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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.
18
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