White Paper on Biodiversity: biodiversity policy and strategy for South Africa




Related "Applications" links Back to	A Biodiversity Policy and Strategy for South Africa Goal 1: Conserve the diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, communities, populations, species and genes in South Africa. The conservation of biodiversity includes measures required to protect, maintain, rehabilitate, restore and enhance biodiversity. South Africa's approach to conserving its remarkable diversity of landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, communities, populations, species and genes in the country, has eight main components: 1.1. Identifying important components of biodiversity and threatening processes; 1.2. Maintaining and strengthening existing arrangements to conserve the indigenous biodiversity of South Africa, both in and out of protected areas; 1.3. Establishing a representative and effective system of protected areas and efficient management thereof; 1.4. Promoting environmentally sound and sustainable development in areas adjacent to or within protected areas; 1.5. Restoring and rehabilitating degraded ecosystems; 1.6. Controlling, eradicating and preventing the introduction of harmful alien species which threaten biodiversity; 1.7. Regulating the transfer, handling, use and release of genetically modified organisms; and 1.8. Strengthening measures for the conservation of biological diversity outside of natural habitats (ex-situ conservation). In pursuing this approach, Government recognizes: that biological diversity is best conserved in the wild (in-situ), through the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and natural habitats, and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural surroundings; that ex-situ measures will primarily complement in-situ measures; and that an integrative approach will address threats to biological diversity, and establish priorities for its conservation. Conservation efforts will focus not only upon relatively "natural" landscapes, but will include areas modified by human activities, and will seek to enhance the contribution which biodiversity makes to human welfare.
Related "Applications" links Back to	Goal 2: Use biological resources sustainably and minimize adverse impacts on biological diversity This section describes South Africa's plans for meeting three key requirements of the Convention: the integration of biodiversity considerations into national decision-making; the sustainable use of biological diversity; and avoiding or minimizing adverse impacts on biodiversity. The section is divided into four parts: 2.1. sectoral and cross-sectoral approaches 2.2. using biological resources sustainably and avoiding or minimizing adverse impacts on biological diversity 2.3. land-use planning and environmental assessment 2.4. adopting sustainable lifestyles
	Goal 3: Ensure that benefits derived from the use and development of South Africa's genetic resources serve national interests 3.1. Control access to South Africa's indigenous genetic resources through the introduction of appropriate legislation and establishment of institutional structures 3.2. Ensure continued access to sources of genetic material for food, agriculture and forestry
	Goal 4: Expand the human capacity to conserve biodiversity, to manage its use, and to address factors threatening it 4.1. Increase public appreciation, education and awareness of the value and importance of biodiversity, and public involvement in its conservation and sustainable use 4.2. Improve the knowledge and understanding of South Africa's biodiversity necessary for its effective conservation 4.2.1. Research 4.2.2. Inventories 4.2.3. Monitoring and Evaluation 4.2.4. Data and Information 4.2.5. Traditional Knowledge 4.3. Enhance the capacity necessary to conserve and use South Africa's biological diversity sustainably
	Goal 5: Create conditions and incentives that support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity South Africa's approach towards achieving this goal has two main components: 5.1. Beneficiating Biodiversity Promote and develop economic opportunities that are compatible with and which complement the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity 5.2. Incentives Create and implement incentives that support the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
Back to	Goal 6: Promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity at the international level The conservation of biodiversity requires global action. Since the impacts of ecosystem degradation reach beyond national boundaries, transfrontier cooperation is necessary.