and ending with an optional lunch in a traditional Pedi homestead.

Other projects

Beadle Craft Workshop: community upliftment project Employs eleven individuals full-time from the

surrounding farming community of 50 families.

Provide skills training and sustainable employment.

Leather craft, bead work and embroidery 40 crafters have received training, with one

individual now running his own craft business in Lephalale.

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Total size = 2 600 000 haPopulation size = 1 500 000

Drakensberg mountain range

The Sustainable living festival

To create awareness of sustainable principles and ethics within the region

To ensure good quality of life by reducing personal contribution to causes of climate change

Topics included: Farming for the future – soil fertility and sustainability, Fair trade & Tourism, Green gardening, Ecological design etc.

Several products and projects aimedat sustainable development were exhibited

International World Biodiversity Day

18 monitoring sites covering grassland, forest, savanna and aquatic systems were surveyed by 282 participants from all walks of life with each team led by specialist teams.

Mpumalanga Rural Development Programme (MRDP) assisted K2C with the event and it was supported by GTZ and DED

Other projects

Bio-cultural Protocol Development: Access and benefit sharing of natural resources Protection of traditional knowledge Medicinal plants National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act

Partnership with Rhon Biosphere in Germany: Student exchange programme

South African Wildlife College: SAWC strives to create a new generation of managers

who are equipped to deal with the key challenges facing protected area management.

Emphasis on nature-based tourism and its role in socio-economic development of Southern Africa; and bringing larger areas under protected area management.

The River-corridor project

To address issues such as climate change, poverty, health and low educational levels, there needs to be strategies in place to help alleviate the pressures and live more sustainably and within the means of our natural ecosystems.

The proposed K2C River Corridor Initiative meets these requirements and will help mitigate the pressures.

23

Total size = 3 070 100 ha Population size = 1 310 000

Soutpansberg mountain

Buffer Zone

Potential Core Zone

Transition Zone

Buysdorp

Schoemansdal

Potential Core Zone

Kutama/ Sinthemule local communities

The three zones of a Biosphere in the Western Soutpansberg

Demonstration projects in the Vhembe BR

Baobab Seed Oil Project - Sarah Venter

Collection of baobab seed which oil is then used in the cosmetics industry. Since 2005 income generated has brought economic benefits to the lives of over 400 women in the area.

Tambani Project - Ina le Roux A quilting and embroidery initiative emanating from the story telling tradition of the VhaVenda people. Over 65 women now employed and their work is sold locally and overseas

Lesheba Centre of Indigenous KnowledgeLesheba Community TrustThe non-profit Centre is aimed at researching, preserving and promoting of all forms of indigenous knowledge with the primary aim of skills development that can be used in socio-economic development

A group of learners on a SETA financed skills training programme

Biosphere projects …

Mogalakwena Craft Arts Village (Elbe & isabella Coetzee)Established a training centre where the creative skills of local people are promoted to facilitate employment. The range of craft products are sold locally and internationally

Madi A Thavha Textile Centre(Marcelle Bosch)The centre offers skills training and employment to women in a textile and sewing project using “Venda” material. The product is marketed both locally and overseas

The exhibition focused on innovative indigenous knowledge  systems and                                                                          appropriate technology

The Expo demonstrated how Biospheres are able to contribute   towards                                                               sustainable development and socio‐economic upliftment

Demonstrating solar cooking and permaculture gardens to learners and local                                                                      communities

Vhembe Biosphere Sustainable Livelihoods Expo

“Preserving and promoting  indigenous knowledge systems”

“Dyambila” by Paul Thavhana

Noria Mabasa

Benefits for local communities

Integration of the natural environment with the cultural assets of the people to jointly promote the sustainable utilisation of the area

Empower local communities to take responsibility for the development & conservation functions of the areas in which they live

Creating partnerships between communities, private sector and Government in order to share knowledge and co-operate in the use of its natural resources

Contribute towards the land restitution process by acting as an innovative tool for the resolution of land use conflicts

Environmental Management Framework – K2C

List of activitiesBuffer zone:Critically sensitiveSensitiveNon-sensitive

Informs the Environmental Impact assessment process

Threats to sustainable development

Mining – only formally declared nature reserves protected by Act

Town planning and other development Effects of climate change – water, fire,

droughts, crops Illiteracy, poverty, high unemployment

rate

Measures in place to ensure sustainability

NEMPA - protection for core zones (formally established nature reserves)- stewardship and expansion strategies

NEMBA – identification of priority areas for biodiversity

Provincial conservation plans Spatial development frameworks and Environmental

Management Frameworks Integrated development plans – district and local

municipalities Biosphere management and structure– Section 21

companies, 3 BR functions, MoA’s with municipalities Workshop communities on environmental issues eg.

climate change adaptation strategies

National priorities  Biospheres involved/ participating

Protected area expansion (Output 4) BR, K2C

Stewardship programme (Output 4) K2C River corridor project

Climate change (Output 2 and 4) K2C

Community based natural resource management (Output 3)

K2C, WBR, VBR

Environmental Management Frameworks / Management plans to ensure sustainable land use management practices (Output 3)

K2C, WBR, VBR

Item Kruger to Canyons  Waterberg VhembeMunicipal partnerships

Signed MoU between Maruleng local municipality and K2CSigned MoA between MDM and LEDETSigned MoU between LEDET and MTPA 

Signed MoA between LEDET and Waterberg District municipality, Signed MoU between WBR and WDM

Signed MoA between LEDET and VDM

DEA role and involvement

DEA committed budget fordeveloping  of signage for BiosphereDEA has invited BRs to apply for small specific projects as funds are available.

DEA agreed to fund developing of 10 year review report.DEA committed budget fordeveloping  of signage for BiosphereDEA has invited BRs to apply for small specific projects as funds are available.

DEA committed budget fordeveloping  of signage for BiosphereDEA has invited BRs to apply for small specific projects as funds are available.

LEDET role and involvement

Transferred funds to Mopani DM in support of K2CBiosphere awareness to communities

Transferred R100 000 to WDM in support of WBRBiosphere awareness to communities

Transferred R100 000 to VDM in support of VBRBiosphere awareness to communities

Budget allocation and outcomes for 2012/2013

R100 000.00 to be transferred to MDM from LEDET (detailed business plan available)

R100 000 to cover some of the operational costs  (detailed business plan available)

R100 000 to cover some of the operational costs (detailed business plan available)

Community workshops

Biospheres CAN make a difference !

THANK YOU

Karen Steenkamp

[email protected]