Bioregional Programmes, Policy & Planning

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Conophtytum vanheerdei
Conophytum vanheerdei (Photo: Guy Midgley)

Background

The National Botanical Institute (precursor to SANBI) recognized the need to respond to the increasingly dynamic global and national policy environment on biodiversity and, as a result the Directorate for Biodiversity Programmes, Policy and Planning was established in July 2001.

On the 31st of May 2004 President Thabo Mbeki signed the Biodiversity Act. The Biodiversity Act provides for the management and conservation of South Africa 's biodiversity, through:

  • biodiversity planning and monitoring
  • the protection of threatened ecosystems and species
  • the control and management of alien and invasive species
  • the regulation of bioprospecting
  • fair and equitable benefit-sharing
  • the regulation of permits

The Act allows for the establishment of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

Purpose

The purpose of the Biodiversity Programmes, Policy and Planning Directorate is to ensure that SANBI:

  • responds appropriately to biodiversity-related global policy and national priorities
  • makes systematic contributions to the development of national biodiversity priorities
  • demonstrates the value of conserving biodiversity and the relevance of biodiversity to the improvement of the quality of life of all South Africans

Key Focus areas

The directorate has a number of key focus areas including:

  • identifying national and regional priorities at ecosystem and species level through biodiversity planning
  • providing institutional and strategic support to implementation of bioregional programmes and other biodiversity plans
  • mainstreaming biodiversity priorities in multiple sectors
  • supporting policy development on biodiversity conservation, management and sustainable use
  • promoting and contributing to a greater understanding of the value of biodiversity in South Africa
  • providing institutional strengthening for biodiversity planning and implementation
  • providing accessible biodiversity information for sound planning and decision-making

Activities

These focus areas are addressed through the various activities of the directorate, which fall under: biodiversity programmes, bioregional planning, mainstreaming biodiversity and biodiversity data management.

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