Programme Director,
Honourable Premier, Mr Zamani Saul
Honourable MECs,
Executive Mayor, Cllr Martha Bartlett
Traditional leaders,
Representatives of government,
Leaders from the wildlife industry,
Community representatives,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
Allow me to extend a very special word of thanks and welcome to the learners and educators who have joined us today. Your presence here is deeply meaningful.
Conservation is not only about protecting wildlife and landscapes for today, but it is also about securing a sustainable future for you, the leaders of tomorrow, the generation that will take this country forward. By exposing young people to conversations about biodiversity, climate change, protected areas and the biodiversity economy, we are planting the seeds of awareness, responsibility and leadership.
If we are to build a society that values and protects nature, we must begin with our children. It is much easier to teach children than to teach "an old dog new tricks". They must understand that conservation is not separate from their lives. It affects the water they drink, the food they eat, the air they breathe, and the opportunities available to them in the future.
Creating awareness among young people about the importance of protecting our natural heritage is one of the most powerful investments we can make. When children grow up appreciating nature, they grow up prepared to defend it, innovate around it, and build careers within the green and biodiversity economy.
To our educators, we thank you for shaping environmentally conscious citizens and for nurturing curiosity about the natural world. Your role in guiding young minds toward sustainability is invaluable.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to welcome you to the 10th People and Parks National Conference. It is important to note that this is a biannual event, and this project has been going on for 20 years. It is imperative that we host such event, not as a talk shop, but we must see tangible outcomes.
This gathering brings together government, communities, conservation authorities, traditional leaders, the wildlife industry and civil society to advance a shared vision of inclusive conservation for sustainable development.
We meet at a defining moment. Around the world, there is growing recognition that nature is not a luxury; it is the foundation of economic growth, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
South Africa is globally recognised for its extraordinary biodiversity, and this natural heritage is one of our greatest national assets. But its protection cannot succeed without the meaningful participation of the people who live closest to it.
For twenty years, the People and Parks Programme has strengthened partnerships between conservation authorities and communities adjacent to protected areas. Over time, it has become a cornerstone of inclusive conservation in our country. We must build on that.
We have made significant progress.
Communities are no longer viewed merely as beneficiaries of conservation. Through co-management arrangements and representation in decision-making structures, they are active partners shaping the future of protected areas.
We have advanced land reform and restitution within protected areas, restoring land rights while ensuring biodiversity remains protected for future generations.
We have expanded socio-economic opportunities linked to conservation by creating jobs, supporting enterprise development in eco-tourism and biodiversity stewardship, investing in infrastructure, and equipping young people with skills to participate in the biodiversity economy.
We have strengthened partnerships across spheres of government, conservation agencies, traditional leadership, civil society and the private sector, who all play their part.
And through biodiversity stewardship and conservation expansion initiatives, communities and private landowners are contributing to the growth of our conservation estate.
These achievements affirm a simple truth: when communities benefit from conservation, they become its strongest champions.
Yet we must also be honest about the challenges we face.
Budgetary pressures constrain management authorities and slow the implementation of co-management agreements. Infrastructure projects linked to the biodiversity economy are not moving at the pace our communities expect and deserve.
Human-wildlife conflict remains a serious concern in areas surrounding protected areas such as the Kruger National Park, Mthethomusha Game Reserve, Songimvelo Game Reserve and Mawana Game Reserve, and so many others. Inadequate fencing, increasing wildlife pressures and insufficient compensation mechanisms place strain on already vulnerable communities.
These realities demand innovative and sustainable financing models, stronger mitigation measures, and closer collaboration between all stakeholders. That is why we are here.
At the global level, South Africa remains firmly committed to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls on all countries to ensure that by 2030 – in four years ' time - at least 30 percent of land, freshwater and marine areas are conserved through effectively managed and equitably governed systems that recognise community lands and traditional territories.
Inclusive conservation is therefore not optional; it is a global obligation.
Ladies and gentlemen, without community support, protected areas face resistance, enforcement becomes costly and unsustainable, and ultimately conservation outcomes weaken.
The People and Parks Programme is central to ensuring that community lands contribute meaningfully to achieving this target, in a way that respects rights, restores dignity and creates opportunity.
We must also confront the growing threat of climate change. Climate change is not a hoax.
