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Policy objective

The objective is to establish and manage a representative and effective system of protected areas efficiently.

Protected Areas in South Africa

Protected areas is geographically defined areas which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives. This objectives vary considerably and different classification systems apply in different countries. South Africa presently contains 21 types of protected areas which are administered by many different bodies, including the National Parks Board; the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry; the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism; the South African National Defence Force; the National Botanical Institute; provincial conservation agencies; numerous local authorities; and an assortment of private and public landowners who subscribe to various conservation schemes. Ten Acts of Parliament and 13 provincial Ordinances and Acts control protected areas in South Africa

Terrestrial Protected Areas

South Africa's system of terrestrial protected areas is well developed. It is in this 422 formally protected areas (some 6% of the land surface area) that biodiversity conservation has been focused. The existing system does not adequately protect the lowland fynbos, succulent karoo, Nama karoo, highveld grassland, and thicket biomes of South Africa. Many of the existing protected areas are small, often isolated from one another, and have been managed as islands of biodiversity rather than as part of a holistic land-use policy.

Wetlands

Wetland conservation is extremely poor in South Africa and the majority of wetlands fall outside of protected areas. Exceptions to this include the 15 Ramsar Sites in the country, which are recognised in terms of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) and protected through various laws. These total some 488,859 hectares.

Marine Protected Areas

Several marine protected areas are located along South Africa's extensive coastline, representing most marine biogeographic regions, and includes two of the largest "no-take" reserves in the world. A large number of the marine reserves are either poorly positioned or inadequately policed. Existing marine protected areas do not protect the full range of coastal and marine habitats, such as sandy beaches, estuaries, dunes, and different types of rocky shore.