GREEN ECONOMY AND JOBS

BRINGING THE GREEN ECONOMY TO THE PEOPLE: Minister of Waterand Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, far right, cuts the ribbonduring the launch of the Shore Line boat at iSimangaliso WetlandPark in KwaZulu-Natal during International Biodiversity Daycelebrations on May 22. The boat is 60% owned by Phillip Mkhwanazi,front left.

IT IS incumbent upon us to debunkthe myth that environment man-agement hinders development, bypositioning the sector as a majorcontributor to job creation and thefight against poverty.

To quote the late great WangariMaathai: “The environment and theeconomy are really both two sides ofthe same coin. You cannot sustainthe economy if you don’t take care ofthe environment because we knowthat the resources that we usewhether it is oil, energy, land ... all ofthese are the basis in which devel-opment happens.

“And development is what we saygenerates a good economy and putsmoney in our pockets. If we cannotsustain the environment, we cannotsustain ourselves.”

The South African governmenthas identified the green economy asone of the key elements in g r ow t h aswell as in the industrial policy actionplan. The transformation of ourindustries towards the building of agreen economy has many facets.

It is about creating new labourabsorbing industries that also mit-igate impacts on the environment.

This green economy offers sub-stantial opportunities for job cre-ation and development in the envi-ronmental goods and services sector,particularly in biodiversity, wasteand natural resource managementservices.

However, the skills required torealise the job potential in the sectorare scarce and students with rel-evant qualifications are often unableto bridge the gap between educationand employment requirements.

The incubation method, which wewill utilise in the sector for the veryfirst time, is a unique way to tacklethis gap.

Through the South AfricanNational Biodiversity Institute(SANBI) we will manage the processof placing a maximum of 800 unem-

ployed school leavers and graduates,mostly from rural areas, in biodi-versity jobs for an incubation periodof two-and-a-half years.

SANBI will assist in ensuring thatparticipants are mentored andreceive relevant skills and experi-ence to gain employability andaccess to permanent jobs in bio-diversity and ecosystem manage-ment services.

We are aware that unlocking thesubstantial economic benefits of bio-diversity is going to require a size-able cohort of skilled South Africans.For this reason we have mandatedSANBI to pioneer a national capacitydevelopment programme for theentire biodiversity sector.

SA N B I ’s application to the jobs

fund titled Catalysing Access toEmployment and Job Creation inEcosystem Management, wasapproved by the Development Bankof Southern Africa for R300-million.

We recognise that a just globaltransition to a low-carbon, resourceefficient and sustainable economyhas the potential to create jobsacross many sectors of the economy,and indeed we can become an engineof development.

Over the past few months webegan engagements with variousyouth formations and communitieswith the objective to create long-lasting strategic relationships thatwill contribute towards enterprisedevelopment and the creation of sus-tainable jobs throughout the coun-

try, with special focus on urban andrural development for the true andreal advancement of a working greene c o n o my.

As we celebrate Youth Month, wewill roll-up our sleeves by launchingthe first phase of the countrywidegreen hubs with various satellite andregional operations.

Last year we committed to imple-menting an environment sectorGreen Economy implementationplan through a local and interna-tional partnership with green invest-ments, supported by domestic fund-ing from the National Treasury’sGreen Fund, as well as internationalfunding through bilateral co-oper-ation programmes and multilateralfacilities such as the World BankClean Technology Fund and thenewly established Green ClimateFund.

It is envisaged that we will utilisethis funding in a catalytic manner soas to attract new and additionalinvestment, stimulate job creationand lay the foundations for SouthAfrica’s transition to a low carbonjob-creating and resource efficientgrowth path.

National Treasury has made avail-able R800-million for the Green Fundover the next two financial years.

We have finalised processes withNational Treasury and in this finan-cial year will roll out the imple-mentation of the Green Fund andhave appointed the DevelopmentBank of Southern Africa as an imple-menting agency for the green fundmanaged by a multi-stakeholderManagement Committee chaired bythe department.

The primary objective of theGreen Fund is to provide catalyticfinance for high quality, high impactgreen economy projects and main-streaming activities which would nothave been implemented without fis-cal support. The Green Fund and theactivities it supports will be used to

leverage additional funding througha targeted resource mobilisationplan, including from Overseas Devel-opment Assistance and donor fundsrelating to green economy and cli-mate change priorities. These wouldbe pursued in the context of thenational development priorities.

A true working green economy is alot more achievable through a patri-otic and growing participation of var-ious social partners.

Mabogo dinku a a thebana! ( Wo r k -ing together we can do more.)

This is exemplified by our ongoingroll-out of among others the NationalWaste Management Strategy.

Our various environmental pro-grammes linked to the ExpandedPublic Works Programmes are we l lknown for their ability to give theresources and dignity of work topreviously unemployed people.

What is sometimes overlooked isthe value of the work that is done.

Last year we created 26 700 newwork opportunities amounting to11 676 full-time equivalent jobs and26 891 accredited training persond ays .

We welcome additional funding ofR1.1-billion for the Working forWater and Working on Fire pro-grammes of the Department over theMedium Term Expenditure Frame-work (MTEF).

This will bring the total budget forthe Environmental Programmes toR7.7-billion over the MTEF, and willprovide 205 877 work opportunitiesand 102 603 full-time equivalent jobsover this three-year period. In thisfinancial year, we aim to create 62 860work opportunities, 31 277 full-timeequivalent jobs, and 600 youth ben-efiting from the National Youth Ser-vice in addition to 40% of the workbeing done by youth.

We also aim to ensure that 55% ofbeneficiaries from our programmesare women, and 2% are for peoplewith disabilities.

