mainstreaming biodiversity into production sectors: the south african experience

Mainstreaming

biodiversity into

production sectors

The South African experience

Jeff Manuel, Director: Biodiversity Information and Planning

• Mining and Agriculture drives

infrastructure development

• Inadequate Infrastructure on a 20

year backlog.

• Government under pressure to meet

6% econ growth.

• High unemployment and low skilled

labour base

• Econ growth model based on

construction-based development.

– Expanded Public Works

– National Development Plan

• Strategic Integrated Projects

South Africa’s development paradigm

Poor environmental practise, regulation, compliance

Overallocated water resources

Peri-urban sprawl; Diffuse settlement patterns

Mining in sensitive environs

Inadequate extension; Degraded rangelands

Poverty, environmental risks,

lack of services

Unlocking mainstreaming

• Systemic barriers to mainstreaming – Developmental priorities

– Service delivery priorities

– Financial governance /audit fear

– Lack of funds; (co-funding/counter-funding)

• Donor funding and support is an essential catalyst – Sidesteps barriers

– Showcase practical solutions

• Institutional landscape – Failures: Subtropical Thicket (E. Cape)

– Moderately successful: Succulent Karoo (N. Cape)

– Highly successful: CAPE and Grasslands (W. Cape, KZN, GP, MP)

Mainstreaming: working beyond the line of insanity

• Project Design

• Timeframes

• Skills

• Measurement

Required outcomes

Land under better

mngmnt

Conservation

gains

Hectares protected

Reducing developm

ent footprint/

rate

Reducing threats

Certification & sector

self-regulation

Policy and Law Reform

Systemic Change

Changing development

goals

Largely natural, elements of biodiversity importance; . low impact production

sectors

Bio

div

ersi

ty u

nd

erp

ins

eco

logi

cal i

nfr

astr

uct

ure

wh

ich

del

iver

s se

rvic

es o

f b

enef

it t

o p

eop

le a

nd

eco

no

my

Largely modified for intensive production

e.g. commercial crops

Light to heavily modified,

fragments of biodiversity

Mostly natural, high biodiversity

importance; private/ communally owned

State owned and managed

protected areas

PR

OTE

CTE

D

PR

OD

UC

TIO

N

DEV

ELO

PM

ENT

• Protected areas (legislation) • NPAES • No-go areas

• Statutory biodiversity stewardship agreements • Contract law & informal biodiversity stewardship

agreements • Tax incentives • Threatened ecosystems

• Biodiversity and forestry • Biodiversity and agriculture (industry best

practice production and planning guidelines) • Ecosystem guidelines

• Biodiversity and mining • Mining & Biodiversity

Guidelines

• Biodiversity sector plans • Bioregional plans • CBA-SDFs • Biodiversity in the urban

economy

Mainstreaming through a landscape approach

Mainstreaming into plantation forestry

Results: • Expansion of protected area estate by 33 000ha • More resilient landscapes with functional connectivity and continued ability to

deliver ecosystem services over 270 000 ha (+ 60 000 ha soon) • Reduction in the rate of loss with 0 ha of new plantation development in

biodiversity priority areas • Industry certification system & standards (FSC) better incorporates

biodiversity

Mainstreaming into mining

Results:

• Capacity & governance strengthened

Two endorsed regulatory tools that improve decision-making

250++ sector officials, practioners & decision-makers trained

Reduction in rate of loss

• Expansion of protected area estate

Reactive stewardship: 119ha important wetlands

Proactive stewardship: 9200ha critical biodiversity & strategic water source area

Protection of biodiversity & maintenance of ecosystem function

Mainstreaming into agriculture

• Challenges…long hook – Overstated match between land use compatibility &

biodiversity

– Huge, diverse sector – no ‘easy’ institutional entry point for mainstreaming

– On-going policy reform

– Farmer & market interest in certification

– Public sector capacity

• Successes…short hook – Biodiversity stewardship – protection & better

management

– More recently traction with industry standard – building on pilots

Key ingredients for effective mainstreaming

Good science

Link to development

objectives

Develop deep relationships

and thick networks of

trust; invest in people

Recognise, craft and

respond to windows of opportunity

Develop high-quality in-sector

tools and products

Strengthen regulatory and

planning processes at all

levels

“There is no such thing as a light touch mainstreaming intervention”

“Mainstreaming requires a combination of long & short hook approaches–aim for systemic change but build it up from pilots”

Lessons

• Mainstreaming is a long-term process.

• Be adaptable - dynamic, uncertain context.

• Investing in the institutional landscape is key.

• Projects can probably be more effective with

the same budget & twice the timeframe.

• Outcomes are goal posts. Setting sensible

targets is extremely difficult.

Discussion

1. Develop a good Science foundation

• Evidence-based.

• Tangible view of

biodiversity objectives

• Transparent and

defensible.

• Basis for sectoral

prioritisation and then

inter-sectoral

engagement

Doom & gloom does not influence the dominant discourse

Rather focus on unlocking the potential of biodiversity and ecosystem services for development by creating and demonstrating their value

proposition (and not its value)

have to + want to x how to

Practical Solutions

National Asset

Children’s Legacy

Way Forward

National Priority

Emotional Strength

2. Relevance to Development Objectives

“functioning ecosystems that deliver valuable services to people”

Recognising the value of ecological infrastructure

(as opposed to PES)

The benefits of investing in EI

• Labour intensive, long-term jobs

• Cost savings

• Disaster relief

• Disaster risk management

• Overall infrastructure spending

• Reducing economic downtime

• Ecologically sustainable landscapes

Not investing in Ecological Infrastructure

4. Develop genuine relationships

• Takes time –individual and organisational

• Develop a deep understanding of the

institutional landscape

• Support organisational stability in partners

• Projects are a useful mechanism to foster

relationships

• Avoid consultancy-based implementation

5. Respond to windows of opportunity

1 3 7

1 4

17

12

22 13

12

55

2005200620072008200920102011201220132014

Most recent Municipal Planning framework, as required by law

• Recognise that biodiversity is not a priority.

• Downstream success is fine, sometimes better.

• Have the flexibility to pursue ‘non-biodiversity’ activities

• E.g. improving planning frameworks as a whole can positively impact on biodiversity, if layered.

Improving

agricultural

regulatory

capacity

People, Products and Processes

NR/PE

BIODIV AGREEMENTS

CORRIDORS

PLATANTATIONS

CRITICAL

HIGH

MODERATE

MEDIOCRE

LOW

FSA - EMC Represents all scales

COORDINATOR

CONS ORGS SANBI, WWF, EWT, Ezemvelo,

MTPA , DEA, DAFF, DWA

SPATIAL TOOLS

CPT BST

Sys Cons Plans

FORESTRY DATA

Technical support Ecological Advice

Guidelines Mentorship Certification

EXISTING FORESTRY NEW FORESTRY

EMC+

Formal Protection Better management

Decision support Responsible forestry

Existing smallgrowers and new landowners

New smallgrowers and emerging

growers

Focus Area 1 Building

Partnerships and support structures

Focus Area 2 Maintenance and

adaptation of tools

Focus Area 3 Formal Protection

(Stewardship) Focus Area 4 Small Grower Development

New Afforestation decision support

Focus Area 4 Small/Emerging Grower support

Focus Area 5 Technical Support