South Africa's National Biodiversity Economy Strategy moves forward through stakeholder collaboration

The recent Indaba on Biodiversity Economics and Investment, led by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy, was a pivotal moment when stakeholders came together to develop a roadmap to advance the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (NBES).

Minister Creecy emphasised the government's commitment to creating a robust policy framework for biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic growth. Referring to the White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity, she emphasised the vision of creating a society that coexists harmoniously with nature, sharing benefits equitably for present and future generations. This is reported by Pretoria News, a partner of TV BRICS.

Key outcomes of the conference include strategies to ensure financial support, access to land for biodiversity initiatives, skills development, research development and facilitating market access for biodiversity goods.

Minister Creecy emphasised the importance of an integrated biodiversity economy that considers both non-consumptive and consumptive uses, emphasising conservation and sustainable practices.

An important proposal that emerged from the indaba was the creation of a centralised “one-stop shop” to facilitate stakeholder access to support resources such as training, funding, land, investors and markets.

This integrated approach aims to improve the efficiency of receiving assistance from state and non-state actors. In addition, commitments have been made to collaborate on research, rationalise projects and attract potential investors.

The submission of stakeholder feedback on NBES closed on 29 March and the Department has committed to a thorough evaluation and a comprehensive Comments and Responses Report (CRR).

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