SA joins global restoration efforts on World Environment Day

South Africans joined countries around the globe in celebrating World Environment Day 2024 on Wednesday, to raise awareness about the importance of habitat and land restoration, combating desertification and, in assisting communities, build drought resilience.

The theme this year is “Our Land.

Our Future”, providing the opportunity for all to reflect on the benefits of investing in land and habitat restoration and conservation, for people and wildlife.

“The focus on combating desertification, restoring lands and building drought resilience ahead of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 16th Conference of Parties in Colombia later this year, is also aligned to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s slogan #GenerationRestoration, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said.

“The aim of the UN Decade is to ensure that all countries act on their commitments to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation by repairing and reviving barren and damaged soil, and replanting forests,” the Endangered Wildlife Trust added.

World Environment Day also comes weeks after the launch of the UN’s Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists which shows that about 50% of the world’s rangelands are degraded.

Because of overuse, misuse, climate change and biodiversity loss, a severe threat is posed to humanity’s food supply and the well-being or survival of billions of people.

In South Africa, the report states that afforestation, mining, and the conversion of rangelands to other uses are the main causes of degradation and loss of rangelands.

“Over the last decade the EWT has driven the establishment of more than 100 000 hectares of formal protected areas on privately and communally owned land with associated improved management and resultant habitat restoration.

“This along with hundreds of hectares of targeted alien invasive tree clearing in critical riparian and water catchment areas has driven improved ecosystem service provision in some of most climate sensitive areas,” the EWT said.

What is ultimately needed, at a national scale, is a paradigm shift in the management of natural areas, involving all stakeholders to ensure that targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals of land degradation neutrality is achieved, according to the EWT.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) states that more than one-fifth of the Earth’s land area or some 2 billion hectares, is degraded.

Approximately 3.2 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, are impacted by land degradation.

“This disproportionately affects those who are least equipped to cope –indigenous people, rural communities, smallholder farmers and the extremely poor, especially women and youth.

“If land degradation remains unchecked, says UNEP, it could reduce global food productivity by 12%, causing food prices to soar by up to 30% by 2040,” EWT said.

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said that South Africans should combine local actions and land restoration techniques in the fight against land degradation, desertification, and drought impacts.

“This includes planting trees, rotating crops, using water retention techniques such as building retention ditches and cut-off drains, and applying organic manures and mineral fertilisers, among other methods,” said Creecy.

“Land restoration is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play.

“Let us strive to restore ecosystems, mitigate desertification, and combat drought, thereby forging a path towards a greener, healthier, and more prosperous planet for all,” added the minister.

Cape Times