iSimangaliso Wetland Park GEF-7 hosted a community learning exchange
16 September 2024
iSimangaliso Wetland Park GEF-7 unit hosted a three days community learning exchange at Hluhluwe from the 10th to the 13th of September 2024. This learning exchange was hosted with the purpose of familiarizing communities living in and adjacent to iSimangaliso node about Biodiversity Stewardship under the theme Building biodiversity economy nodes for community stewardship and livelihoods. Amongst the dignitaries that attended this learning exchange was the 13 Traditional Councils from uMkhanyakude District, 14 land claimants, DFFE, SANBI, WWF, and Ezemvelo, District and Local Municipalities within uMkhanyakude District. iSimangaliso Wetland Park had four objectives for this learning exchange.
iSimangaliso invited communities from other nodes will share their experiences and lessons learnt, challenges, successes, creating a space for communities to inspire and support one another. Moreover, the learning exchange aims to establish a strong community of practice where networking and relationship-building can flourish. This collaboration will ensure that communities can leverage on each other's expertise and advice, particularly in establishing successful businesses and effectively participating in the country’s economy using biodiversity stewardship program as a vehicle to achieve that.
- Formally introduce GEF-7 to stakeholders The GEF-7 team working together with social facilitators has visited stakeholders with an aim of introducing GEF-7 but there was no formal meeting held to properly introduce GEF-7 to stakeholders. During this learning exchange the GEF-7 project was introduced to stakeholders.
- Introduce Biodiversity Stewardship, how it works and benefits stakeholders can reap through Stewardship. Stakeholders within iSimangaliso Node were not familiar with what biodiversity stewardship is. For communities to voluntarily give their land to be protected or declared as stewardship sites, they have to clearly know what stewardship is and how it works but most importantly how they will benefit from it. The team from DFFE explained to stakeholders the whole Biodiversity Stewardship programme together with other business opportunities that communities can participate in.
- The process of having land declared as a protected area. It is important to inform stakeholders about the requirements and the process of having land declared as a protected area. This will assist the GEF-7 team as stakeholders will prepare relevant documents earlier and not have delays when they are required. As Ezemvelo KZN wildlife is the custodian of Biodiversity Stewardship programmes within the KZN province, they presented the process to communities.
- Benefits that can be derived from the Protected area. The benefits for stewardship are beyond financial gains, while this is also important for the community, but the long-term sustainability of nature to support community livelihoods.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park CEO Mr Sibusiso Bukhosini addressing the workshop said the GEF-7 project aims to ensure communities, particularly impoverished communities within or neighbouring the park, benefit from tourism by resolving economic inequality. He said iSimangaliso is embarking on commercialization which is another approach it is employing to maximize revenue generation. Within this commercialization, I am happy to further announce that we have secluded 40% of the opportunities to be taken up by our local communities accordingly. This is another way we are developing our communities through opportunities created in the park. Furthermore, in iSimangaliso, issues related to community benefaction continues to be on the forefront of our priorities. We create job opportunities for our youth, graduates, impoverished local communities and other local community structures bearing interest of participating in business opportunities within our park. Through these initiatives, we have spent over R350 million worth of project where communities have participated in accordingly. This has provided more than 5000 job opportunities over the past five years of programme or project implementation.
Chairperson of the Makhasa Trust, Thokozani Mlambo, appreciated iSimangaliso for conducting workshops of this nature. Makhasa Trust owns a private conservation area with a lodge facility. They submitted a request for support and through the GEF-7 project, iSimangaliso will support Makhasa Trust with conference hall, gym and spa to improve their revenue. They will also participate in the biodiversity economy through stewardship. Mr Mlambo said “iSimangaliso has promised us game donation of 6 Giraffes to be delivered soon and more game will be donated after October, as the trust’s game reserve aims to host the Big Five”. Mlambo said job opportunities have been created in their game reserve through the construction of a lodge, with an application made to the GEF for a conference room. “We are really happy about the workshop and hope it is not the last one because it gives us knowledge that we can share with our communities to understand tourism,” said Mlambo. Chairperson
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the grant administered the World Bank to co-finance projects that focuses on developing biodiversity economic nodes for community stewardship and livelihoods in and around South Africa’s Protected Areas. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) is the Executing Agency representing the Government of South Africa. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa National Parks (SANParks) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority, are DFFE’s implementing partners of the programme. The GEF operational phase 7 started in 2018.
Through the GEF-7, iSimangaliso is in the process of assisting the following projects
The Global Environment Facility (GEF-7) has approved a new project for South Africa entitled catalyzing financing and capacity for the biodiversity economy around protected areas. The project focuses on catalyzing financing and capacity for the biodiversity economy around protected areas and increase benefits to local communities. The Project Management Unit (PMU) has been established by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment which is responsible for the management and implementation of the project. iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is one of the implementing agencies on this project focuses on developing biodiversity economy nodes for community stewardship and livelihoods in and around South Africa’s Protected Areas.