IMPROVING LIVES BY GREENING

LOW COST HOUSINGThe Cato Manor Green Street Retrofit

Led by the Green Building Council of South Africa, withmain funding from the British High Commission andendorsement from the Department of EnvironmentA f fa i r s .

South Africa’s first “Green Street” upgrade in a low-incomearea was completed ahead of the COP17 international climatechange talks in late 2011.

Thirty low-cost houses in a small cul-de-sac road in thehistoric township of Cato Manor in Durban received a greenupgrade, called a retrofit.

This project was led by the Green Building Council of SouthAfrica (GBCSA), in association with the World Green Build-ing Council, and was primarily funded by the British HighCo m m i s s i o n .

The Cato Manor Green Street is a demonstration site and aliving example of how greening interventions in low costhousing can improve quality of life for residents and providemultiple benefits for the country.

This project was the first of its kind in KwaZulu-Natal, andone of the first in the country with such a broad set ofinterventions in one place.

Each household received an energy efficient retrofit in theform of solar water heaters (SWHs), insulated ceilings,efficient lighting, and heat insulation cookers. Unsafe elec-trical wiring was replaced in this process.

Rainwater harvesting tanks were also added, and foodgardens were established for the production of healthy, home-grown food.

The polluted stream in the area was cleaned up andindigenous trees and smaller plants and fruit trees wereplanted.

Homes are now more comfortable, healthier and safer.Residents have hot water on tap for the first time, without

having the costs associated with traditional electrical gey-sers.

Less need for fuels like paraffin, coal and wood meanreduced health problems and fire safety risks for thesehomes.

People are realising significant energy, water and timesavings, and enjoy improved convenience and aesthetics.

Water and food security have been boosted. Fresh, nutri-tious food grows at their doorstep and the local area has beenupgraded.

Training and work opportunities were created and theavoided carbon emissions are being sold to generate somerevenue for the community.

AT LAST: Cato Manor Green Street resident DeliweNobukwe opens a tap to get hot water in her home forthe first time, courtesy of her new solar water heatingsystem. PHOTO: WILLEM DE LANGE ON BEHALF OF THE GBCSA

SELF-SUFFICIENT: A resident tends her new vegetablegarden.

A NEW STOVE: A resident uses her Wonderbag™. Therehighly efficient insulation cookers save energy andmake the kitchen much safer.

HARD WORKERS: The team which installed energyefficiency measures.

HAPPY WOMAN: Deliwe stands in front of her homewhich has undergone a ‘green upgrade’. The solarwater heaters for two homes are seen on the roof.

COSY HOMESTEAD: A resident of Cato Manor GreenStreet enjoys the benefits of her insulated ceiling andefficient lighting.

GROUP WORK: A family gets involved with establishingtheir food garden and planting fruit trees.

LET’S DRINK SOME: Karabo gets the first water from thefirst rainwater harvesting system which was installedin 2011.

Tuesday June 5 2012 SOWETAN 3Sur veys

Demystifying green jobsTHE terms “green economy” and“green jobs” are used increas-ingly in both the economic andenvironmental sectors.

The major focus of the discussionon the green economy, both inSouth Africa and globally, has beenon developing and building the nec-essary clean-energy technologyand infrastructure for climatechange mitigation, such as inno-vations for reducing carbon emis-sions.

This is critically important forSouth Africa, which emits dispro-portionately large quantities ofgreenhouse gases and is simulta-neously under pressure to increaseits capacity to generate energy.

Another component of the greeneconomy is often overlooked:restoring and conserving naturalecosystems can stimulate ruraleconomies, create rural and urbanjobs and help maintain criticalecosystem services that are vital tothe economy.

In addition, these activities canstrengthen the resilience of ecosys-tems to climate-induced change.Enhancing the resilience of ecosys-tems is necessary to help ensurethe economic and social well-beingof communities, particularly therural poor who are among the mostvulnerable to the impacts of climatechange.

Ecosystem-based solutions toadaptation and resilience can aimeither to maintain the functionalityof ecosystems or to restore func-tionality where it has been lost.

In South Africa, there are a num-

ber of innovative nature-based,environmental public works pro-grammes that have created muchneeded work opportunities linkedto restoration and maintenance ofnatural ecosystems.The South African context: theneed for sustainable livelihoods

Now, as in 1994, poverty andunemployment are among thebiggest challenges facing the SouthAfrican government.

With current unemployment fig-ures falling in the range of 25-27%(Statistics SA, 2010), and job lossesin “m a i n st r e a m ” economic sectors

continuing due to the effects ofglobal economic trends, there hasbeen a pressing need for innovativeinterventions and collective effortacross sectors to develop sustain-able employment opportunities.

Of particular concern is the needto build viable livelihoods for eco-nomically marginalised communi-ties, especially in rural areas wherethe skills base is generally low, andstable employment opportunitiesare few. The government is alsoconcerned about strengtheningenvironmental sustainability.

In May 2010, government held aGreen Economy Summit, a high-

profile event that laid the basis forthe development of a green econ-omy strategy and action plan forSouth Africa.

The outcomes of the Summit areamong those that will be cham-pioned during the Rio+20 confer-ence in Brazil, during EnvironmentMonth. The Conference will takeplace in Brazil from June 20 to 22 tomark the 20th anniversary of the1992 United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development(UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, and the10th anniversary of the 2002 WorldSummit on Sustainable Develop-ment (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

How biodiversity supportsl i ve l i h o o d s

In South Africa, terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems andtheir associated biodiversity arewidely used for commercial, semi-commercial and subsistence pur-poses, through both formal andinformal markets.

