Protect nature
Strengthening our foundation for long-term conservation
Objective 1: Ensuring effective and sustainable management of the Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA
PROTECTED FOREVER
The Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area (NWSMA) exists to protect one of South Africa’s most unique and sensitive ecosystems.
But long-term conservation success depends not only on habitat and species protection – it also relies on strong governance, effective planning and compliance across the NWSMA.
Objective 1 of our Biodiversity Management Plan focuses on ensuring that the NWSMA is protected and managed in perpetuity, with a solid institutional and legal foundation.
Securing conservation in perpetuity: Title deed restrictions
Every landowner within the NWSMA plays a vital role in the success of this collective conservation effort. Title deed restrictions form the legal backbone of our commitment to safeguarding the land for future generations.
We have:
– 26 members who have all signed these restrictions
– This includes the town of Elim
– Covering 47,000 hectares between Bredasdorp and Elim.
Ongoing improvement: Management effectiveness
We recognise that adaptive management is essential to success. That’s why we’ve committed to continuous review and to improving our management practices.
Our actions include:
- Revising our Annual Plan of Operations (APO) regularly.
- Assessing our team’s needs and providing training support where requested.
- Ongoing updates and refinements to the Biodiversity Management Plan to reflect lessons learned and new insights.
Staying on track: Legislative compliance
Conservation within a working landscape must be aligned with national legislation. We work to ensure that every activity and project within the NWSMA complies with South African environmental laws and internal policies. To support this, we screen all proposed projects for legislative and policy compliance.
Smart land use: Zonation
Zonation is a key tool in our conservation strategy. It helps us plan and manage land use across the NWSMA in line with ecological priorities and our Constitution. To support this, we:
- Assess the conservation status of zoned areas and prioritise those that need enhanced protection.
- Look to expand the conservation footprint where possible and where members agree, in order to upgrade protection levels.
- Look at expanding the NWSMA’s footprint where new members are keen to join, in order to protect their own natural landscapes.
Protected in perpetuity
By strengthening governance and planning today, we are laying the groundwork for a thriving and resilient Nuwejaars Wetlands SMA – long into the future.
We work with
We work with
We work with
