A White paper on the conservation and sustainable use
of South Africa’s biological diversity July 1997
Human activities such as
pollution, habitat destruction, over-exploitation and foreign plant and
animal invasions are resulting in the ever-increasing loss of the
earth's biological wealth (biodiversity). If continued unabated, we stand to
lose crucial life-support systems through the loss of important habitats
undermine rural livelihoods, with the
degradation of the natural resource base on which people depend
diminish economic opportunities, as options for
developing medicines and foods are reduced and the natural resource
base for tourism is damaged.
The South African Government
has three overriding priorities:
the eradication of poverty
the sustainable development of its economy
the social development of its people
Objectives
of the International Convention
of Biological Diversity:
The conservation of biological diversity
The sustainable use of biological resources
The fair an equitable
sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources
A biodiversity
policy and strategy, supported by 6 GOALS, will promote the reconstruction and
development of South Africa through the following:
protect
and maintain essential ecosystem services and biological resources
required to meet basic human needs;
ensure
ecologically sustainable economic development
provision
of jobs related to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable
use of biological resources;
ensure
that opportunities derived from the conservation of biodiversity and
sustainable use of biological resources favour the poor;
develop
human resources necessary to conserve biodiversity and use
biological resources sustainably; and
increase
participation in the institutions of civil society engaged in
conserving and using biodiversity
