WESSA Strategic Review Report_2022

Terrestrial Pollution opportunities

When we protect biodiversity and habitats, we are also supporting Africa’s development need and protecting the needs of future generations. For this to be truly successful it does require us to rethink the way we consider biodiversity and habitats and in fact to make it a part of the development agenda. We need to work outside the boundaries of the traditional protected spaces and work with people on how this can be done in their everyday lives so that we can add to the formally and informally protected areas. There has been a failure of management of state-owned protected areas. BIODIVERSITY AND HABITAT INTEGRITY

support the processes for certification. • We will leverage on WESSA’s legacy and connection to the Kruger National Park and understand our role and how we can make an impact with the Kruger turnaround plan. • Obtain endorsement from the Minister of the Department of Forestry Fisheries and Environment to lobby international funding, through the IUCN SA committee to provide training and capacity-building for KNP rangers. • Developing our role in how to influence the Wildlife Economy in South Africa.

• Fostering of new African leaders (government and business and civil society) for provincial park development • Partnering with provincial and national conservation agencies • WESSA can provide capacity-building/training of rangers/conservation personnel to support them and thereby improve the management of protected areas. • Development of mini biodiversity hotspots, focusing on the biome and teaching biodiversity through the school curriculum. • Creating a connection between vulnerable protected areas and the children from these areas for long-term stewardship. • Developing partnerships with stakeholders to reduce the threat to protected areas. • We will leverage the IUCN Green List as an opportunity to work with protected areas to

Three sub-themes have been identified under the key theme of biodiversity and habitat loss:

River systems

Ocean systems

Terrestrial systems

Freshwater Systems opportunities • Reviving some previously developed projects • Strengthen partnership with Department of Water and Sanitation through engagement • Align with strategic stakeholders in the sector • We will encourage and support membership activities

(fresh water and estuarine)

(Protected areas, sustainable resource utilisation, wildlife economy)

This includes peri-urban areas, wetlands, rivers, oceans, agro ecosystems. There will be a focus on biomes and areas of endemism and high ecological importance. We will establish a forum with key stakeholders in the sector to form solid partnerships.

Ocean Systems opportunities

How

• Support the Integrated Coastal Management Act implementation • Optimise the Green Coast label on our coastline (e.g. West Coast, St Lucia, Kosi Bay etc) • Leverage the iCAN (Integrated coastal action network) concept by creating a youth community of marine and coastal user groups (e.g. surf, spearfishing, fishing community) revolving identification of local issues, and support in the development of an action plan to address these. • Focus on advocacy around ocean systems and be thought leaders in this space.

WESSA Education and Training

WESSA Programmes and Projects

Partnering with provincial and national conservation agencies

Advocacy through the WESSA Environmental

Citizen science for local environmental issues

Work with membership on local projects

Playing a convening role

Governance Committee

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