SPEECH BY MARTHINUS VAN
SCHALKWYK, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
AND TOURISM, DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY
OF WILD TALK AFRICA 2007, DURBAN ICC, MONDAY
27 AUGUST 2007
Climate Change - gearing our National Parks
INTRODUCTION
The modern environmental filmmaker occupies
one of the most important and challenging
positions in the media spectrum - balancing
the roles of watch-dog, educator, researcher,
activist and social commentator. This is
why it is so important to have a Wild Talk
Africa Festival. I believe that this festival
could stimulate the need for more environmental
reporters, equipped with up-to-date skills,
cutting-edge knowledge and real in-depth
understanding of the environmental and sustainable
development issues on our continent.
Environmental issues continue to advance
to centre-stage in almost every discipline.
One of our most important environmental
challenges is climate change. I am delighted
that this topic forms an integral part of
this festival with the screening of “the
11th hour” and a presentation on African
solutions for climate change.
The potential impacts and risks of unanticipated
climate variability and projected climate
change are severe. Addressing climate change
is one of the critical challenges that can
be achieved through integrated government
planning, partnerships with the private
sector and civil society, and a strengthened
multilateral regime. In addition, to successfully
communicate our message to the grassroots
level, to drive the issue to the top of
the international agenda, and to ensure
behavioural changes in households, industry
and at leadership level, the relationship
with the environmental filmmaker and media
will be critical.
THE CLIMATE CHALLENGES
Understanding that all countries, including
developing countries, have to do more to
address climate change, albeit in different
ways, our Government has taken a pro-active
approach.
In support of Government’s efforts to align
policy-making with our climate change challenges,
the Cabinet initiated the Long Term Mitigation
Scenario process. This process will outline
the range of ambitious but realistic scenarios
of future climate action, notably long-term
emissions scenarios and their cost implications,
and will inform future policy-making and
strategic decisions. In addition, various
national departments, provinces and cities
are refining their sector plans in line
with the National Climate Change Response
Strategy. Working closely with industry,
our department will also be finalising our
updated Greenhouse Gas Inventory and SA’s
National Communication for the UNFCCC early
next year.
Ultimately, the results of the Long Term
Mitigation Scenario process, the sector
strategies and our interaction with the
best available science, will collectively
inform our first ever Long Term National
Climate Policy which we intend publishing
during 2008/9.
Adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate
change must occur in parallel with efforts
to slow down climate change. In the international
community it is likely that funding will
increasingly be made available to sensible,
innovative and effective adaptation plans.
We in South Africa should position ourselves
to be amongst the leaders in these efforts,
and to gain from this trend in a way that
will yield long term benefits.
Within our portfolio, a priority area of
work in this context deals with the impacts
of climate change on key environmental assets.
These include especially our natural heritage
in the most threatened eco-systems and conservation
areas of this country, marine resources,
and ecosystem goods and services that support
so many livelihoods and that maintain our
environmental health and integrity.
Climate change and our Parks
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change confirmed that climate change is
emerging as the single greatest driver of
biodiversity loss, and as such will by mid-century
have a dramatic impact on key eco-systems,
conservation areas, marine resources, and
potentially tourism.
Globally, by mid century, 20% to 30% of
plant and animal species are likely to be
at increased risk of extinction as a result
of climate change. Closer to home, in sub-Saharan
Africa, the IPCC indicated that between
25% and 40% of animal species in national
parks will see further increases in threat
status. South African Fynbos and the Succulent
Karoo ecosystem seem particularly vulnerable
and for a mean global temperature increase
of between 2 and 3ºC during this century,
we stand to lose between 50% and 65% of
our unique Fynbos.
Potential shifts in the strength and position
of the Benguela current upwelling system
that supports South Africa’s most productive
fishery are also indicated.
In conservation areas the threats appear
to be real and urgent. For example:
In the Kruger National Park we could see
more intense rainfall interspersed with
possibly more extended dry spells, changes
in the tree cover and grass production,
greater competition for water with water
users upstream of the park.
The Table Mountain National Park could
see local extinctions of climate-sensitive
fynbos species with possible loss of sensitive
habitats such as ancient perennial water
seeps, increased frequency of fires, accelerated
spread of alien invasive species
The Isimangaliso Wetland Park could see
gradual sea level rise leading to increased
salinity and species loss in wetlands, and
in conjunction with extreme storm events
and possible degradation of mangroves that
act as natural barriers against storm surges.