Biodiversity provides the basisfor employment in industries suchas fisheries, game and livestockfarming and the wildflower indus-try, and the formal conservationsector is also a significante mp l oye r.

In addition, many rural commu-nities depend on subsistence use ofwild biodiversity and naturalresources for their livelihoods, evenif this does not create formale mp l oy m e n t .

Sound natural resource manage-ment, particularly the maintenanceof healthy wetlands and river sys-

tems, underpins many other eco-nomic sectors and the employmentthat these provide.

Public works programmes thatenhance natural capital and securewater supplies provide many workopportunities to poor, rural andmarginalised communities; theyalso enhance the natural resilienceof ecosystems to the impacts ofclimate change and protect liveli-hoods in sectors such as agriculturethat depend on the ecosystem ser-vices provided by healthy ecosys-tems.

How biodiversity helps createsustainable livelihoods

Biodiversity helps create sustain-able livelihoods through the directcreation of livelihood opportunities,and through the ecosystem ser-vices that underpin the many eco-nomic activities that provideemployment opportunities.

The contribution of ecosystemservices to the economy andsustainable livelihoods

Many of the benefits derivedfrom biodiversity and ecosystemsare public goods that appear to be“free” – such as clean air, polli-nation of crops, or flood control.

Understanding their value is animportant step towards capturingthese values in markets and prices,and considering their value, or itspotential loss, in decision-making.

Resource economics studies thathave been carried out estimate thetotal value of ecosystem services atR73-billion per year.

INFO BOX: WHAT ARE GREEN JOBS?

Formal conservation

People are employed ina wide range of tech-nical and managementposts that relate to bio-diversity in govern-ment departments,provincial nature con-servation agencies,municipalities, tertiaryeducation and researchinstitutions and non-governmental organi-s at i o n s .

In 2007/8 there were65 000 public sector jobsin diverse fields relatedto biodiversity conser-vation, such as conser-vation scientists, cli-mate change scientists,protected area man-agers, field rangers,forestry advisors, agri-cultural extension offi-cers, biodiversity stew-ardship officers, con-servation planners, GIStechnicians, projectmanagers and environ-mental educators.

Game farming

The game industrydepends heavily on bio-diversity for both theanimals that form thebasis of the sector, andthe habitats where theylive and feed. Gamefa r m i n g , is an impor-tant provider ofemployment in theprovinces of Limpopo,Northern Cape andMpumalanga, and is arapidly growing sectorin the Eastern Cape.

These provinces arecharacterised bylargely rural popula-tions who are mostlypoor, with few otherviable economic andemployment opportuni-ties.

The sale of wild gamehas grown substan-tially in the last twodecades and in 2007 thehunting industry wasestimated to employsome 70 000 people.

To u r i s m

South Africa’s biodiver-sity, scenic beauty, mildclimate and culturaldiversity have made itone of the world’sfastest-growing touristdestinations, with overnine million foreignersvisiting the country in2007.

The tourism industryhas exceeded thegrowth of virtually allother sectors in thee c o n o my, and is animportant employer inboth the public and pri-vate sectors, account-ing for approximately7% of employment inSouth Africa, and con-tributing approxi-mately 8.5% to GDP.

The government iscommitted to expand-ing national parks andprovincial naturereserves, broadeningtourism opportunitiesand using wise land-use planning.

Fisheries

About 600 000 tons ofmarine resourcesworth over R2.5-billion,are harvested annuallyby 27 000 fishermen andwo m e n .

The value of theentire fishing industry,incorporating commer-cial, recreational andsubsistence fishing,was estimated in 2007 tobe R4.5-billion perye a r.

Harvesting of naturalresources

In many ruraleconomies, where thecash economy is verylimited, biodiversityand ecosystems con-tribute significantly top e op l e ’s daily con-sumption needs andincome generation.

The number of peo-ple using non-timberforest resources is inthe millions, includingrural and urban pop-ulations, and the directuse of forest resourcesamounts to about R8-billion per year.

This contributionfrom the natural envi-ronment (referred to asan “ecological wage”) isseldom considered, yetholds substantialva l u e .

Restoration projects

In addition to landrestoration achievedthrough a public worksapproach there arenumerous small-scale,NGO-led restorationand reforestation pro-jects taking placewithin protected areasand on communal andprivately owned land.

These are an impor-tant source of liveli-hoods for rural commu-nities.

The projects involvepeople in activitiessuch as collectingseeds, growing andplanting trees, andremoval of invasivealien plants, in returnfor which they receivepayments that providea baseline level ofincome for their com-munities.

Environmental publicworks programmes

Public employmentprogrammes thatrestore and maintainnatural ecosystems arean important source ofshort-term work oppor-tunities for poor, ruraland marginalised com-munities

Direct creation of livelihoods

WORKING FOR NATURE: A landcare team in the field clearing alienve g e t at i o n .

GREEN jobs are those that aim toreduce the environmental impactof enterprises and economic sec-tors to levels that are sustainable;or jobs that conserve or reha-bilitate the environment.

Specifically, but not exclu-

sively, this includes jobs thatreduce energy, materials andwater consumption; reduce the

carbon footprint of the economy;minimise or avoid all forms ofwaste and pollution; protect

ecosystems and biodiversity;restore degraded lands and com-bat erosion (Definition based onILO, 2008 and Lieuw-ke-Song,2009).

In this article, the term“nature-based jobs” (or work

opportunities) is used to referspecifically to work opportuni-ties that relate to the conserva-tion, restoration and mainte-nance of natural ecosystems.

These work opportunities are asubset of “green jobs”.

