Keynote address by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, at the opening of the World Parks Conference, Somerset West, Cape Town

Introduction

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Somerset West, Cape Town, situated in the heart of the Cape Floristic Kingdom - a World Heritage Site and a biodiversity hotspot. This is also the smallest and richest of the six floral kingdoms and the only one to be found entirely in one country.

It has been five years since the 2003 World Conservation Union (IUCN) World Parks Congress in Durban. The 2003 Congress was an important milestone as it provided a major global forum for setting the agenda for protected areas in the 21st century.

Business unusual

In South Africa, since the World Parks Congress, we have followed an approach to conservation that can be best described as "Business Unusual". Our key realisation is that "business as usual" is not sustainable - continuing thoughtlessly on that path would eventually have compromised the integrity of our land and its species for future generations.

Protecting the global environment transcends borders and nationalities are largely beyond the capacity of individual countries. We need to take joint action on a global scale to address this. In order for us to make significant inroads, we need more than a mere "adjustment" to business-as-usual. We need to radically shift, as a global community, to a Business Unusual path.

There are many environmental challenges confronting us. I would like to reflect on three: biodiversity loss, water scarcity and climate change.

Biodiversity loss

Biodiversity is the foundation of life on earth. Considering that the majority of biodiversity lies outside protected areas - and that only 12 percent of the world's land surface enjoy some kind of formal protection - current trends could drive ecosystems and many species that we know today to extinction. Fish stocks show evidence of decline from a combination of unsustainable fishing pressures and habitat degradation. This has collectively resulted in 25 percent of world fish stocks being under serious threat of depletion.

Not more than 80 kilometres away from us lies the Succulent Karoo Biome, the richest desert in the world in terms of its plant species. Upwards of 7 000 endemic plant species are shared between this biome and the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Both biomes are unhappily vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For a mean global temperature rise of 2C during this century, up to half of these endemics may be at increased risk of extinction.

We should continue to build on the global progress already made towards achieving the 2010 biodiversity targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development. One of the most important recent achievements in addressing South African biodiversity concerns was the publication of the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment. This plan will guide our conservation and management of biodiversity and help us to ensure sustainable and equitable benefits for all communities.

Water scarcity

The world's water resources are under extreme stress. By the year 2030, it is predicted that the number of people living in areas of water stress will increase by one billion to a staggering 3,9 billion. Africa is particularly vulnerable. By 2020, between 75 million and 250 million people are likely to experience water shortages as a result of climate change.

A key challenge and opportunity in Africa is to use trans-boundary water resource management to promote regional integration and to enhance peace-making by opening new avenues for dialogue. Consider, for example, the fact that almost 40 percent of Africa's international borders are demarcated by river channels and basin watersheds, and that most major rivers traverse national boundaries. These resources are sensitive to even moderate reductions in rainfall, as are predicted to occur in many places across Africa.

It is therefore critical to design and strengthen regional water regimes to manage the challenges around increased water scarcity, and more specifically to appropriately govern international rivers, watersheds and underground water resources.

Climate change

The rigorous scientific evaluations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have already confirmed that climate change is a key driver of biodiversity loss and water stress. If we do not adopt a Business Unusual approach to the climate change challenge - a time will come when we will no longer be able to adapt our way out of the problem.

That is the bad news. The good news from the IPCC is that we have the tools to address the problem in an affordable way that will both reduce some impacts and avoid others that may be more extreme. But then we must choose to act.

Globally, by mid century, 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species are likely to be at increased risk of extinction as a result of climate change. Closer to home for us here in sub-Saharan Africa, the IPCC indicated that between 25 and 40 percent of animal species in national parks will see further increases in threat status. In conservation areas, the threats appear to be real and urgent. For example in South Africa:

* The Kruger National Park could see more intense rainfall interspersed with possibly more extended dry spells, changes in the tree cover and grass production, and greater competition for water resources.

* The Table Mountain National Park could see local extinctions of climate sensitive fynbos species with possible loss of sensitive habitats such as ancient perennial water seeps, increased frequency of fires, and the accelerated spread of alien invasive species.

We have therefore been assessing how the planning, management and expansion of our national parks can build resilience to climate change. Increasingly, we are integrating a greater variety of habitats and altitudes that reduce the risks to endemic species into our protected areas design. A prime example of this is the Namaqua National Park and the Tankwa National Park where we are currently expanding the original parks.

The expanded footprint of these parks will allow us to include the priority conservation areas, but will also create parks with greater altitudinal variation and more biologically important components. This will provide a greater variety of habitats and thus reduce the risks to endemic species posed by climate change trends. The altitudinal variation builds resilience as a key response to climate change risks.

Chair, as a global community, we cannot afford a mere "adjustment" in the way we do business, or produce, or consume, if we want to successfully address the challenges posed by climate change. That will not take us far enough towards a business unusual pathway. We need a revolution: an energy revolution, a revolution in technology and a revolution of the mind. It will likely be the first jointly planned revolution in human history.

The dual challenge is to avoid the unmanageable (through mitigation); and manage the unavoidable (through adaptation). We must move from the era of identifying problems to the era of solutions. Urgency is required of all. Let us be clear: All countries need to do more, on both adaptation and mitigation. For too long, the political divide between developed and developing countries has slowed down urgent action. It is time to raise the bar on both sides, albeit in a differentiated manner.

South Africa, as a developing country, stands ready to do more - but we also need the most economically advanced nations to do even more and to come good in supporting us. Therefore, we must conclude the negotiations on a strengthened climate regime, as agreed in the Bali Roadmap, by the end of 2009. This will be one of the most complex, but also one of the most defining international negotiations ever. It will determine the future of all humanity and all creatures on this planet.

Five years after the World Parks Congress

Chair, turning to our "Business Unusual" approach in South Africa, allow me to focus on some of our achievements over the past few years. We have committed significant financial resources towards the expansion of formal protected areas, bringing the number of national parks to 22, and the total formal conservation estate to four million hectares. Since 2004, we have declared four new Marine Protected Areas, increasing the total coastline under some form of protection to 20 percent.

Our Kids and Parks Programme, aimed at improving access to national parks for learners and teachers from disadvantaged backgrounds, has reached over 20 000 learners. The legislative and regulatory frameworks for biodiversity management and protected areas were strengthened in line with international best practice. Our Transfrontier Conservation Areas programme is reaching for new heights. And over the past twelve years, South African National Parks and provincial parks have developed critical partnerships with the Working for Water programme, our national programme to control invasive alien plants, and the Working for Wetlands programme.

There are many other achievements that I could list; suffice it to say: the Business Unusual approach has delivered concrete results that will preserve our common heritage for future generations. There are however many challenges remaining.

Conclusion

Chair, if we are to succeed in triumphing over global challenges that we face in the environmental sphere, we have to raise the bar for all. It's about radical change, it's about a revolution of the mind.

This is often seen as a daunting task, but we also know it is achievable and affordable. It won't be cheap or easy, but it can be done. But then we need political leadership willing to introduce and implement ambitious new policies. Time is of the essence - the window of opportunity is closing on us - so we must act now.

In conclusion, to reach what we have set out to achieve in Durban five years ago will require that we all, individually and collectively, embrace the concept of "Business Unusual" for the environment and sustainable development. It's about working together to effect change. It's about turning Business-as-Usual on its back.

Enquiries:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821

Riaan Aucamp
Cell: 083 778 9923

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
9 April 2008