Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 5 • 19th March 2004
South Africa Debates Future Biodiversity Strategy
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On 17 March South Africa held its first formal workshop to discuss its future national biodiversity strategy. Developing a national strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources forms part of South Africa’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The participatory process to develop the strategy was initiated in 1997 and further refined during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and during the World Parks Congress in 2003. Five task teams have been working on key thematic areas, including conservation, sustainable use, access and benefit sharing, alien invasive species and economic integration and poverty alleviation. Crispian Olver, head of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism said, “the biggest issue facing the sustainable use of our natural resources is the issue of equity.” So far the task teams have come up with draft national objectives, priorities and strategies for the thematic areas aimed at, inter alia, ensuring that biodiversity conservation is an integral component of all sectors of the economy and that benefits from biodiversity and costs from maintaining the flow of environmental goods and services are equitably shared. The strategy will be further developed and refined in a consultative process involving local authorities and provinces. A draft Action Plan will be discussed at a national workshop in July 2004.
“South Africa’s National Biodiversity Strategy Takes Shape,” ENS, 18 March 2004.
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