Why the ‘Working For’model is working in SA

Working for the Environment: Working for you!SINCE 1995, environmental pub-lic works (or public employment)programmes that maintain, reha-bilitate or restore natural land-scapes and ecosystems, havebecome an important creator ofwork opportunities in SouthAfrica.

The programmes provide oppor-tunities for poor, unemployed andunder-employed people to beinvolved in paid work, often forthe first time.

In the 2007/2008 year pro-grammes of this type collectivelyspent R1.3-billion and, based onprevious performance, it is antic-ipated that they will provide some1.2 million work opportunitiesbetween 2009 and 2014, and poten-tially up to six million work oppor-tunities (averaging 100 days each)over the next 15 years.

The first government-led publicemployment programme in SouthAfrica with a specific focus onenvironmental rehabilitation wasWorking for Water, which was

conceived to address two politicalpriorities: job creation and waters c a r c i ty.

The programme uses labour-intensive methods to clear inva-sive alien plants, creating manyshort-term work opportunities inthe process.

Within its first five years ofoperation, the Working for Waterprogramme demonstrated con-vincingly that activities beneficialto the environment could alsoaddress the challenges of povertyalleviation and unemployment.

Following on this success, sev-eral other environmental publicemployment programmes havebeen developed based on theWorking for Water model or amodification of it.

These include: Working for Wet-lands, Working on Fire, Workingfor Land and Working for theCoast, with two new programmesdealing with Energy and Wastecurrently in development.

The “Working for” programmes

are collaborative initiatives involv-ing a range of national and provin-cial departments and agencies,municipalities, industry and civilsociety organisations.

They receive core funding fromNational Treasury, channelledthrough specific governmentdepartments, under the umbrellaof South Africa’s Expanded PublicWorks Programme.

In keeping with the guidingprinciples of the Expanded PublicWorks Programme, the “Wo r k i n gfo r s ” make a conscious effort tobenefit the most marginalisedcommunities and to target theemployment of women, young peo-ple and people with disabilities.

Training is provided to pro-gramme beneficiaries in the tech-nical skills associated withrestoration as well as a range oflife skills that are intended toassist workers with exit opportu-nities beyond the programme.

BACK TO NATURE:Unemployed people learn

skills on an ExpandedPublic Works Programme.

Case study: Working on FireFighting fires, building spirit

In the Eastern Cape village ofKeiskammahoek near the city ofEast London, Phumza Matitiba,a 32-year-old mother of four, wasbattling to find secure employ-ment and build a future for her-self and her young children.

Although she had completedher schooling with good grades,and had briefly held employ-ment with the South AfricanDefence Force, she had no post-school training and few specialskills.

Matitiba heard about theWorking on Fire Programmefrom her local councillor andtravelled to the nearest Workingon Fire base to complete thefitness test required for entryinto the programme.

She passed and was accepted,and immediately began the rig-orous fire-fighting and physicalfitness training.

For Matitiba, becoming a fire-fighter gave her not only anincome, but an opportunity todevelop her potential andbroaden her life experience.

“All of a sudden we werebeing airlifted to fight fires inthe Western Cape and otherparts of the Eastern Cape”.

She has received additionaltraining at Working on Fire cen-tres in other provinces.

Matitiba says: “Working onFire has given me a spirit. It isenabling me to become the per-son I want to be.

“So many rural women neverreach their full potential, butwith this programme you can bea leader.”

SOUTH Africa’s environmentalpublic works programmes, whilestill facing some challenges, havebeen successful in meeting theirmandate during their relativelyshort period of existence (lessthan a decade for most).

Environmentally, a key chal-lenge is maintaining rehabilitatedor restored ecosystems in ahealthy state on an ongoingbasis.

From a socio-economic perspec-tive, the key challenges are theneed to create work opportunitiesthat are of longer duration, formore people, and at a higher wageso that more people can be liftedabove the poverty line.

The South African governmentis exploring other models for cre-ating stable employment, such asthe Community Public Works pro-gramme that creates a minimumlevel of regular work for peoplewho need it.

These models could providecomplementary income streamsto the “Working fors” in future.

The “Working for” programmesset out to create short-term workopportunities for people who havefew other opportunities for earn-ing a living, by involving them inpaid work associated with main-taining the ecological infrastruc-ture of the country.

Despite the ongoing challengesthey may face, these programmeshave made significant progresstowards achieving their statedgoals, in a relatively short periodof time.

Some of the reasons for the

success of these tools in SouthAfrica:

� The programmes representdemonstrable win-win-win mod-els with explicit social, economicand environmental gains;

� The programmes speakdirectly to the national govern-ment priorities of job creation,rural development and environ-mental sustainability, and arefunded via the National Trea-su r y ;

� Rigorous scientific researchhas underpinned the developmentof the “Working for” programmesand ongoing research allows forrefinement of strategies and oper-ational plans;

� The programmes representmulti-departmental partnerships,so they are able to deliver effec-tively on a number of policy objec-tives simultaneously;

� Restoration, rehabilitationand clearing of invasive alienplants have proved effective asvehicles for creating work oppor-tunities for marginalised commu-nities because they are extremelylabour intensive activities thatrequire few skills at entry level;

� The short-term nature andflexibility of the work opportu-nities is often well suited to therural communities who are thebeneficiaries of the programmes;and

� Flexibility in the institutionalmodels used for implementation ofthe programmes has meant thatthey can be applied in a range ofcontexts and cross-institutionally.

