Africa, Biodiversity, Environment, Headlines

ENVIRONMENT-SOUTH AFRICA: Pioneering Conservation Project At Risk

Kristin Palitza

DURBAN, Sep 19 2008 (IPS) - An innovative South African nature conservation project that combines protecting biodiversity and poverty alleviation faces resistance from residents of adjacent properties who are worried about rate increases and land development rights.

The 'Working 4 Ecosystems' project, which was launched by the eThekwini Municipality 18 months ago, trained residents from surrounding townships to restore green spaces in and around Giba Gorge, just 25 kilometres north of Durban, in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The biodiversity venture is a pioneering development because it aims to balance what conservationists call the 'triple bottom line' of social needs, environmental sustainability and, eventually, economics by increasing tourism in the gorge.

Next month, the future of the biodiversity project will be determined. Residents will cast their votes, deciding if Giba Gorge will – or will not – be re-zoned into a "green" Special Rating Area with an additional fee that is then spent on improving the ecosystem in the area.

But what the municipality did not anticipate was the scepticism from some well-off residents whose expensive properties border on Giba Gorge. The area is framed by two contrasting communities – the wealthy, private landowners of Winston Park on the one side, and the residents of Tshelimnyama and Dassenhoek townships on the other, where poverty and unemployment are rife.

Municipal rates have recently been hiked throughout South Africa. Winston Park residents are reluctant to accept another increase, even though the fee would be minimal, at about $5 per month – properties in Winston Park are worth several hundred thousand dollars. In addition, the municipality will subsidise the biodiversity project with $18,500 per year.

"In return (for the additional rate payment), residents will get a beautifully conserved nature reserve in which they can walk and exercise safely," says Richard Boon, biodiversity planning manager in the environmental management department of the eThekwini municipality.

Within the last year, several public meetings have been held to get input from all three communities bordering on the gorge, which have led to heated discussions. Although most wealthy residents generally support conservation efforts in the area, they say that, apart from increased rates, they are concerned about limited development rights and compensation issues.

"Some (private) properties run right into the gorge system, and if the area was to be re-zoned, owners would be restricted in the development rights of their land. This has caused anxiety," explains Boon. "The majority of residents seems to be supportive, but the proof will be in the vote."

One Winston Park resident, Mike Lorenz, is a strong supporter of the re-zoning efforts: "In recent years, lots of new housing developments have destroyed wetlands and forested lands. We moved here because of the country-feel of the area, and would do everything possible to keep it that way."

Lorenz believes the ecosystems project will not only preserve Giba Gorge but also enhance security in the area due to the employment opportunities it creates, which are likely to reduce poverty. "The gorge will become a Sought-after area. I am happy to pay some extra money to make this happen," he says. "(Financial) pain has to be taken at some stage to retain an area that is of environmental significance."

Other residents, however, are not willing to put nature conservation before their personal interests. "Some people are against the project because they won't be able any more to sell off parts of their land or subdivide it. Other don't want to contribute to the new rating scheme," says Lorenz.

None of the residents opposing the Giba Gorge biodiversity project were willing to speak to IPS about their concerns.

Over the past year and a half, considerable money and effort has been invested in conservation in the area. The national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has made $435,000 available to the eThekwini Municipality to launch the 'Working 4 Ecosystems' project, which was implemented by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA).

WESSA trained 70 people from Tshelimnyama and Dassenhoek in nature conservation, including reserve management, removing invasive alien plants, anti-poaching initiatives, use of herbicides, fire management, field patrols, first aid as well as trail development and maintenance. Giba Gorge is significant for conservation purposes because of its large number of rare and endemic plant and animal species.

Some of the trainees were subsequently employed as park rangers and tour guides. The municipality hopes creating sustainable employment opportunities will also reduce crime in the area. Walking in the gorge has not been safe in recent years due to high crime rates, laying of snares and hunting parties.

"While the reserve was largely unused because of security concerns, it is now very safe to make use of the gorge area," says WESSA project manager Sudira Sing. She believes this has been possible largely because the project combined biodiversity planning with social concerns.

"The social aspect of the project has been important because it creates sustainability through skills training and capacity building," agrees Errol Douwes, ecologist at the environmental management department of the eThekwini Municipality. "Apart from employing people to work at Giba Gorge, we also assist them to set up cooperatives so that they can take their new skills to work in the private sector."

Trainees have been encouraged to plant indigenous trees in their community, for example. Six township residents have set up their own indigenous nurseries to grow and sell plants.

"The project has been a very good experience because it gave me the chance to learn new skills and better opportunities to find work," says Ntombi Ndlovu, one of the field ranger trainees. "In my community, most people are unemployed and have little education."

Douwes believes the nature conservation project also has the potential of bringing together the two contrasting communities on either side of the gorge – the poor residents of Thselimnyama and Dassenhoek and the well-off residents of Winston Park. "It is an opportunity for people with different very social backgrounds to find common ground," he says.