The fourth People and Parks conference has kicked off with the launch of the national co-management framework.
The purpose of the national co-management framework is to provide coherent guidance for effective management of land proclaimed as protected areas restored to communities in terms of Restitution of Land Rights Act. The framework also seeks to guide conservation authorities and successful restitution claimants in the development of co-management agreements, while also striking a balance between the aspirations of claimants for restoration of land rights and government’s obligation to manage protected areas as a public good.
Currently underway at the University of Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal, the conference runs until Wednesday, 1 September 2010. The People and Parks Programme (P and PP) was borne out of the World Parks Congress in 2003. The programme is underpinned by the concept of “Conservation for the People, by the people.”
The programme promotes the protection of our country's biodiversity resources and parks' benefits for our communities. Delivering the keynote address Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs said: "The Protected Areas Act provisions oblige us to establish the People and Parks Programme and this further compelled our department to introduce co-management agreements in parks forged between claimants and authorities. This is evidence of local economic development which is rooted in the communities with the dividends accrued shared with the affected communities."
"Mother nature has given us these resources to counter the onslaught of poverty. It is up to us to use these natural resources sustainably whilst ensuring the benefits trickle down to communities, especially rural communities. As a department, we need to double our efforts to ensure that in the next conference in 2012 the number of benefitting communities should have increased, at least ten times. To achieve this, we need to resolve the challenges experienced today by studying the best practices in order to find effective ways to provide support," she added.
Speaking on the significance and challenges of the People and Parks Programme, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mme Rejoice Mabudafhasi said although the programme is faced with challenges there are success stories from which we could learn.
"Whilst in the past people were excluded from playing a constructive role in the protection of the environment, today people are becoming shareholders and new practices for Protected Areas are being created," said Mabudafhasi.
"The People and Parks Programme faces the challenges that include, but not restricted to, the resolution of land claims and the slow pace of land reform, delays in settlements and co-management agreements for settled land claims in protected areas, transfer of grant linked to the settled land claims, lack of support from protected area managers.
A new Kids in Parks Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the conference. The Kids in Parks programme is an environmental education programme that plays a vital role in providing meaningful environmental learning, within the framework of outcome-based education and National
Curriculum Statement, to equip the leaders of tomorrow with the knowledge, skills and values required to take action for the environment.
To access the keynote address by Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, click below: http://www.environment.gov.za/NewsMedia/Speeches/2010Aug30/20100830%20Ministers%20speech%20for%20People%20and%20Parks%20Conference.pdf
To access the address by Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, click below: http://www.environment.gov.za/NewsMedia/Speeches/2010Aug30_2/SPEECH%20PEOPLE%20AND%20PARKS%202010.DOC
For media enquiries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
E-mail: AModise@environment.gov.za
