BLU Partnerships for Sustainable Landscapes
The Biodiversity and Land Use project is hosting a Partnerships for Sustainable Landscapes Dialogue
Date : 2 and 3 December 2020
Venue : Online event
Background
Natural resources and functioning ecosystems are the basis of life, economic activity and human well-being. South Africa has a vast wealth of biodiversity that supports the production of ecosystem services that are essential for economic growth and social development. The integration between biodiversity, sustainable development and communities is most relevant at the scale of local government. The Biodiversity and Land Use Project was initiated in 2015 to support the effective regulation of land use and environmental management to ensure that biodiversity continues to provide essential ecosystem services.
The Biodiversity and Land Use project is a Global Environment Facility funded project being implemented by SANBI and its partners in four district municipalities in global biodiversity hotspots and national biodiversity priority areas. These focus areas also have high rates of habitat degradation and conversion, high levels of poverty, and other pressing needs for action. Implementation takes place in the following municipal districts: Amathole (Eastern Cape), uMgungundlovu (KwaZulu-Natal), Ehlanzeni (Mpumalanga) and Cape Winelands District Municipality (Western Cape ).
Key to the success of the Biodiversity and Land Use project is a landscape approach to sustainable development. Working to create sustainable landscapes, the project focuses on managing land at the ecosystem-scale to benefit people, nature and the economy and aim to deliver environmental, social and economic improvements. This can only be achieved by building and working through multi-level stakeholder partnerships and engaging in co-operative governance.
Purpose:
The purpose of the event is to showcase work being done by the project in the respective districts, as well as elsewhere, that contributes to creating sustainably managed landscapes through partnerships and that have unlocked a suite of benefits for communities, biodiversity and the economy. Central to creating these landscapes, is well functioning biodiversity that supports ecosystem services for the benefit of people.
Working in partnership entails two or more groups coming together to achieve a common purpose. The main benefit of working together in this way is that more can be achieved together than individually. The partnership is usually built on the strengths and expertise of the partners involved.
The key principles of working in partnership include, openness, trust, honesty, agreed shared goals and values and regular communication and strong personal relationships. It also allows for efficient use of resources and a shift from a spirit of competition to cooperation.
“Partnerships are about recognising the value in each other” (Dr Hugh Annett)
Objectives of the Dialogue:
- To showcase how working in partnership and collaborating across government entities can deliver benefits for biodiversity and society
- To enhance our landscape value proposition through exploring different kinds of partnerships and how these can contribute to building resilient and sustainable landscapes
We have developed a suite of resources as part of your participant pack. Please click the links below for access to the resources in the respective sessions.
Session 2: Environmental Management, Planning and Land Use Management
Session 3: Biodiversity Stewardship
Session 4: Land Under Better Management and Ecological Infrastructure