African Wildlife & Environment Issue 83

GENERAL

Climate change is changing our home in ways that will impact our lives fundamentally. Higher temperatures and more extreme weather events, too much water and too little water are becoming the norm, extremes which are having severe impacts on the environment, agriculture, and communities. Our carbon emissions keep going up, driven by the heavy reliance on coal for electricity generation and the continued reliance on extractive industries such as mining. Pollution, sewage and plastic in our rivers and seas, is also a major environmental concern in South Africa. Our high levels of air, water, and land pollution have adverse impacts on human health, wildlife, and ecosystems. What we breathe is killing us. Waste management, the stuff we have no use for, is also a significant challenge, with collapsing infrastructure the improper disposal of our waste contributes to the environmental degradation that is now very obvious. Biodiversity loss is also a significant environmental challenge in South Africa. As a consequence of urbanization, habitat destruction, unsustainable resource extraction, and climate change, several animal and plant species face extinction or decline within our lifetimes. To reverse this downward spiral, upon which our socio economic wellbeing rests, means protecting that which remains and rewilding everywhere we can. To address the environmental challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, at WESSA we have chosen to focus on three core leverage activities: educate, advocate and act. It’s our theory of change and how we intend to get all of society, especially ordinary citizens, to actively take part in solving these challenges. We need to reduce our carbon emissions, particularly how we produce and consume our energy. We have to continue promoting and encouraging our government to move towards renewable energy sources as our long-term energy strategy and optimising our operations to minimise our energy use. We need working and efficient waste management practices to minimize waste generation, to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, and encourage recycling and composting. Biodiversity conservation is fundamental in reducing species loss as we recognise the critical MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO As one of the world’s 17 megadiverse nations, South Africa ranks in the top three nations globally when it comes to marine and plant species unique to our corner of the planet. With this treasure trove of biodiversity and natural resources, however, the place we call home is facing several environmental challenges that threaten these resources, including climate change, pollution, overexploitation of resources, and loss of biodiversity. The state of the natural environment in South Africa, which is the bedrock upon which our human wellbeing relies, is of great concern and requires urgent attention from all of us.

importance of biodiversity in sustaining ecosystems and supporting our very existence. Protected areas specifically are an essential element of South Africa's natural heritage and conservation efforts, providing safe habitats for wildlife and ensuring the ongoing protection and preservation of the country's valuable biodiversity. Protected areas also offer countless opportunities for ecological research, tourism, recreation and increasingly so, economic opportunities for the people living adjacent to these areas. However, as the report (produced by EWT and seed funded by WESSA) shows, the current state of protected areas in South Africa is of great concern, with pressing issues that are threatening their functionality, effectiveness, and viability. One of the significant challenges facing protected areas in South Africa is inadequate funding, which limits their effectiveness and impacts their ability to achieve their conservation objectives. Most protected areas face budget constraints, resulting in insufficient resources for addressing various complex conservation challenges such as invasive species control, poaching, habitat restoration, and research. As a result, these protected areas are under-resourced, which limits the effectiveness of conservation activities in these areas. Another challenge facing protected areas in South Africa is aging infrastructure and the lack of proper

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