25 October 2010: A new primer on South Africa’s approach to biodiversity was launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the Government of South Africa. The book, entitled “Biodiversity for Development: South Africa’s Landscape Approach to Conserving Biodiversity and Enabling Ecosystem Resilience,” highlights tools developed through partnerships between government and civil society in South Africa.

The efforts were supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other international partners, through UNDP and the World Bank. At the launch event, on the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Fundisile Mketeni, Deputy Director-General, South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs, stressed that suitable policy to deliver on both national and CBD priorities has been implemented. He noted that many institutions have been integral to this successful implementation. Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, South Africa, noted that South Africa’s Constitution ensures that the environment is protected for the benefit of the present and future generations. She outlined successful policies and tools, including the “Working for Water” programme where locals are hired to remove alien invasive plants from water catchment areas.

Olav Kjørven, UNDP, said the work undertaken in the book is cutting-edge. He underscored that biodiversity must be at the heart of the development paradigm, with integrated service packages being implemented in developing countries. Warren Evans, World Bank, stated that the book shows on-the-ground progress in key countries like South Africa, and that addressing environmental issues in tandem with other challenges, such as unemployment and food crises, is possible. Gustavo Fonseca, GEF, lauded South Africa for its success in development projects. He said the country is ripe for South-South exchanges and can provide assistance for transferring their successful implementation of policies across borders. [The book]