Latest news with #WWFSouthAfrica
Zawya
7 days ago
- General
- Zawya
South Africa: New online tool for identifying invasive alien plant species
Effective management of invasive alien vegetation is one of the most critical ways to protect South Africa's natural water sources. According to WWF South Africa's Water Gains Calculator Tool, in 2025 alone, over 3.3 billion litres of water were restored by clearing just 1 367 hectares of invasive vegetation in the Western Cape. As part of the work to address the challenge of invasive alien plants and their impact on natural ecosystems and water source areas, Nedbank, in partnership with WWF South Africa, has launched a new, free online tool to assist in identifying invasive alien plant species. This tool also supports landowners and businesses in mitigating financial risks associated with property devaluation, reduced land productivity, and non-compliance with environmental regulations. Invasive alien plants can significantly lower the ecological and economic value of land by degrading soil quality, reducing water availability, and diminishing biodiversity. These impacts can lead to lower property valuations and increased costs for land rehabilitation and legal compliance. By enabling early identification and management of invasive species, the tool helps landowners protect the long-term value of their assets, avoid penalties under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, and improve land productivity. In regions like the Western Cape and Mpumalanga, studies have shown that clearing invasive vegetation not only restores billions of litres of water annually, but also enhances carbon sequestration, timber value, and overall land usability. This makes proactive management a financially sound strategy for landowners, conservationists, and agricultural stakeholders alike. The website, lists over 370 alien invasive plants found across South Africa. It is an easy-to-use online resource that categorises plants according to region, climate and preferred habitat, in line with the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004. It also includes information on the legal requirements and management regulations for these species. The site is mobile-friendly, making it a convenient pocket-size guide for landowners and users across the country. 'Invasive alien plants pose a serious threat to land productivity, water availability and long-term property value. This tool gives our clients the ability to identify and manage these species early, helping them protect their land assets, comply with environmental regulations, and make informed decisions that support both ecological and financial sustainability,' says Cobus De Bruyn, head: agriculture CVP at Nedbank. In a water-scarce country like South Africa, managing invasive alien species is critical to protecting our natural water source areas and ensuring freshwater availability for all – from rural communities to urban economies.
IOL News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
South Africans show the world what's worth saving – One photo at a time
With 175 long-exposure shots, Theunissen captured the stars tracing elegant arcs over Hangklip Peak, transforming the night sky into a breathtaking celestial time-lapse. Image: Christoff Theunissen From the savannas of Kruger to the stars above Hangklip Peak, South Africans have used their lenses to tell a powerful story that our natural world is worth protecting. The WWF South Africa has announced the winners of its 'Our Country, Through Your Lens' photo competition. The organisation received over 1,430 photo entries and 1,530 public votes. This visual celebration of SA's rich natural heritage was part of WWF's Believe in Better movement, a campaign calling on all South Africans to see, feel, and fight for the beauty that surrounds them. A nation captures its soul Running from May to June 2025, the competition invited South Africans to photograph the wild wonders, iconic landscapes, and meaningful human-nature moments that make South Africa one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The result was a sweeping mosaic of images that captured everything from golden lions and emerald insects to star-streaked skies and the healing power of love among the ashes. 'These aren't just beautiful photos, they're declarations of love for our planet," WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morné du Plessis said. "Each image captures a moment where someone paused and decided, 'This is worth saving.' That personal connection is the heart of conservation,' he explained. Their intertwined necks, poised between strength and elegance, told a quiet but urgent story about the fragile balance of nature — and why it must be protected. Image: Freda Jansen Taking top honours was Freda Jansen from Hoedspruit, whose stunning photo of two giraffe bulls locked in a silent duel at dawn in Kruger National Park left judges breathless, the WWF said. As her prize, Jansen will embark on a luxury two-night photo safari at Madwaleni River Lodge in KwaZulu-Natal's Babanango Game Reserve. The runners-ups Four other photographers earned well-deserved recognition for their striking and deeply personal submissions: Putri Martosudarmo (Johannesburg): A regal lion basks in golden sunlight, its mane stirring in the breeze — a portrait of wild majesty. Lions Image: Putri Martosudarmo Hendrik Louw (Centurion): A vivid green praying mantis rests delicately on violet petals beneath a perfect blue sky — a masterpiece of colour and contrast. Praying mantis Image: Hendrik Louw Christoff Theunissen (Western Cape): Through 175 long-exposure shots, Christoff mapped the swirling dance of stars over Hangklip Peak, turning the night sky into a cosmic time-lapse. Kristin Rockhill (Cape Town): In a moving image of hope, a burn survivor holds her daughter amid protea fields regrowing after a fire — a symbol of human and ecological resilience. Mom and daughter Image: Kristin Rockhill
