It's up to us to value and protect nature’s biodiversity.
Our unique landscapes with their rich plant and animal diversity provide us with many natural resources and essential services. Yet many ecosystems have become degraded and fragmented. This is mostly due to poorly planned urban and agricultural development as well as unsustainable management of land.
Humanity relies on the interconnection of plants and creatures and the unique roles they each play. For our country and its citizens to prosper we need to value, respect and protect these natural ecosystems.
In biodiversity-rich South Africa, the majority of our land is privately owned or within communal farmlands. It is no surprise that commercial agriculture, specifically ploughing of natural land, has the biggest impact on biodiversity loss.
With this growing demand on the environment, we are pushing nature’s life-giving systems to the brink of collapse. This reduces nature’s ability to bounce back from wildfires, drought and floods in the changing climate. Healthy undisturbed landscapes support not only plants and wildlife, but the livelihoods of local communities and businesses that produce our food, fuel and more.
South Africa is home to nine biomes of which two are internationally-recognised biodiversity hotspots – the Succulent Karoo and Cape Floral Kingdom.
WWF works to reconnect people to our most valuable and vulnerable landscapes, namely the Grasslands, Succulent Karoo and Fynbos. We also assist with expanding protected areas for the benefit of people and the environment.
Our work is strongly guided by national, regional and provincial conservation priorities and most of the land acquired by WWF is managed through agreements with conservation partners such as CapeNature and SANParks. We also work with private landowners and rural communities to help them manage their land sustainably while protecting our natural treasures.
We have fostered a pioneering partnership between the wine industry and the conservation sector.
An exciting project in the Little Karoo shows that stewardship is the way forward for conservation.
This study shows that many in the mining sector are disregarding important environmental information.
Visit South Africa’s regional and national parks. Your entrance fee goes towards the maintenance and management of these special spaces.
Share your #lovenature photos and stories to inspire others.
Whether on a hike or a picnic, pick up litter that doesn’t belong in these beautiful places.