ZA-C.A.P.E.: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development Project

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The Project Objective is to support the conservation of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) and adjacent marine environment by laying a sound foundation for scaling up and replicating successful Project outcomes. The project has the following six components: Component 1) will align and strengthen institutions to conserve the CFR. It will: (i) enhance interagency cooperation and strategic planning for conservation management, (ii) build capacity for effective conservation management, (iii) develop and appraise strategies for financial sustainability across the suite of Project Executing Agencies; and (iv) establish a shared and comprehensive information management system to share the most important knowledge requirements. Component 2) will support the development of a conservation education and awareness program to conserve the CFR. It will: (i) facilitate coordinated environmental education; and (ii) develop and disseminate materials focused on biodiversity, supportive of informal and formal education curricula, including training of educators to capitalize on the favorable education policy environment. Component 3) will strengthen the C.A.P.E. Coordination Unit at the NBI to undertake: (i) program coordination and management; (ii) financial management of the overall Project; (iii) program portfolio management and coordinated monitoring and evaluation to assess lessons learned, and support and develop a replication plan; and (iv) a communication program. Component 4) will expand the protected areas. It will: (i) plan and consolidate three large protected area complexes involving private landowners and inhabitants as beneficiaries; (ii) establish two freshwater, two estuarine and two clusters of marine protected areas; (iii) develop sustainable management effectiveness of protected areas through implementation of a Strategic Performance Management System, and (iv) develop a harmonized protected area information management systems, plan for responsible tourism investment and visitor impact mitigation in four protected areas. Component 5) will mainstream biodiversity considerations into economic growth and development, It will: (i) integrate fine-scale conservation plans in five priority target areas into government spatial planning and regulations at municipal level; (ii) increase landowner commitment to conservation through coordinated extension services and cooperative management schemes in priority target areas; and (iii) develop and pilot financial incentives to conserve biodiversity in threatened lowland habitats. Component 6) will address watershed management and freshwater and estuarine protected areas in key intervention sites: (i) increase the effectiveness of the "Ecological Reserve" measure in water resource management in three watersheds, and incorporate biodiversity concerns into the new fire management systems being implemented; (ii) create an alien invasive species management strategy and business plan for the entire CFR, and pilot the control of invasive aliens in certain priority ecosystems; and (iii) design and test a CFR estuarine management program, based on relevant case studies.