South Africa has done much and has lots to be proud of. But way more still needs to be
done.
South Africa is one of only 17 megadiverse countries on earth, meaning it’s home to a
large number of species and harbours a high number of endemic species, too. Yet a
significant number of South African species face dire threats from a variety of sources
putting their very survival at risk and jeopardising South Africa’s rich and priceless natural
heritage.
The was a key takeout of yesterday's South African satellite event of the Reverse the Red
World Species Congress that saw speakers from a broad range of national conservation
and biodiversity organisations, NPOS, public-sector and special interest groups come
together to take stock of the status of species conservation in South Africa; work that’s
being done to save species (some of which are on the very brink of extinction) and
address species conservation challenges that remain unmet.
The South African satellite event took place in the context of the White Paper on
Conservation and Sustainable Use. This Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the
Environment (DFFE) document gives four goals for conservation in South Africa:
sustainable use, access, benefit sharing and transformation.
“These goals demand that we think creatively and do things differently,” said senior DFFE
environmental consultant, Ms Mukondi Matshusa. “We need to reimagine conservation in
South Africa to ensure that conservation efforts serve communities. For our most noble
and urgent conservation work needs community support if it is to succeed.”
In setting the scene at the commencement of the South African online event, threatened
species programme manager at the SA National Biodiversity Institute, Ms Domitilla
Raimondo said that South Africa has committed to a biodiversity convention to prevent
species extinction.
This commitment includes applying action for recovery and conserving species that are
near to extinction; maintaining and restoring genetic diversity within populations and
effectively managing interaction between people and wildlife to minimise conflict and
maximise co-existence.
“It amounts to a commitment to restore what we have lost, and conserve what we have,”
Ms Raimondo told delegates.
“South Africa has made great strides in species conservation. We have the expertise, the
track record and the scientific and biodiversity proficiency to effectively halt rapid decline of
species toward extinction. We have done well and, in many respects, set best practice
standards that other regions and nations follow. However, much remains to be done."
“South Africans cannot be complacent. Guarding against extinction is a time-consuming
process that demands much. It demands collaboration and partnerships. It demands
intimate understanding of the relationship between species and human beings so that
interactions are respectful of people, their communities; and respectful of species and of
biodiversity, too. South Africa is well equipped in these areas. However, we need to
significantly scale up the national material investment in species conservation if we are to
meet our biodiversity convention commitments.”
South Africa has conducted red list assessments for 12 taxonomic groups. These
assessments are aligned to International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List
guidelines for regional assessment of species. Findings give a clear indication of just how
threatened South Africa’s biodiversity is.
Thirty five of our freshwater fish species are either endangered or critically endangered.
This amounts to little under a third of fish species in South Africa’s fresh waters. To
reverse this, Ms Raimondo said, South Africa must significantly scale up its investment. In
the last five years R18.6 million has been invested in conserving freshwater fish species.
It’s estimated that this investment must grow ninefold to effectively take each endangered
or critically endangered species off of those lists.
Similarly, she said, eleven amphibian species are in desperate need of protection. To give
them that protection, investment assigned to conservation measures will need to be scaled
up fourfold from R22.3 million invested since 2019 to an investment of R92.5 million over
the next five years.
It’s going to take about R965 million to save the 16 South African bird species in urgent
need of recovery intervention; and more than R2 billion to ensure survival of the black
rhino, wild dog and riverine rabbit.
More than 100 plant species are in urgent need of recovery action. Work is underway right
now to save only 14 percent of those (15 different plant species).
The estimated average cost to save plant species is significantly more accessible than
saving animal species: estimated at around zaR2.8 million per plant species over a five
year period as opposed to an average of zaR13.2 per mammal species and zaR44.2 per
bird species.
South Africa, Ms Raimondo said, has people – professionals and citizen scientists alike –
who work passionately to save species. Ours was the first country to quantify and
catalogue which of its species required recovery intervention. South Africa was also the
first country to systematically identify species that qualify for recovery in each of the
taxonomic groups.
There remains more to do. Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is possible.
More than this, it’s extremely likely. However, success demands significant investment of
time, money and an extensive committed, invested partnership network that includes
conservationists, NGOs, public sector policy makers, the private sector and, critically,
communities and persons who derive a living from natural resources.
Reverse the Red is a global movement for strategic cooperation and action to ensure the
survival of wild species and ecosystems and reverse the negative trend of biodiversity
loss. The movement provides the tools and expertise to empower governments, partners,
and local communities to set and reach biodiversity conservation targets and celebrates
and amplifies successful achievements for species.
The South African satellite conference of Reverse the Red took place remotely and was
attended by delegates from SANBI, the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the
Environment, the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, SA National Parks, the
Endangered Wildlife Trust, Birdlife South Africa, the Botanical Society of South Africa, and
the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.
Philanthropists interested in helping save species on the brink of extinction may contact
the Endangered Wildlife Trust (for animals): Lauren Waller LaurenW@ewt.org.za or the
Botanical Society (for plants): Martina Treurnicht M.Treurnicht@botanicalsociety.org.za.
