|
Posted by Enviroadmin
|
|
Thursday, 07 July 2011 11:58 |
Durban – KwaZulu-Natal is getting lessons on climate change ahead of the all-important United Nations conference on the pressing subject matter later this year.
KZN MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development, Lydia Johnson, took to the streets of Ntuzuma township in an awareness drive about climate change. The province has been affected by disasters such as drought, floods and lightning in the past few years.
Women-led environment co-operatives, Ntuzuma and Bhukula Mfazi, joined Johnson to educate locals about climate change and sound environmental management and the creation of environmental sustainable livelihoods.
“Our objective is not to speak just about the upcoming conference but rather what people can do right here in their communities in order to avoid hazardous climate disasters. Impacts of climate change are global phenomena, which can only be managed through concerted and structured efforts at local levels,” said Johnson.
She explained that communities can suffer from the effects of climate change, such as the impact it has on agricultural food production.
“We are here to seek your involvement in programmes and activities that do not only curb the effects of climate change, but enhance food security and environmental management.
“One good example of that is the food security campaign that we have in this province, the One Home One Garden, One Indigenous tree and One fruit tree campaign. What this campaign conveys to us is very practical, even for urban settlements like our townships.
“If all households here in Ntuzuma can have food gardens to fight hunger and malnutrition at a household level, have trees to serve as windbreakers, which can assist you as a community. Although it will not render you immune to disastrous weather patterns of climate change but it will assist you somewhat in minimising the effects,” said Johnson.
Environmental activists from the two co-operatives shared information on the importance of taking good care of the environment.
The co-operatives are involved in initiatives like removing alien plants and rehabilitating local streams.
They encouraged other women to follow suit and start playing a vital role in sound environmental management.
Johnson will be visiting other communities across the province as preparations for the UN conference gain momentum. - BuaNews
|
|
Posted by Wildlands Conservation Trust
|
|
Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:15 |
|
 Over 180 people from Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay have been trained to set up basic vegetable gardens at their homes. In an expansion of its Sustainable Communities Programme, the Wildlands Conservation Trust has started a "food-preneur" programme to develop top performers in their "tree-preneur" and "waste-preneur" programmes.
Tree-preneurs grow indigenous trees from seed and exchange them for goods such as food, clothing, bicycles and other items. Waste-preneurs collect recyclable material and also trade it for goods. Wildlands is adding the food-preneur programme as part of their enterprise development goals to identify and develop entrepreneurs within its projects.
"Super-growers" and "super-collectors" will be selected in the 23 communities across South Africa in which Wildlands operates. The top twenty collectors in a community qualify as super-collectors, and have usually collected over 1 tonne of waste. Super-growers are those that have grown and traded more than 1000 trees in a year. These people have shown the initiative and dedication needed to be entrepreneurs, and so will be given the chance to provide vegetables for their families, and possibly develop a business if they grow enough surplus to sell on to market.
The first training took place in February and March, in the Willowfontein, Sweetwaters and SWAPO communities in Pietermaritzburg, as well as at eSikhaweni and Mbonambi in Richards Bay.
Ncamisile Hlatswayo is the project manager for the food-preneur programme, and says the training has gone very well: "We supply a starter pack of 30m of chicken mesh, seed strips and a 10 litre watering can. The first day of training is in sustainable crop production, and day two is a demonstration and training in creating the garden," she said.
Timefreight, one of South Africa’s leading road express businesses, is donating two vehicles to support the project. Etienne van Ravesteyn, CEO of Timefreight, said "We choose to partner with the Wildlands Conservation Trust’s Food-preneur project because we share a goal of creating or contributing towards sustainable development programmes in rural communities. Through our synergy with Wildlands, we believe we achieve this and importantly the project reaches, on a sustainable basis, hundreds of people in rural communities".
The project looks set to take off: "We already have some of the "food-preneurs" enjoying their vegetables and even selling to their neighbours, after just a month or two of getting their seeds in the ground," said Hlatswayo.