South Africa lies within one of the world's climate change hotspots, and the evidence is undeniable. Increasingly intense flooding along river systems such as the Crocodile, Sabie and Letaba is affecting areas in and around the Kruger National Park, damaging infrastructure and disrupting ecosystems. Climate change is not a hoax.
For neighbouring communities, the consequences are dire. Homes, crops and livelihoods are destroyed. Tourism and agriculture are undermined. Human-wildlife conflict intensifies.
One of our globally significant biodiversity hotspots, the Succulent Karoo, faces mounting risks from climate change.
At the same time, land degradation and drought are among South Africa's most critical environmental challenges. These are closely linked to water and food security, poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss. They directly affect the land needed for food production, water resources, livelihoods and the overall wellbeing of our people.
Droughts are becoming more common, more frequent and more severe in our country, exacerbated by rising global temperatures. The Northern Cape is one of the provinces that has, over the years, experienced severe and persistent drought conditions.
Drought has devastating effects on our economy and livelihoods. When productive land is lost due to degradation and drought, everybody suffers. Food prices go up. Hunger increases. Poverty deepens.
The 2024 National Assessment Report on the linkages between migration and environmental degradation highlighted that the Northern Cape is significantly affected by land degradation and drought. These pressures have resulted in negative socio-economic impacts, including compromised health and safety, declining quality of life, and increasing food and water insecurity.
These challenges are accelerating the movement of young men and women away from their homes to urban areas in search of employment and opportunity.
As government, we therefore call on all sectors of society to act and to join forces in promoting preparedness and resilience to desertification and drought.
In response, we are implementing a sustainable land management project funded by the Global Environment Facility. Rietfontein Town and its surrounding villages are confronted by the spread of alien invasive species, particularly Prosopis, which consumes large quantities of water and exacerbates land degradation, water scarcity and food insecurity.
Through this project, our aim is to address land degradation, climate change, water security and unemployment simultaneously, while tackling poverty and strengthening livelihoods.
We are also mainstreaming climate change into biodiversity conservation by promoting climate-smart protected and conservation areas as a way of minimising the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems.
This approach is captured in the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Sector Climate Change Strategy, which is currently under implementation through several projects. One such initiative, implemented jointly with the Department of Agriculture in the Springbok area in this province, focuses on climate-proofing rangeland systems and enhancing the resilience of livestock farmers.
Climate adaptation must therefore be fully integrated into conservation planning. We must strengthen early warning systems, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, restore degraded ecosystems and improve coordinated disaster response.
We call on the private sector to join us in preventing land degradation and restoring the productivity of our land through innovative approaches that create jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas.
We must continue to use all available resources, including indigenous knowledge systems, to address these challenges. As we look ahead, our priorities are clear; we must accelerate the implementation of co-management agreements, ensure tangible and measurable economic benefits for communities, strengthen biodiversity economy value chains, mobilise blended finance for biodiversity priorities, and empower youth, women and persons with disabilities as leaders in conservation and enterprise.
This 10th Conference is more than a milestone. It is a call to action. Title deeds should go out or our communities on a regular basis.
Let us use this platform to reflect honestly on progress, confront challenges directly, and agree on practical solutions. Let us reaffirm that conservation in South Africa will be inclusive, equitable and development oriented.
And as we do so, let us remember the young people in this room.
To our learners, the future of conservation belongs to you. The decisions we take here over the coming days are not abstract policy discussions; they are about the kind of country and planet you will inherit. That also gives you a responsibility to be a part of a solution.
May this conference inspire you to see nature not only as something beautiful to admire, but as something valuable to protect, study and build a career around. South Africa needs scientists, rangers, environmental lawyers, climate specialists, entrepreneurs. There's so much opportunity in the biodiversity economy. We need marketers of our Tourism.
To our educators, continue nurturing curiosity, environmental responsibility and critical thinking.
You are shaping the custodians of our natural heritage in the future.
If we succeed in embedding a culture of conservation in our children today, we will not have to persuade the next generation to protect biodiversity, they will lead the charge themselves.
Let us therefore ensure that the next decade of People and Parks delivers even greater impact for our biodiversity, for our communities and for generations yet to come.
I wish you fruitful deliberations and a successful conference. Let this be a conference that really makes the difference.
I thank you very much.
For media inquiries contact:
Thobile Zulu-Molobi:
Mobile: +27 82 513 7154
E-mail: tmolobi@dffe.gov.za
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