HIGH LEVEL PANEL ON LEVERAGING BIODIVERSITY-BASED FEATURES TO SCALE INCLUSIVE ECOTOURISM INDUSTRY GROWTH IN SEASCAPES AND IN SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION LAND-USE

Date: 25 March 2024     |    Time: 14h00 - 16h00

Biodiversity is central to South Africa's national objectives of addressing poverty, inequality and unemployment, and supports increased economic growth and improved service delivery for all its citizens. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) was adopted at United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) Conference of the Parties which sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based actions to bring about a transformation in our societies' relationship with biodiversity by 2030. Six years left to fully implement the KMGBF and as such no time to lose.

The need to put measures in place for implementation that will conserve and sustainably utilize our biodiversity and ensure the fair and equitable benefits from the use of genetic resources to contribute to biodiversity economy, society transformation, the well-being of nature and people and to the prosperity of society is more urgent than ever before. The White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use lays out the domestication of KMGBF and advances the whole of government and the whole of society approach.

The white paper therefore provides policy guidance and certainty in the implementation of the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy. The impact of this will be to grow sustainable and inclusive eco-tourism-based businesses by 10% per annum through marine-based

ecotourism activities and expansion of the conservation estate from 20 million ha to 34 million ha by 2040 (4,2 million ha from declared protected areas and 10 million ha from other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).

The white paper therefore provides policy guidance and certainty in the implementation of the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy. The impact of this will be to grow sustainable and inclusive eco-tourism-based businesses by 10% per annum through marine-based ecotourism activities and expansion of the conservation estate from 20 million ha to 34 million ha by 2040 (4,2 million ha from declared protected areas and 10 million ha from other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).

The achievement of 30x30 target cannot not only be achieved through conventional approaches of the expansion of protected areas, rather this will require a process of re-building and restoring natural ecosystem as self-sustaining and resilient ecosystems that would have been present if the degradation or human disturbance had not occurred. Hence, creating mega living landscapes (MLL)/ corridors, that will include a mosaic of declared protected areas (PAs) and production landscapes outside of PAs would contribute to the realisation of a dynamic reimagined national conservation vision for South Africa that becomes an integral part of the country's sustainable development and nature positive economic future resulting in thriving people and nature. Its success requires political will and recognition at the highest level of government and relies on action and cooperation by all actors of society through augmentation of skills, capacity, innovative technologies and financial resources to facilitate establishment and management of the expanded landscapes and seascapes.

It is, therefore, considered a new deal to ensure people will not only be living in harmony with nature, but that both nature and people will thrive.

The objectives of the session are to:

• To enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable use giving effect to the environmental right as contained in Section 24 of the Constitution which facilitates redress, and promotes transformation;
• To facilitate discussions towards development of an inclusive programme of action or roadmap for the implementation of Goal 1 (Leveraging biodiversity-based features to scale inclusive growth in seascapes and in sustainable conservation land-use) of the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy in line with the goals of the White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity.
• To explore the sector-wide contribution to addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality.

Approach

• The session will have a panel discussion with representation from Government, Industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, Traditional Healers and Traditional Authorities.
• The panel discussion will convene for 2 hours with a tea break before the key actions required are unpacked.

Facilitator: Mr Sibusiso Bukhosini – CEO Isimangaliso 

Scriber: Amanda Dana-Mfikili, Sibongile Mampe, Fhatuwani Nevondo, Pamela Kershaw 

Topic: Leveraging biodiversity-based features to scale inclusive growth in seascapes and in sustainable conservation land-use