At the Southern tip of Africa lies a country that is home to some of the world’s most outstanding places and most diverse species.
Therefore it is no surprise that South Africa is home to two of the WWF Global Programme Framework’s
35 outstanding places.
In these areas rivers run, wetlands filter and species either thrive or perish. It is the stage on which food production and other industrial activities operate, often placing enormous pressure on the natural resources that underpin them. Landscapes and their attendant richness of particular species inspire us, connect us, and open our eyes to bigger (and smaller) things. These landscapes are the appropriate scale for most of our conservation actions.
These outstanding places are considered irreplaceable in terms of their biodiversity value and contain many threatened species. Yet there are numerous opportunities to conserve these valuable ecosystems.
The Cape Floristic Region and the
Nama Karoo Kaokoveld (which includes the Succulent Karoo) are two of the 35 global ecoregions WWF focuses its attention on as areas of international value. WWF is committed to protecting these ecoregions by constructively engaging with industries and communities dependent on the land for its natural resources.
In addition, WWF also works in the
Grasslands biome, which is considered a national conservation priority by the country’s conservation authorities and their partners. There is significant diversity, but it is under protected and under significant pressure from unsustainable land use practices such as mining and agriculture.