CONTACT US

Tel: (013) 741-6400 (Head Office)Fax: (021) 685-8839 (Advocacy Office)E-mail: i n fo @ wof i r e . c o . z aWebsite: ht tp://www.workingonfire.org/

Bioprospect ing:

A green economy

init iat ive TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE: A community member harvestsKraalbos (Galenia africana) in Komaggas, Northern Cape. Kraalbosis known for medical properties, including as an antifungal agent.

IN GENERAL, South Africa’sgreen economy agenda is under-pinned by the important role andvalue that biodiversity plays in ourvery survival, giving rise to thenotion of bioprospecting, accessand benefit sharing.

The use of indigenous plants andanimals for bioprospecting con-tributes to the creation of jobopportunities, poverty eradication,skills development and technologytransfer when it is done for a pur-pose that is in the public interest.

A bioprospector is a scientistsearching for organic compoundsin plants and animals that can beused in a commodity such as cropprotection substances ormedicines.

The bioprospecting permitsissued to companies have providedfor benefit sharing including mon-etary and non-monetary benefits,and the sustainable developmentand utilisation of indigenous bio-logical resources.

Thus far the department hasissued eight permits for bio-p r o sp e c t i n g .

There are three types of permits� The bioprosepcting permit is

issued to biotraders trading in rawmaterials or bioprospecting prod-ucts that are manufactured here;

� The Integrated export and bio-prospecting permit is issued if anentity wishes to export any raw orprimary processed material for thepurposes of bioprospecting; and

� The export permit for researchother than bioprospecting is issuedfor pure academic research abroadwith no intention to commerciallyexploit the bioresource where suchmaterial is exported from “in situ”

collections.For companies using biodiversity

in their products, the Nagoya Pro-tocol calls for measures to considerand put in practice fair and equi-table benefit sharing.

Any companies found biotradingwithout a bioprospecting permitmay be criminally charged and isliable to a fine of R10-million or 10years imprisonment, or both.

The Nagoya Protocol is a legallybinding agreement outlining a setof terms prescribing how one coun-try will gain access to anothercountry’s genetic resources andhow the benefits will be shared.

The Nagoya Protocol provides for

measures to regulate and facilitateaccess to the indigenous plants andanimals of a country as well as theuse of traditional knowledge basedon the national law of a country.Through the National Environmen-tal Management Biodiversity Act2004, it is illegal for bioprospectorsto obtain and utilise any extractsfrom indigenous plants or animalsfor commercial use without a per-mit.

South Africa is one of the firstcountries to regulate the protectionand use of indigenous biologicalresources and traditional knowl-edge.

In April 2008, regulations for bio-prospecting, access and benefitsharing came into effect and put ared tape on access to South Africa’sbioresources.

The Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD) is a legally bindingglobal environmental agreement,to which South Africa is a sig-natory. It addresses all aspects ofbiological diversity: geneticresources, species and ecosys-tems.

The convention has three objec-tives: to promote conservation ofbiological diversity; to ensure sus-tainable development of the use ofbiodiversity; and to provide for thesharing of benefits arising from theuse of genetic resource and asso-ciated traditional knowledge.

The CBD has established a Work-ing Group on Traditional Knowl-edge to direct and facilitate dis-cussions between governments,traditional knowledge holders andother interested parties about tra-ditional knowledge.

Traditional knowledge is theknowledge, innovations and prac-tices that the native and local com-munities have of geneticresources.

For centuries, communitiesaround the world have learned,used and passed on in accordanceto specific cultural practices suchtraditional knowledge about localbiodiversity and how it can be usedfor a range of important purposes,like food, material for shelter,medicines, healing and enrich-ment.

Traditional knowledge hashelped to preserve and maintainbiodiversity through sustainableutilisation, and it has even

increased the variety of biodiver-sity over centuries through the useand specific cultivation of indige-nous species for agricultural pur-poses and food security.

Traditional knowledge is partic-ularly valuable for bioprospectorsor users of genetic resources whouse it to guide them to plants,animals and microbes that arealready known to have useful prop-erties.

Genetic resources are the geneticmaterial of plants and animalsregarded as a valuable resource forfuture generations.

In many cases, the same prop-erties that made genetic resourcesuseful to local communities arenow used by industry to developproducts.

They are also used by

researchers to better understandbiodiversity and the intricate webof life on earth.

In commercial use, companiesuse genetic resources to developsubstances that can be used forcrop protection, or it can be used fordevelopment of medicines, cosmet-ics, industrial processing and otherproducts.

In non-commercial use, geneticresources can be used to increaseknowledge or understanding of thenatural world.

If a user identifies and wants touse traditional knowledge in theirresearch and product development,they are required to seek the priorinformed consent or approval of therelevant traditional knowledgeholders.

They must also negotiate mutu-

ally agreed terms that encouragethe equitable sharing of any ben-efits that may arise from the use ofthis knowledge.

Mutually agreed terms are anagreement reached between theprovider of genetic resources or thetraditional knowledge holder (forexample a community growing andharvesting a certain plant) and auser who has been permitted togain access to this biologicalresource and/or knowledge (a com-pany who would obtain the plantand process it on a commercialscale).

The agreement stipulates thebenefits to be shared between theparties which may arise from thecommercial or other use of theresources.

ON THE SHELF: Products made from indigenous plants.

Creating markets forbiodiversity-compatible products

ONE of the biggest health andsafety hazards within the SAN-Parks Invasive Species ClearingUnit is the transportation of work-ers within the various pro-grammes.

This is particularly high risk ascontracting teams transport theirworkers to and from work, on adaily basis, and often travel on badroads and under difficult condi-tions.

