Biodiversity Planning

National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (NSBA)

The NSBA forms part of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and is co-funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and SANBI. SANBI is closely involved in supporting DEAT in the development of South Africa's NBSAP. The NSBA is a first for South Africa and it is required for the new Biodiversity Act. It will be updated every five years or more frequently as new data becomes available.
The aims of the NSBA are to:

• identify broad spatial priority areas for conservation action
• make recommendations about options for conservation action in each priority area
• provide a national context for conservation plans at the sub-national scale

The NSBA covered terrestrial, river, estuary and marine components. Initial results have identified nine broad priority areas for conservation action in South Africa.

Nine priority areas identified during the NSBA

National Biodiversity Planning and Implementation Forum

SANBI hosts an annual national workshop on Biodiversity Planning and Implementation bringing together participants from national and provincial agencies, NGOs and academic institutes. The aims of these workshops are to:

• exchange lessons learnt from systematic conservation planning projects in South Africa and Lesotho
• introduce specific aspects of advanced conservation planning and implementation

A database with details of all current initiatives in South Africa has been produced.The first forum was held at Kirstenbosch in January 2004. Please click here to see the proceedings of this forum.

Cape Action for People and the Environment (C.A.P.E) Fine Scale Biodiversity Planning

SANBI is playing a lead role in the development of fine scale biodiversity plans in five priority areas of the Cape Floristic Region (Riversdale Coastal Plain, Nieuwoudville, North West Sandveld, Saldanha Peninsula and Upper Breede River). This forms part of the implementation phase of the C.A.P.E. Programme. Fine scale biodiversity plans are a key tool in guiding land-use decision-making and sustainable development.

The Threatened Species Programme (TSP) focuses on the conservation of rare and endangered plants in South Africa. It is funded by the Norwegian agency NORAD and it aims to publish a fully updated national Red Data Plant List in both book form and as an online database by 2006. Visit the TSP web pages for additional information of this exciting programme.