Only 7% of South Africa’s living landscapes are conserved, while more than 85% of the country is in the hands of private and communal landowners. As such, a significant amount of the country’s critical species and ecosystems occur on productive agricultural land outside of government owned and management protected areas. For example the last of the Renosterveld vegetation type exists as fragments scattered among the Cape wheat fields and winelands.
Therefore, conservation authorities and government need to adopt more of a partnerships-based approach with landowners to conserve/protect the country’s most valuable biodiversity.
As such, in recent years, landowners have become more aware of biodiversity and its value (to them and to society), and hence are more willing to set aside portions of priority biodiversity on their land for conservation. One successful approach that is a win-win situation for both the conservation sector and landowners is the biodiversity stewardship approach. To assist in this process, conservation authorities have developed incentives for landowners who set aside land to protect biodiversity.
Therefore, conservation authorities and government need to adopt more of a partnerships-based approach with landowners to conserve/protect the country’s most valuable biodiversity.
As such, in recent years, landowners have become more aware of biodiversity and its value (to them and to society), and hence are more willing to set aside portions of priority biodiversity on their land for conservation. One successful approach that is a win-win situation for both the conservation sector and landowners is the biodiversity stewardship approach. To assist in this process, conservation authorities have developed incentives for landowners who set aside land to protect biodiversity.