The Invasive Species ClearingUnit (ISCU) has embarked on theroll-out of a vehicle and tyre safetycampaign across all the projectsacross the country. The campaignfocuses on tyre safety specifically,as there is a general lack of knowl-edge on this subject, and the impor-tance of being able to “read” a tyre(if it is in good condition) is gen-erally not known.

The SANParks ISCU has built apartnership with the Bridgestonetyre manufacturing company inorder to address this shortfall.

The first intervention and infor-mation session on tyre safety waspresented to management and clus-

ter managers at the regional SHEmeeting in October 2011.

The partnership has beenextended to the northern clusterwhere Bridgestone’s trainingdepartment has assisted in anawareness vehicle and tyre pro-gramme for all Kruger projectteams. The Kruger programmetook place from January 10 to 13and 427 people were trained.

The Bridgestone team consistedof Terence Bowren (training),Klarinda Kroon (training), SiphoNkambule (training) and GuthrieBlaine (sales). Two techniciansfrom Max T Solutions in Nelspruitassisted with the practical trainingand tyre assessments.

The awareness campaign ran fortwo days, on January 10 and 11, inPhalaborwa. Fifteen teams and 223beneficiaries attended from Work-ing on Land, WfW and Wetlandsprogrammes.

The Bridgestone team thenheaded to Skukuza for two daysfrom January 12 to 13, where theKruger South WfW teams weretrained, amounting to 204 benefi-

ciaries.The training included the theory

of tyre safety and then a practicalsession. The teams were taught theimportance of the tread depth, pres-sure, condition and age of a tyre. Allcontractor and management tyreswere inspected at this time.

The teams then had awarenesstraining on the current incidentstatistics in the ISCU as well asbeing trained on vehicle safety stan-dards of the unit. The session wasended with a practical vehiclecheck using the standard vehiclechecklist. All project vehicles werec h e c ke d .

Ten percent of all the tyreschecked in Kruger were not road-worthy or not suitable, according toBridgestone. In many respects, thepeople that were designated tocheck vehicles and tyres did notknow what to look for. The vehiclecheck list also revealed standardsnot being adhered to, as well asvehicles need fixing and upgrades.The feedback on the training wasvery positive and a few eyes wereop e n e d .

SANParks & Bridgestonechampion tyre safety

CREATING markets for biodiver-sity-compatible productsrequires that retailers be madeaware of them, understand theirvalue and market them appro-p r i a t e l y.

Procurement advice, consumerawareness campaigns, eco-labelling and certification systemsare all tools that can be used tocreate markets for biodiversity-compatible products.

Labelling and certificationLabelling and certification aretools that can be used to securemarket share and price premi-ums.

This is based on the assumptionthat consumers who are environ-mentally and socially aware aremore likely to purchase productsthat are certified to comply withenvironmentally and sociallyacceptable production standards,and will be prepared to pay morefor them.

Trade organisations exist inmany countries to accredit pro-ducers in various sectors if theirproduce has been producedaccording to established codes ofgood practice, as denoted by eco-labels such as Fair Trade or Eco-Ce r t .

These certification systems,however, do not consider biodi-versity per se, and do not nec-essarily indicate that the productson which they appear have beenproduced in a biodiversity-com-patible or ecologically sustainablewa y.

Meaningful certification sys-tems take a long time to developand can be costly to audit.Although large commercial sec-tors in South Africa such as plan-tation forestry have been able toadopt internationally recognised

certification systems, this can bedifficult for local-scale SouthAfrican producers, especially ifinitiatives are still in an earlydevelopmental stage.

In cases where local producershave been able to secure suchcertification, it has enabled themto penetrate international nichemarkets in which consumers pre-fer to buy certified products.

Wild-harvested rooibos tea soldby communal farmers in theBokkeveld district provides anexample of this (see case studyb e l ow ) .

A net benefit to producers needs

to be explicitly demonstrated togive them an incentive to par-t i c i p at e .

Where markets are not yetdemanding sustainably-producedgoods, it is difficult to interestproducers in adopting new pro-duction or harvesting methodsthat lead to certification.

In many South African businessand biodiversity initiatives, thereis a move towards introducingindustry-related certification sys-tems for more biodiversity com-patible production, but these aremostly still at an early stage ofd eve l op m e n t .

Case study on sustainablerooibos: The Heiveld storyTea made from the “rooibos” (redbush) plant, which grows only in asmall region within South Africa,has an expanding market locallyand globally because of its health-giving properties.

Wild rooibos has been har-vested for domestic use by manygenerations of the rural commu-nities living in the Cederberg andBokkeveld regions of the Westernand Northern Cape.

In the past, wild rooibos was notmarketed separately, although the

product was still sought after tomix with cultivated rooibos toenhance its flavour and quality.

In an effort to combat deser-tification and support sustainableagriculture in marginalised com-munities, the government of theNorthern Cape provided assis-tance to a group of small-scalefarmers in the Heiveld district whoproduce rooibos tea through acombination of cultivation andw i l d - h a r ve st i n g .

In 2002, these farmers startedmarketing wild rooibos as a dis-tinctive product and achievednotable success.

The wild-harvested product ofthe Heiveld farmers was certifiedorganic in 2001 and as a Fair Tradeproduct in 2004.

Since the sales of this tea benefitmarginalised farmers, it also car-ries Ecocert and Naturland cer-t i f i c at i o n .

The Heiveld Co-operative nowsupplies a niche market of con-sumers in nine European coun-tries who are willing to pay apremium price for organic, fairlytraded products.

Although certification helpedthe Heiveld producers to penetrateniche markets, other measures arenecessary to address biodiversity-compatibility and ecosystemresilience, such as collaborativeresearch into conserving wildrooibos varieties and the devel-opment and use of best practiceharvesting guidelines.