In the Tankwa Karoo National Park and other
protected areas of the Succulent Karoo it
is very likely that that we could see increased
risk of extinction of tens to hundreds of
endemic succulent species over the next
few decades.
In order to preserve our magnificent heritage
and key environmental assets, and ensure
that it is passed on intact to the children
and grandchildren of this nation, and indeed
the world, we have to work on adaptation
measures. In line with current thinking
on adaptation to the effects of climate
change, we have been assessing how the design
of our national parks can take this into
account.
A prime example of this is the Namaqua
National Park where we are currently expanding
the original Park, established around the
well known Skilpad flower site at Kamieskroon,
through a corridor of properties down to
the coast. I would like to announce that
we have already acquired the majority of
the corridor properties, and SANParks is
currently engaged in a discussion with De
Beers with a view to the contractual incorporation
of the coastal area between the Groen and
the Spoeg Rivers. It has also recently been
decided to expand the footprint of the Park
across the N7 into the Kamiesberg Range,south
east of Kamieskroon.
The expanded footprint of this Park will
then not only allow us to include the priority
conservation areas of the coastal Sandveld
and the mountainous Kamiesberg Centre of
Endemism, but will also give us a Park with
an altitudinal variation from sea level
to 1600m above sea level. This will provide
a greater variety of habitats and thus reduce
the risks to endemic species posed by climate
change trends. This is an important component
of our planning framework, particularly
in the Succulent Karoo, which is the world’s
only arid biodiversity hotspot. As you may
be aware, the Succulent Karoo has around
6500 plant species of which 40% are endemic.
With the acquisition of the corridor farms
the Namaqua National Park now expands to
over 100 000 hectares. A second Park to
recently surpass the 100 000ha mark is the
Tankwa National Park, also in the Succulent
Karoo biome. The recent acquisition of new
properties have brought in an important
component of the Tankwa River system, and
more of the biologically important Roggeveld
Mountain escarpment. Again this provides
necessary large expanses crucial for conserving
arid habitats, but also the altitudinal
variation that builds resilience as a key
response to climate change risks.
I am also pleased to announce that our
Department has allocated an annual amount
of R51m to SANParks for the acquisition
of land for the expansion of national parks.
Initiatives within this years programme
include the acquisition of a 3700 ha property
in the threatened lowland fynbos habitat
for inclusion into Agulhas National Park.
In addition, another acquisition will bring
a component of the Riet River into the recently
proclaimed Mokala National Park.
Apart from the purchasing of land for incorporation
into national parks, we are also developing
a number of initiatives towards the integration
of protected area and conservation management
at a landscape level. In the Garden Route
for instance, SANParks have recently taken
on the management of 100 000ha of indigenous
forests and mountain catchment areas. We
are also in discussion with the Department
of Water Affairs and Forestry with a view
to concluding a full assignment of these
areas to SANParks, which would lay the basis
for the proclamation of a Garden Route National
Park by the end of March 2008. This Park
would incorporate the Tsitsikamma National
Park, the Wilderness National Park, the
Knysna Lake Area, and the indigenous forests
and mountain catchment areas. This would
lay a basis for the integrated management
of the estuaries and lake systems, fynbos
areas, indigenous forests, and marine protected
areas that make up the Garden Route, and
provide a platform for the engagement with
a range of private land owners and other
stakeholders towards sustainable development
and conservation in the Garden Route.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we should be flexible and
pro-active in our planning and continuously
integrate the latest scientific findings
and practical experience with our long term
strategic frameworks. In the arena of conservation,
we must use the best ecological knowledge
and understanding available to guide sensible
responses. We must learn to expect the unexpected,
guided by the capacity to assess how emerging
climate change trends will impact our daily
lives, what adaptive responses are required,
and how each of us can contribute to reducing
emissions. Globally, in South Africa and
in every community we must all do more and
act with a greater sense of urgency. I would
therefore like to challenge this industry
to further expand your focus and coverage
of climate issues.
I would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate the founders of this festival,
a group of 30 dedicated enthusiastic individuals
who gathered together in 2005 to shape the
future of the industry. The initial members
of this group included Dr Pallo Jordan -
Minister of Arts and Culture, Eddie Mbalo
- CEO NFVF, Marcel Golding - CEO e.tv, Mark
Wild from Animal Planet and 20 wildlife
filmmakers.
I believe that this festival will position
South Africa as the primary destination
for discussion and conferencing on wildlife,
travel and culture filmmaking.
I thank you
Inquiries: Riaan Aucamp