Picture: Vo Julia Mchunu, "food-preneur" from SWAPO in Pietermaritzburg, has a thriving vegetable garden
Picture credit: Ncamisile Hlatswayo / Wildlands Conservation Trust
|
|
Posted by Wildlands Conservation Trust
|
|
Wednesday, 22 June 2011 23:20 |
|
On the 5th of June 2011 we launched the KZN Integrated Greening Programme. It is a partnership between the Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Government, the Wildlands Conservation Trust and Business SA.
The programme aims to harness the collective energy of these partners to develop and implement a wide range of community-based greening activities. These will stimulate local economic development whilst nurturing the establishment of vibrant, self-motivated communities that are clean, green and driven by inspired 'green-preneurs'. This vision talks to the KZN 'SUKUMA SAKHE' vision, which encourages communities to “stand up and build” themselves.
The activities that will be supported throughout the programme include:
• The propagation and planting of indigenous and edible plants and trees, through a network of community-based 'tree-preneurs'
• The collection and processing of recyclable waste, through a network of community-based 'waste-preneurs'
• The nurture of these waste-preneurs and tree-preneurs into green entrepreneurs who will provide a range of community-based environmental services including the provision of bicycles, water tanks and alternative energy solutions
• Community-based reforestation projects, restoring community forest assets while mitigating the impact of climate
change. This will be anchored through a “Carbon Farmer” model which enables community members to plant a mix of indigenous and fruit trees with the intention of harvesting both a carbon and fruit return after 5 years
• Community-based natural resource management projects, helping communities harness the eco-tourism and sustainable use value of their natural resources.
The initial focus will be on catalysing demonstration projects in the uMgungundlovu, Sisonke, uThungulu, uMkhanyakude, Umzinyati, iLembe and Zululand Districts, building on the existing Wildlands project footprint. Over the next 5 years, the activities will be progressively expanded across all 10 KZN District Municipalities and the eThekweni Metropolitan Municipality. As part of this expansion process, new programme activities will also be progressively developed, including activities which support the local assembly and distribution of bicycles and development of homestead and community based alternative energy solutions.
In the process, over 1 000 000 indigenous and fruit trees will be planted, 75 000 tons of recycling will be collected, 1 000 hectares of community forest will be restored and
25 000 hectares of community land will be utilised for eco-tourism and sustainable natural resource harvesting.
The target for 2011/2012 is to plant 300 000 trees, support the establishment of 1 750 tree-preneurs and 1 600 waste-preneurs, formally catalyse Carbon Farmer projects in three communities, and integrate the Tembe, Mathenjwa and Gumbi community conservation areas.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, led by the Office of the Premier, the Departments of Agricultural and Environmental Affairs, Rural Development, Public Works and Human Settlements, and Economic Development and Tourism and Transport have committed to support the programme in partnership with Wildlands Conservation Trust and their network of partners. These include UNILEVER SA, Bonitas Medical Fund, BHP Billiton and Rand Merchant Bank – who have each committed over R1 000 000, and Time Freight, The Witness, SAPPI, Richards Bay Coal Terminal, Jojo Tanks, the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund and the Wildlands Keeping Our Planet In Business Network.
The overall vision of the KZN Integrated Greening Programme is to catalyse a network of clean and green communities that have harnessed the Green Economy to improve their lives.
For More information visit our website: www.wildlands.co.za or join our facebook page http://on.fb.me/jg0MnC
|
|
|
Posted by Dr Andrew Venter (CEO of Wildlands Conservation Trust)
|
|
Friday, 17 June 2011 17:27 |
|
On Sunday the 5th of June 2011 we launched the KZN Integrated Greening Programme, a unique partnership between the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Business SA and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. Through this partnership, 1 000 000 trees will be planted, 75 000 tons of recycling collected, 1 000 hectares of forest restored and 25 000 hectares of communal land conserved – in 5 years. Ambitious but doable. The work will be done by thousands of community members, striving to improve their lives whilst restoring their living environments. The Programme is the brainchild of the KZN Premier, Dr Zwelini Mkhize. In November last year he met with our team to try and understand our Green-preneur model, that has seen thousands of Tree-preneurs and Waste-preneurs established over the past 5 years. He adopted the concept and formally mandated his leadership team to roll out the concept across the Province.