Daily Maverick
25-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Maverick
Alien plant removal pilot project adds massive water boost to Gqeberha's strained water supply
The lack of a standardised method to explicitly link water benefits to invasive alien plant removal left a significant opportunity untapped, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, WWF South Africa and Stewards of Nature. In close consultation with local technical experts, they sought to address this, and they developed a Water Impact Calculator for water gains from invasive alien plant removals. In a water-scarce South Africa, alien plants drink up to 6% of our freshwater annually. A new technology now proves the massive water savings from clearing them, potentially turning a costly problem into a valuable solution. South Africa is a water-scarce country, and invasive alien plants like Black Wattle and Port Jackson are making this worse. They cover about 10% of the land and consume up to 6% of the country's freshwater. These plants also harm natural ecosystems, reduce biodiversity, and increase the risk and severity of wildfires. There are many projects in the NGO, private and government spaces that are working to remove these invasive plants. But James Reeler, Senior Climate Specialist at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) South Africa, said, the biggest challenge had been getting projects to scale. 'Despite all of the money that's thrown at it and the work that's been done, we're still losing this battle. And the biggest problem is that it's really expensive,' said Reeler. Another challenge has been to measure how much water is saved by removing these plants. To address this, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, in partnership with WWF South Africa and Stewards of Nature (formerly Coega Biomass Centre), developed a new methodology and a special calculator tool. In a webinar discussion on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, these groups explained how this ' Water Impact Calculator ' allows users to input details about the cleared area, such as the type of invasive species, their density, and the amount of land cleared, along with local rainfall and runoff data. The tool then calculates the volume of water released back into local ecosystems after the plants are removed. This provides measurable evidence of water savings. Their goal is to encourage more large-scale invasive alien plant removal by enabling companies, especially those purchasing the removed biomass (which can be used for energy like wood pellets), to make credible and independently verifiable claims about their contribution to water savings. This, the team said, added value to the removed biomass, helping to make the expensive clearing process more financially viable and incentivising more companies to get involved. The water impact indicator methodology and calculator The lack of a standardised method to explicitly link water benefits to invasive alien plant removal left a significant opportunity untapped, according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, WWF South Africa and Stewards of Nature. In close consultation with local technical experts Blue North and Blue Science, they sought to address this, and they developed a Water Impact Calculator for water gains from invasive alien plant removals. The primary purpose of this tool is to quantify the positive water impact achieved by removing invasive alien plants and to 'stack more value' on the biomass feedstock to justify a price associated with its sustainable harvesting. This could allow operators to calculate the volume of water released back into local ecosystems post-clearance, providing measurable evidence of water savings. The scientific foundation for the methodology and calculator is rooted in the decade-long work of Dr David le Maitre, a key scientist who supported South Africa's Working for Water Programme, and his co-authors. The calculator, an Excel-based spreadsheet tool, relies on several key inputs to perform its calculations: Project and Target Area Definition: Users define the overall project area and then divide it into up to 10 smaller blocks, which allows for more accurate data entry as conditions can vary significantly across a large site. Biome Type: Users must then select whether the area is dryland, non-riparian zone, Fynbos biome, or grassland/savanna biome. This choice determines a riparian multiplier (1, 1.5, or 2), reflecting how different biomes affect vegetation's ability to reduce runoff. For example, Fynbos has a higher multiplier (1.5) because more water is available for both native and invasive species, and invasives drink more than native species. In grasslands, native grasses go dormant in winter, while invasives continue to consume water year round. Plant Stage: The tool requires users to classify the alien infestation as mature optimal, mature sub-optimal, young seedlings, or coppice. This choice influences the reduction factor used in calculations. Species Reduction Factors: A drop-down menu lists various invasive alien plant species, each with pre-defined reduction factors based on their growth form (tree, shrub, sprouting tree) and maturity stage. Percentage Density/Canopy Cover: Field surveyors must input the percentage of the site covered by invasive alien plants, representing the density of the infestation. Mean Annual Precipitation and Mean Annual Runoff: While the tool incorporates average values for South Africa's 1,947 quaternary catchment areas, users are encouraged to use site-specific data from Cape Farm Mapper for greater accuracy. It's important to note that Cape Farm Mapper is a portal, with data sourced from the CSIR (for Mean Annual Runoff) and the South African Atlas for Climatology and Agro by Prodigy (for Mean Annual Precipitation, averaged from 1950-2000). Follow-up Exercises: The tool allows for the capture of data from up to five follow-up clearing exercises to account for potential regrowth, helping prevent 'cherry-picking' of sites for water gain claims. Dana Grobler, the director of BlueScience, explained that the calculator's output provides total water gains per annum in cubic metres, as well as cubic metres per hectare per year for standardisation. It can also tabulate results from initial clearing and subsequent follow-up work, offering a clear summary of restored water volumes. However, there are some limitations to the tool. The tool is not automated for rainfall and runoff data. This means users must manually look up and enter these values from sources like Cape Farm Mapper. For large areas, dividing into smaller blocks and entering site-specific data is recommended for accuracy, as rainfall can vary greatly even within a single catchment. Users must also be knowledgeable in their selections (e.g., biome type, plant stage) and understand their implications. Boosting Gqeberha's strained water supply In a pilot project, Stewards of Nature applied this methodology to their clearing activities in Gqeberha. Marilena Demetriou from Stewards of Nature explained they had eight harvesting teams currently active across 25 sites within a 200km radius of Gqeberha. She said the pilot focused on seven sites, encompassing 269 hectares. Through the removal of 9,034 tons of invasive alien plant biomass, the project recovered an estimated 844,711m³ of freshwater. This volume translated to approximately 94m³ of water savings per ton of biomass, or 144m³ of water savings per ton of pellets produced from the biomass. To put this into perspective, 844,711m³ of water is equivalent to the annual water usage of more than 16,000 households or the irrigation of more than 3,000 hectares of maize for one season. Demetriou had before-and-after imagery that shows how clearing invasive alien plants restores ecological function, reduces wildfire risk, improves biodiversity, and frees up water in rivers and dams. Looking ahead, the team said they would be continuously monitoring and following up on these activities to ensure long-term success in cleared areas. Beyond water, future efforts would also focus on tracking biodiversity gains, such as improved habitats, species recovery, and healthier soils, further solidifying the case for regenerative land management as a vital component of climate and environmental, social and governance action. Reeler said they were hoping for a 'huge scaling of rural economies around the eradication of invasive aliens' to support biodiverse ecosystems and deliver real water benefits under a changing climate. How invasive alien plants exacerbate water scarcity The scale of the invasive alien plant problem in South Africa is staggering. By some estimates, these plants cover more than 10% of the landmass and consume up to 6% of the country's freshwater annually, a figure that could escalate without intervention. This translates to 2.5 billion cubic metres of water lost each year due to evapotranspiration that would not otherwise occur. Beyond water depletion, invasive alien plants cause widespread ecological damage by degrading natural ecosystems, disrupting local biodiversity, and increasing the severity of wildfires, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas like the Cape Floral Region. 