Today, the 40 members of theHeiveld Co-operative are workingwith scientists to increase theyields from wild rooibos.

A guideline for sustainable wild-harvesting of rooibos has alsobeen produced, although ongoingresearch and monitoring areneeded to assess the impacts ofharvesting using these methods.

SAFETY FIRST: Sipho Nkambule explains what to check on a tyre.

N AT U R E ’S PHARMACY: Tea made from the ‘rooibos’ (red bush) plant grows only in a small region ofSouth Africa. PHOTO: HEALTHSOLUTIONSSA.COM

WASTE IS WEALTHHUMAN activities generate manyby-products which are seen asuseless and are discarded aswaste.

Increasing population growthaccompanied by urbanisation andindustrialisation has resulted indramatic increases in the volume ofwaste generated by modern soci-eties.

Waste createsproblems in anumber of ways:

� It is aesthetically unattractiveand impacts on tourism by creatinga blight on South Africa’s beautifull a n d s c ap e ;

� It pollutes air, soil, rivers andprecious groundwater;

� It creates major health haz-ards to humans, particularly inareas where large amounts ofwaste are dumped and not cleanedup, for example in informal set-tlements; and

� It fills up landfill sites whichare becoming more difficult andcostly to establish

and maintain.It is estimated that the total

amount of urban waste (domesticwaste) in South Africa is 15 milliontons a year.

Industries contribute about 25million tons a year to the wastest r e a m .

It is imperative that this waste bemanaged properly if it is to beprevented from having negativeenvironmental and health conse-quences.

Managing waste

Waste Management is one of thecritical elements of sustainabledevelopment, primarily becausesound waste management prac-tices contribute to sustainability.

Legislation regulating wastemanagement in South Africa hashistorically been fragmented, andstill is to some extent.

The March 2009, enactment of theNational Environmental Manage-ment: Waste Act (No 59 of 2008)presented a more holistic approachto the regulations for managingSouth Africa’s waste.

The bulk of the regulations setout in NEM: WA became effectiveon July 1 2009.

Within the waste sector we haveexperienced the following prob-lems:

� We have a legacy of contam-inated land;

� In the past we focused on land-filling;

� Economic growth and highwaste generation rates;

� Rural areas accessing wastecollection services;

� Increased urbanisation anddemand of access to services;

� Distorted pricing of waste ser-vices; and

� Under-utilisation of informalsector for reclamation of waste.

This has thus called for aparadigm shift towards a wastemanagement approach that seeksto conserve natural resources andprotect the environment by avoid-ing the production of waste in thefirst place, re-using, recycling orrecovering energy from that whichwe cannot avoid and using disposalas the last option.

Special attention is given to thepotential job/business opportuni-ties in this value chain.

Government has thus adoptedthe Waste Management Hierarchyas its basis for waste managementin the country.

The following are the buildingblocks for the implementation ofthe waste hierarchy:

� Norms and Standards;� Categorisation and Classifica-

tion;� Waste Information System;� Industry Waste Management

Plans;� Listing and Licensing of Waste

Management Activities;� Producer Responsibility� Economic Instruments; and� Fiscal Mechanisms.The emphasis is more on pre-

venting pollution and minimisingwaste at source since it is muchmore costly to clean up afterwards.

This approach is based on the fol-l ow i n g :

� Reduction of waste through re-use of waste products, for exampleusing plastic packets and contain-ers in which products are sold tostore things or using the blank sideof printed paper before sending it tobe recycled;

� Recycling to remove mass fromthe waste stream; and

� Recovery of chemicals, gasesand metals from waste.

Job creation in theWaste sector

With increasing unemployment inSouth Africa, many people are find-ing alternative means to generateincome.

One of these is to establish arecycling depot or a buy-back cen-tre.

The Department of Environmen-tal Affairs receives numerousenquiries and applications to sup-port these ventures.

Although most of these ventureshave environmental merit, theplanning is frequently inadequate.

There are various ways in whichcommunities can create workthrough projects that collect wastefrom where it is generated.

One of the popular models used isthe One Person Contract in whichcase individuals are responsible forcollecting waste from households.

They take it to central pointswhere another contractor with avehicle will collect and transport itto a transfer station or for dis-posal.

Transfer station

Waste is temporarily stored here.Individuals can then sort the wasteinto recyclables and non-recy-c l ab l e s .

Recycables can either be organicor inorganic waste.

Do you know what a buy-backcentre is? What about a recyclingdepot?

� A buy-back centre is a placewhere people bring waste for col-lection. They are paid for the wastethey bring in; and

� At a recycling depot people arenot always paid for the materialsthey bring in for recycling.

Questions to askyourself beforeembarking on one ofthe above-mentionedve n t u r e s :

� What recyclables are availablein your area (plastic, paper orcans)?

� What quantities are being pro-duced?

� At what rate are these beingg e n e r at e d ?

� How often are they available?Around Christmas only or through-out the year?

� What companies are inter-ested in buying your material?

� How far are these companiesfrom your area?

� Do you have transport to takeyour waste to the companies?

� Will you benefit from thisactivity? Briefly match the needs of

recycling companies to the recy-clables available in your commu-n i ty.

Waste collection

Local authorities are primarilyresponsible for waste collection.

It is much more costly to clean uplitter left on streets and in publicspaces than it is to collect wastefrom formal household waste col-lection systems.

The public, therefore, has toaccept co-responsibility for thecleanliness of their towns and citiesand ensure that they dispose oflitter and waste in allocated bins.