Whilst he was obviously interested in the community greening and cleaning benefits, he was also interested in the “improve yourself” philosophy of these activities. His rally call for the Province is “Sukuma Sakhe” or “Stand up and Build”, and he is on a mission to get the communities of the Province to start improving themselves with support through partnerships between Government, Civil Society and Business. Sceptics will argue that this is simply the same refrain to a different tune – which it may well be.
However, on Sunday I witnessed a very interesting side to the Premier. He presented two impromptu speeches. The first of these was to a well informed gathering of journalists, bureaucrats and environmentalists. During this presentation he spoke eloquently to the challenges of Climate Change, and the opportunities of the Green Economy and COP 17. He stressed the need for KZN and South Africa to take action NOW, and presented the Programme as one of a suite of examples of the actions which the KZN Provincial Government is taking. His second speech was to a gathering of 1 300 Green-preneurs, currently collecting waste or growing trees. He presented this speech in Zulu and spoke in simple terms, translating the concepts of climate change, pollution and recycling, in a way that had the Green-preneurs entranced. I truly believe that he joined the dots for many of those Green-preneurs. Watching the Premier in action, I got goose bumps as I worked through the implications of what I was seeing. Not only was the Premier demonstrating a real depth of understanding, but he was also showing real concern and the ability to share this concern and understanding.
I believe that my fellow South Africans are desperately looking for another Statesman to lead us, with humility, integrity and passion, i.e. another Madiba. Madiba’s key challenges were the need to achieve political transition whilst redirecting the South African economy so that it could address the South Africa’s incredible social inequities. His successors have continued in his footsteps, albeit with limited success when it comes to addressing poverty. The looming impact of global scale Climate Change will have marked impacts on all of us. Our children will look us in the eye and ask us how we could have done the damage we have done. They will probably also judge us for not responding aggressively enough. What I saw on Sunday was the possibility that our Premier could be that next Statesman. He is clearly worried about the environmental challenges facing us and seems to understand them. He is also building a really passionate following across KZN, drawn from a diversity of different political, racial and religious sectors.
I’d like to challenge the Premier to become our first GREEN PREMIER. To harness the environmental change platform to transform KZN and South Africa, buffering it against the impacts of climate change and harnessing the opportunities of the green economy. If he can do this whilst retaining the humility, integrity and passion that he is known for, then we may have our next true Statesman. It is early days and the complexity of the challenges he faces are extremely intimidating. However, this is what great Statesmen do. They become leaders amongst leaders, at times of great change and turmoil.
For more information about our projects visit www.wildlands.co.za our join our facebook page http://on.fb.me/jg0MnC
|
|
Posted by Enviroadmin
|
|
Monday, 09 May 2011 13:57 |
Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 06 May 2011
Title: Alien species put to good use
--------------------
By Kemantha Govender
Durban - South Africans may not be aware of just how destructive invasive alien species are and not just to our environment.
The ripple effect of this worldwide problem is too immense to ignore. But government is killing two birds with one stone by turning this problem into job creation opportunities. BuaNews zooms in on KwaZulu-Natal's Invasive Alien Species Programme (IASP) to understand this problem better.
Nonhlanhla Mkhize has been with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Rural Development since 2005. Her job as project manager for the IASP entails managing all aspects of the initiative.
Mkhize says the department is tasked with eradicating and managing invasive alien species (both plants and animals) in KZN and works with the national Department of Water Affairs to achieve this goal, while creating employment.
The IASP was officially launched in 2005 and more than 4 000 job opportunities have been created each year.