'In South Africa, there is a water availability issue. And unfortunately, this is not a problem that is known across the environment or the scientific community, but this a known problem across people, because it's already impacting their lives,' said Demetriou. These impacts are further compounded by climate change, which generally leads to a drying climate in an already water-scarce nation, alongside more intense rainfall events, making the integrity of water flows and availability even more critical. For a long time, the South African government has invested significantly in invasive alien plant clearing through initiatives like the Working for Water programme, primarily focusing on employment creation. But as mentioned above, a persistent challenge has been effectively measuring the outcomes and ensuring consistent follow-up processes. Despite considerable financial investment and effort, the country continues to lose the battle against these invaders, largely due to the prohibitive cost of clearing biomass. In the webinar on Tuesday, about the newly developed Water Impact Calculator tool, the partners of the project said that the biomass from invasive alien plant clearing itself had not historically been viable for many users, leaving a gap in sustainable funding models for large-scale eradication. This is what the tool hopes to address. The primary purpose of this tool is to quantify the positive water impact achieved by removing invasive alien plants and to allow operators to calculate the volume of water released back. Ariana Baldo, the programme director of Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, said: 'This approach allows operators to calculate the volume of water that is released back into local ecosystem post clearance, and provides measurable evidence of water savings that can be documented and verified if necessary, through third party auditing, and then, finally, transfer to buyers who can use the water impact claims against their sustainability target.' DM
IOL News
18-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Haarwegskloof: a new provincial nature reserve for biodiversity conservation
Haarwegskloof in the Overberg declared a provincial nature reserve Image: CapeNature In a landmark achievement for biodiversity conservation, Haarwegskloof has been officially designated as a provincial nature reserve, marking the last remaining connected expanse of renosterveld on the planet. This vital ecological haven, managed by the Overberg Renosterveld Trust (ORT) and overseen by WWF South Africa, spans an impressive 547 hectares of Critically Endangered Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld. Nestled between the charming towns of Swellendam and Bredasdorp in the picturesque Overberg region, this reserve plays a crucial role in protecting a unique ecosystem.. Located between Swellendam and Bredasdorp in the Overberg region, Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Nature Reserve spans 547 ha of Critically Endangered Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld. Image: CapeNature The reserve is home to a staggering array of endemic and rare plant species, which flourish in this unique ecosystem. Moreover, it provides a critical habitat for threatened avian species, including the elusive Black Harrier and the majestic Cape Vulture. Notably, secretive mammals such as the Aardwolf and Aardvark have also been spotted in the reserve, underscoring Haarwegskloof's status as a vital sanctuary for wildlife. This significant declaration was announced in April 2025 by Anton Bredell, MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. Bredell commended the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders that fostered this successful conservation initiative. 'We have excellent environmental legislation in South Africa, but without passionate and dedicated stakeholders, it would mean very little,' he said. He expressed pride in CapeNature's continuous efforts to enhance the conservation estate in the province. CapeNature provides facilitates the legal administrative process to declare these sites as protected areas in terms of the National Environmental Protected Areas Act (Act 57 of 2003). Image: CapeNature 'Healthy biodiversity is key to protect and buffer us against extreme weather and climate change. We owe it to future generations to preserve our unique and precious natural environment,' Bredell said. Dr Ashley Naidoo, CEO of CapeNature, highlighted the long-standing partnership between CapeNature, ORT, and WWF South Africa in their conservation efforts. 'This declaration is an acknowledgment of the admirable conservation initiatives being implemented by ORT in the Overberg, supporting their work through stewardship facilitation and legal backing,' he said. For Dr Odette Curtis-Scott, CEO and founder of the ORT, the reserve's formal protection represents a monumental step in safeguarding one of South Africa's most imperilled ecosystems. 'Renosterveld is among the most threatened vegetation types in South Africa, with merely 5% of its original extent intact, much of which has been sacrificed for agriculture,' she said. The declaration ensures that Haarwegskloof will remain dedicated to conservation efforts while permitting scientific research, habitat restoration, and sustainable eco-tourism. The area has an abundance of fauna and flora, endemic to the region. Image: CapeNature Part of the globally significant Cape Floristic Region, Haarwegskloof is an ecological treasure nestled within one of the world's six floral kingdoms, though it has historically received less attention than its fynbos counterpart primarily due to its fertile soils which have been largely converted to farmland. The ORT has been actively engaging landowners for over 10 years, securing conservation easements and restoring degraded habitats to counteract the numerous threats facing renosterveld.
