Pretoria - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has called for the recognition and involvement of rural communities in the conservation of biodiversity.
She was speaking during discussions on livelihoods and food security at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) currently underway in Johannesburg.
“South Africa initiated the implementation of the Biodiversity Economy Strategy as a key transformational intervention to ensure that rural communities’ development takes place, especially in communities that have benefitted from our land reform process and opportunities relating to legal international trade will form part of this programme,” said Minister Molewa on Thursday.
The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy is at the heart of promoting guardianship of wildlife within communities.
The strategy seeks to increase the biodiversity contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while conserving the country’s ecosystems.
It also aims to contribute to the transformation of the biodiversity economy through inclusive economic opportunities, thereby ensuring equitable benefit of natural resources.
On matters relating to food security, Minister Molewa said South Africa supports the principle contained in the CITES resolution as it promotes food and nutrition security, preservation of cultural identity and security of livelihoods within the CITES context.
The support of CITES resolutions on community livelihoods, nutrition and food security, is embedded on the Department of Environmental Affairs’ People and Parks Programme which promotes conservation for the people with the people.
Through this programme the department is actively involved in restoring and maintaining natural ecosystems to stimulate rural economies; upgrading and developing new infrastructure in protected areas to boost tourism, developing commercial assets for communities owning and/or living around protected areas; and supporting related industries.
“Our people are the first line of defence for the animals in our protected areas and they have a critical role to play not just in protecting our wildlife assets, but in growing the wildlife economy to make it more inclusive,” said Minister Molewa.
The People and Parks Programme invests in infrastructure development and biodiversity conservation for economic benefits by ensuring that local communities are involved in the management of protected and surrounding areas, by promoting biodiversity values in the proclaimed protected and surrounding areas.
On the other hand, the Wildlife Economy Programme fosters community participation to a sustainable beneficiation of wildlife. - SAnews.gov.za
