This presentation gives an overview of mainstreaming at sector level in South Africa, looking at systematic barriers to mainstreaming, the institutional landscape, case studies in forestry, mining and agriculture, ingredients for effective mainstreaming, and lessons learned.

1. Mainstreaming
biodiversity into
production sectors
The South African experience
Jeff Manuel, Director: Biodiversity Information and Planning

2. • Mining and Agriculture drives
infrastructure development
• Inadequate Infrastructure on a 20
year backlog.
• Government under pressure to meet
6% econ growth.
• High unemployment and low skilled
labour base
• Econ growth model based on
construction-based development.
– Expanded Public Works
– National Development Plan
• Strategic Integrated Projects
South Africa’s development paradigm

3. Poor environmental
practise, regulation,
compliance
Overallocated water resources
Peri-urban sprawl;
Diffuse settlement
patterns
Mining in sensitive environs
Inadequate extension;
Degraded rangelands
Poverty,
environmental risks,
lack of services

4. Unlocking mainstreaming
• Systemic barriers to mainstreaming
– Developmental priorities
– Service delivery priorities
– Financial governance /audit fear
– Lack of funds; (co-funding/counter-funding)
• Donor funding and support is an essential catalyst
– Sidesteps barriers
– Showcase practical solutions
• Institutional landscape
– Failures: Subtropical Thicket (E. Cape)
– Moderately successful: Succulent Karoo (N. Cape)
– Highly successful: CAPE and Grasslands (W. Cape, KZN, GP, MP)

5. Mainstreaming: working beyond the line of insanity
• Project Design
• Timeframes
• Skills
• Measurement
Required outcomes
Land
under
better
mngmnt
Conservation
gains
Hectares
protected
Reducing
developm
ent
footprint/
rate
Reducing
threats
Certification
& sector
self-
regulation
Policy and
Law Reform
Systemic
Change
Changing
development
goals

6. Largely natural, elements
of biodiversity importance;
. low impact production
sectors
Biodiversityunderpinsecologicalinfrastructurewhichdelivers
servicesofbenefittopeopleandeconomy
Largely modified for
intensive production
e.g. commercial crops
Light to heavily
modified,
fragments of
biodiversity
Mostly natural, high
biodiversity
importance; private/
communally owned
State owned
and managed
protected areas
PROTECTEDPRODUCTIONDEVELOPMENT
• Protected areas (legislation)
• NPAES
• No-go areas
• Statutory biodiversity stewardship agreements
• Contract law & informal biodiversity stewardship
agreements
• Tax incentives
• Threatened ecosystems
• Biodiversity and forestry
• Biodiversity and agriculture (industry best
practice production and planning guidelines)
• Ecosystem guidelines
• Biodiversity and mining
• Mining & Biodiversity
Guidelines
• Biodiversity sector plans
• Bioregional plans
• CBA-SDFs
• Biodiversity in the urban
economy
Mainstreaming through a landscape approach

7. Mainstreaming into plantation
forestry
Results:
• Expansion of protected area estate by 33 000ha
• More resilient landscapes with functional connectivity and continued ability to
deliver ecosystem services over 270 000 ha (+ 60 000 ha soon)
• Reduction in the rate of loss with 0 ha of new plantation development in
biodiversity priority areas
• Industry certification system & standards (FSC) better incorporates
biodiversity

8. Mainstreaming into mining
Results:
• Capacity & governance strengthened
 Two endorsed regulatory tools that improve decision-making
 250++ sector officials, practioners & decision-makers trained
 Reduction in rate of loss
• Expansion of protected area estate
 Reactive stewardship: 119ha important wetlands
 Proactive stewardship: 9200ha critical biodiversity & strategic water source area
 Protection of biodiversity & maintenance of ecosystem function

9. Mainstreaming into agriculture
• Challenges…long hook
– Overstated match between land use compatibility &
biodiversity
– Huge, diverse sector – no ‘easy’ institutional entry point for
mainstreaming
– On-going policy reform
– Farmer & market interest in certification
– Public sector capacity
• Successes…short hook
– Biodiversity stewardship – protection & better
management
– More recently traction with industry standard – building on
pilots

10. Key ingredients for effective mainstreaming
Good science
Link to
development
objectives
Develop deep
relationships
and thick
networks of
trust; invest in
people
Recognise,
craft and
respond to
windows of
opportunity
Develop high-
quality in-sector
tools and
products
Strengthen
regulatory and
planning
processes at all
levels
“There is no such
thing as a light touch
mainstreaming
intervention”
“Mainstreaming requires
a combination of long &
short hook approaches–
aim for systemic change
but build it up from pilots”

11. Lessons
• Mainstreaming is a long-term process.
• Be adaptable - dynamic, uncertain context.
• Investing in the institutional landscape is key.
• Projects can probably be more effective with
the same budget & twice the timeframe.
• Outcomes are goal posts. Setting sensible
targets is extremely difficult.

12. Discussion

13. 1. Develop a good Science foundation
• Evidence-based.
• Tangible view of
biodiversity objectives
• Transparent and
defensible.
• Basis for sectoral
prioritisation and then
inter-sectoral
engagement

14. Doom & gloom does not influence the dominant discourse
Rather focus on unlocking the potential of biodiversity and ecosystem
services for development by creating and demonstrating their value
proposition (and not its value)
have to + want to x how to
Practical
Solutions
National
Asset
Children’s
Legacy
Way
Forward
National
Priority
Emotional
Strength
2. Relevance to Development Objectives

15. “functioning ecosystems
that deliver valuable
services to people”
Recognising the value of ecological infrastructure
(as opposed to PES)

16. The benefits of investing in EI
• Labour intensive, long-term jobs
• Cost savings
• Disaster relief
• Disaster risk management
• Overall infrastructure spending
• Reducing economic downtime
• Ecologically sustainable landscapes

17. Not investing in Ecological Infrastructure

19. 4. Develop genuine relationships
• Takes time –individual and organisational
• Develop a deep understanding of the
institutional landscape
• Support organisational stability in partners
• Projects are a useful mechanism to foster
relationships
• Avoid consultancy-based implementation

20. 5. Respond to windows of opportunity
1 3
7
1
4
17
12
22
13
12
55
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Most recent Municipal
Planning framework, as
required by law
• Recognise that biodiversity
is not a priority.
• Downstream success is
fine, sometimes better.
• Have the flexibility to
pursue ‘non-biodiversity’
activities
• E.g. improving planning
frameworks as a whole can
positively impact on
biodiversity, if layered.

21. Improving
agricultural
regulatory
capacity

22. People, Products and Processes
NR/PE
BIODIV
AGREEMENTS
CORRIDORS
PLATANTATIONS
CRITICAL
HIGH
MODERATE
MEDIOCRE
LOW
FSA - EMC
Represents all scales
COORDINATOR
CONS ORGS
SANBI, WWF, EWT, Ezemvelo,
MTPA , DEA, DAFF, DWA
SPATIAL TOOLS
CPT BST
Sys Cons
Plans
FORESTRY DATA
Technical support
Ecological Advice
Guidelines
Mentorship
Certification
EXISTING FORESTRY NEW FORESTRY
EMC+
Formal Protection
Better management
Decision support
Responsible forestry
Existing
smallgrowers and
new landowners
New smallgrowers
and emerging
growers
Focus Area 1
Building
Partnerships and
support structures
Focus Area 2
Maintenance and
adaptation of tools
Focus Area 3
Formal Protection
(Stewardship)
Focus Area 4
Small Grower
Development
New Afforestation
decision support
Focus Area 4
Small/Emerging
Grower support
Focus Area 5
Technical Support