It has been recognised that tra-ditional waste collection systemsare inappropriate, inefficient andcostly when applied to informal set-tlements.

New innovative ways of manag-ing waste in disadvantaged com-munities are required and so thetrend is to move towards commu-nity-based waste collection by pay-ing people to bring litter or waste toa central collection depot, andinvolving the community in pro-grammes to keep their neighbour-hoods clean.

Be a wasteent repreneur!

Start collecting, re-using and recy-cling waste and make money fromyour sales, be they crafts, compostor recycled materials such as paperand tins.

Recycling

Recycling is an important option formanaging and reducing waste. Prod-ucts which can be recycled are:

� Glass (bottles, broken window-panes);

� Paper (magazines, newspa-pers, office paper);

� Plastics (bags, bottles, contain-ers);

� Metals (beverage cans, scrapmetal); and

� Rubber (tyres).

Landfills

Approximately 95% of all urbanwaste is disposed of on land, eitherin open trenches or in sanitarylandfills.

There are about 1 200 landfillsites in South Africa, most of themoperated by local authorities.

Each landfill site should have apermit issued by the Department ofWater Affairs and Forestry in con-sultation with the Department ofEnvironmental Affairs.

It is becoming more and moredifficult to create new landfill sitesas old ones become filled up.

Communities are becomingproactive in exercising their rightnot to have their environmentdegraded and no-one wants to havean unsightly, smelly landfill nearby– “Not in my back yard!”.

It is imperative, therefore, that wereduce waste to be disposed in orderto increase the landfill lifespan.

Some importantcontacts:

Environmental Affairs callcentre: 086-111-2468

Collect-a-can: (011) 466-2939Plastic Federation of SA:

(011) 314-4021Glass Recycling: (011) 874-0000Carlton Paper: (011) 616-1890Sappi Waste Paper: 0800-221-330Nampak Paper Recycling: 0800-

018-818Mondi Recycling: 0800-022-112

ONE MAN’S WASTE IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE: Recycled wastecan be effectively used to create art and other products.

TEAMWORK: Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Rejoice Mabudafhasi leads a coastalcleanup day.

Is an environmental career right for me?THE environment provides manyexciting, interesting and satisfy-ing career choices stretchingacross a tremendous range offields and disciplines.

Working in the environmentalfield is rewarding because you cancontribute to the maintenance andconservation of essential life sys-tems necessary for su r v iva l .

The government has put envi-ronmental legislation in place, call-ing for much innovation in thissector. This means there is anationwide need for environmen-tally trained professionals toreverse environmental deteriora-tion, and to seize the opportunitiesto create more sustainable andenvironmentally responsible waysof satisfying our needs and wants.

Although there is a lot of overlap,universities of technology gener-ally focus on applied studies,whereas universities focus on fun-damental studies. Universities oftechnology generally do notrequire university exemption atm at r i c u l at i o n .

There are two main routes whichyou can take:

� A social-environmental per-spective; and

� An environmental science per-sp e c t ive .

It is important to note that thesetwo complement one another andeffective environmental manage-ment combines both these perspec-t ive s .

Social-environmental careersNormally one progresses into the

social-environmental perspectivethrough a social science or artsdegree.

Subjects may include anthropol-ogy, archaeology, developmentstudies, geography and environ-mental studies, law (environmentallaw), journalism (environmentaljournalism) and education (envi-ronmental education).

Careers in this field are centredaround humans and their relationswith the environment, and ways ofmaking these relations beneficialto both people and the environ-ment.

Career path qualification:� Community conservation and

rural development: BA degree withsubjects such as anthropology,development studies, geographyand environmental studies.

� Environmental educators:H.dip Ed with subjects such asgeography or biology. Formal envi-ronmental education courses pur-sued at postgraduate level.

� Environmental lawyers: BALLB degree with environmentallaw as a subject.

� Environmental journalists: Noformal qualification other thanjournalism (degree or diploma) .

� Cultural resource specialists:BA degree with subjects such asarchaeology, anthropology, politi-cal and social studies or social his-t o r y.

� Eco-tourism specialists:Tourism degree or diploma withenvironmental interest.

Environmental science careersEnvironmental science careers

start by completing a sciencedegree at university or a relevantdiploma course at a university oft e c h n o l o g y.

Subjects in the natural sciences

such as zoology, botany and ecol-ogy generally lead to a career pathin biodiversity conservation, butmay also lead to a career in envi-ronmental management.

Subjects in the physical sciencessuch as mathematics, physics andchemistry might lead to a careerpath in environmental manage-ment aspects such as pollution con-trol or waste management.

Landscape architects and civilengineers pursue environmentalmanagement through ensuringthat environmental concerns arebrought to bear on infrastructural

d eve l op m e n t .Career path qualification:� Environmental impact assess-

ment and environmental manage-ment: BSc degree in natural sci-ences with postgraduate courses inenvironmental management.

� Landscape architect: Land-scape architect degree at the Uni-versity of Pretoria or the Universityof Cape Town.

� Nature conservation: Univer-sity of Technology diploma inNature Conservation or BSc degreewith subjects such as zoology,botany, ecology.

� Specialist scientists in biodi-versity, for example marine biol-ogist, zoologist, ecologist. Postgrad-uate degrees in zoology, botany andecology, specialising in particularfields of interest.

� Waste managers and pollutioncontrollers: BSc degree with sub-jects such as mathematics, physics,chemistry, climatology. Universityof technology diploma or degree inenvironmental science or engineer-ing.

� Environmental engineers:Civil engineering degree or B Techdegree in civil engineering.

THINKING AHEAD: A career in environment could be for you.