‘Hotspot’ Funding
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) recently launched a US$6.65 million (R46 Million) programme to conserve the Maputoland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity Hotspot (MPAH) – sorry about the acronyms!
‘Hotspot’ Funding
The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) recently launched a US$6.65 million (R46 Million) programme to conserve the Maputoland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity Hotspot (MPAH) – sorry about the acronyms!
A global biodiversity hotspot is declared not only because of the particular value and significance of its biodiversity, but also because it is seen to be under considerable threat. The CEPF website describes the MPAH as follows: “The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot is a wealth of biodiversity and human culture… The CEPF investment in this region is critical to stem the threats to those natural resources, balance human and natural needs, and conserve this unique part of the world.”
The programme is being implemented by the Wildlands Conservation Trust, and they have asked for Letters of Inquiry from conservation organisations and others proposing conservation projects in the area. One of the key elements of these projects is to support local civil society organisations.
WESSA Eastern Province are submitting inquiries for projects in the Albany area. We will keep you updated on progress with these and the programme as a whole.
Global to Local
In the first week of February, South Africa played host to the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) programme. This partnership between the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the largest international association of local governments, and the IUCN, the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network provides technical and other support to large and small municipalities all over the world, to develop and implement strategies and plans for the conservation of biodiversity in their municipal areas.
A wealth of inspiring stories of commitment and creativity came from representatives (often mayors or deputy mayors) of ‘pioneer’ municipalities, ranging from relatively small, rurally located towns such as Joondalup (pop. 120 000) in south-west Australia, to mega-cities such as Sao Paulo, (pop. 11 million).
In the same week a group of wonderful youth citizens from Makana were presented with certificates by the Municipality and the Environmental Learning Research Centre, for their contribution to last year’s ward waste management project. The project will be run again this year, and more activities and some formal environmental education and training programmes are planned for the youth and for Makana employees.
Waterless Sanitation
The installation of Makana’s first state-of-the–art waterless toilet for Grahamstown West has proven quite a success. Not only has the efficient working of the system overcome the open scepticism of one member of the household, but some two dozen other people have opted to install the toilet in their homes after visiting and inspecting the model.
Similar systems have been installed at the Sitazama Multi-purpose Centre (for five years now), and more recently at the Thomas Baines Environmental Education Centre. This is a great start, but there are several major challenges to large-scale roll-out of the system.
One of these is the natural resistance of the majority of citizens who, for most of their lives have been condemned to using unsafe and often unhygienic pit latrines or, even worse, bucket systems. These citizens, not surprisingly, see water-borne systems as the ultimate solution to their sanitation issues.
On the other hand the fortunate people used to the convenience of flush systems are generally very wary of moving away from these. We will need a concerted effort at all levels to convince policy-makers that all future developments, of whatever nature, should incorporate only waterless sanitation systems
. For more information on the Stanix waterless system go to: www.ru.ac.za/environment/resources/enviroloo Contacts for Makana Enviro-News: Nikki Köhly: n.kohly@ru.ac.za, 046 603 7205 / Lawrence Sisitka: heilaw@imaginet.co.za, 046 622 8595 / Jenny Gon: j-gon@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5822 / Jim Davis: jim@border.co.za, 046 622 8211 / Nick James: nickjames@intekom.co.za, 046 622 5757 / Strato Copteros strato@iafrica.com, 082 785 6403
