13 April 2012: The World Bank has reported on a project carried out from 2004 to 2010, together with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and with support from two Global Environmental Facility (GEF) grants, aimed to promote conservation through private land stewardship and expand protected areas to preserve biodiversity in South Africa.

According to the World Bank, in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa, the project supported the implementation of the Cape Action for People and Environment (CAPE) 2000 Strategy for sustainable land use. It was designed to: promote improved management and sustainable use in three large reserves (Baviansloof, Garden Route, and Cederberg), covering mountainous to coastal areas; pilot and adopt new models for biodiversity management, including improved biodiversity conservation off-reserve; and lay a foundation to mainstream biodiversity into economic activities.

According to the World Bank, the project resulted in a doubling of the number of hectares under formal conservation agreements, thereby exceeding the project’s targets. Furthermore, biodiversity stewardship agreements with private landowners have allowed critically endangered ecosystems to be better protected. With this model, biodiversity issues are being better integrated into policy frameworks and land use regulations at regional and local level. [World Bank Press Release]