Invasive alien plants are those that have been brought to South Africa from other countries, for their beauty, economic value or ecological purpose but in some cases unintentionally. However, they are brought here without their natural enemies which results in plants reproducing copiously.
The alien plants or their seeds can enter the country in a number of different ways - people's shoes, mail order on ships, planes and migration of birds.
The department works together with conservation groups to identify areas which have been invaded by alien species.
In addition, there are some people who are extremely clued up with plants and assist in identifying the alien species by calling the department.
In KZN, alien invasive hotspots include Zululand, the Natal Midlands and the coastal zone. In 1998, a staggering 9.75 percent of the province assessed was invaded.
The department selects areas that are most affected and then become their priorities for cleanup operations, as this is an expensive exercise. Over R400 million has been spent on this project over the past few years.
But jobs aside, why is this programme so important? Invasive alien species effects water security, the ecological functioning of natural systems and they also pose a threat to the productive use of land. They intensify the impact of veld fires and floods and increase soil erosion.
Mkhize explains that eco tourism also takes a knock. People visit South Africa to also enjoy the vast indigenous fauna and flora. They don't want to see what they already have in their own country, which is what happens when alien plants are brought into South Africa and flourish.
Speaking recently, MEC Lydia Johnson said when there is less water, water rates will increase as new dams will need to be constructed. There will be reduction to agricultural yields, resulting in high food prices and increased poverty.
"When we lose the biodiversity and ecosystems - we will lose our clean air, ecotourism and traditional medicines. When we lose the potentially productive agricultural land and conservation land - there will be a reduction in the land value," explained Johnson.
"When we lose grazing lands for livestock, we will have to use more supplementary feed for the livestock and thus high costs in livestock farming, increased poverty. Poisoning of livestock - we will have to purchase medicine for the care of the livestock and thus livestock farming costs going up, some of the livestock may die after eating the poisonous alien plants," she added.
But it's not all doom and gloom, Mkhize says one aspect of the programme focuses on value adding opportunities by creating products like eco-coffins and school desks.
Sandile Motaung heads up the plant in Durban where the desks and eco-coffins are made on request.
Trees that are cut down all over the province and unwanted cut alien plants are collected and processed to make these products which now include church pews and boardroom tables.
Prior to 2006, Motaung was unemployed, now he has been trained in coffin and desk making. The department selects unemployed people and trains them in life skills, safety and operational skills. Social issues form part of these workshops. They are also taught to create and sustain viable businesses.
Motaung's life has been turned around after becoming involved in this project and now, he has set his sights on having his own company in two years time.
"I had an interest in making furniture but didn't have any skills. I got into this programme and have learnt a lot of things. I now teach this to my team here. I do feel like I make a difference to their lives," says Motaung.
Experienced coffin maker, Koos Goosen, responsible for training Motaung, says he enjoys mentoring young people.
Goosen also educates his trainees on safety and health regulations and is always on hand to assist them.
The School Desk Project is part of a Value Adding Project that currently employs 91 people of which 47 percent are women; 37 percent are youth and five percent are people with disabilities.
"Training and empowerment of the beneficiaries of the IASP programme is seen as one of the key solution to address the socio- economic challenges of the rural poor communities. The vision of the department with regard to the value adding projects is to train and empower programme beneficiaries and let them form their own business initiatives outside the department's ambit," the MEC explained.
This year, the department has handed over 200 desks to a rural school Sabuyaze Primary School.
The department constantly receives request for donations, says Mkhize, but all institutions are encouraged to buy these products so that the sustainability of the projects continue to be viable. The products are sold at cheaper rates, making them affordable.
Mkhize says although this is not the core business for the department, they are however finalising the appropriate model for this project so that people can continue manufacturing products on their own. -BuaNews
|
|
Zulu King Goodwill Zwelethini and South African President Jacob Zuma, along with 30 000 maidens, highlighted the threat of Climate Change by planting trees to help mitigate its effects at the annual Reed Dance Festival this past weekend. 
