South Africa makes strides in biodiversity

South Africa is among the countries that have made significant progress in determining the values of biodiversity and integrating it into policies, development strategies at the national and subnational levels.

This is according to a synthesis of the 6th National Reports on biodiversity submitted by African countries under the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, which is a framework for action to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people. The reports shed light on the status of biodiversity including the implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

The regional report was launched at the end of 2022 by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The report highlights South Africa’s experience in integrating biodiversity value in planning, decision-making and legislation, citing the:

• 2010 New Growth Path (NGP), which presents a national vision for growing the economy through the creation of five million jobs in 10 years partly focused on the development of renewable energy.
• 2012 National Strategy and Action Plan for Sustainable Development (NSSD1).
  Making the Case for Biodiversity Strategy (2013 to 2015), developed by SANBI to generate awareness and understanding in government and industry of the business and economic opportunities embedded in biodiversity management.
• 2014 Environmental Sector Local Government Support Strategy (LGS) to provide a coordinated and structured approach to strengthening environmental governance, environmental sustainability and climate-resilience at local government level.
• Draft Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to climate change adaptation and mitigation includes biodiversity conservation and restoration as part of country’s Africa’s adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Under its commitments to Afr100, South Africa is expected to restore productivity to 3.6 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes thereby improving livelihoods.

Conclusions from the synthesis of the 6th national reports on biodiversity underpin Africa’s stance in negotiations over the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. This information will serve as a baseline, together with Africa’s biodiversity priorities and the AfDB’s High Five objectives, which will guide negotiations over the post-2020 global biodiversity targets.