The Uvemvane Lwe-Afrika, a Molweni-based social development nonprofit, and the Kloof Conservancy, a volunteer organisation in that suburb, run a joint initiative, the Molweni Ecotourism and EcoClub Project. The principle of the project is that “if people can benefit from the environment they live in, they are more likely to protect it.” The Molweni area is rich in biodiversity but it has been deteriorating because of encroachment in an area where the priority has been survival. The methodology for environmental education is that of “learning about nature by doing fun things in nature”. The project aims to: develop sustainable ecotourism opportunities to create income opportunities; run environmental education sessions at schools; develop eco-clubs at primary schools with a focus on river health, habitat and wildlife protection, litter management. The project has been running for more than two years and has achieved the following: three unemployed residents have qualified as tourist guides; hiking groups are visiting, creating income; 20km of hiking trails have been built, creating income for trail builders. In addition, the Overock Trials and Campsite has been established; eco-clubs have been established at schools and hold events such as the Recycling Meets Heritage Fashion Show; tree planting days; community clean-ups; environment presentations by eco-club members; and 40 eco-tourism sessions at schools were held in 2023. The project has invested more than R300 000 in Molweni over the past two years, all of which has gone into the local Molweni economy through employment and services provided.
What’s been your/the organisation’s greatest achievement in your field?
In 2012, we successfully challenged the government in the Durban high court compelling them to publish the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act Regulations for alien invasive species. This was a momentous result as the regulations should have been published in 2006. When they were finally published as a result of the court action, the battle against alien invasive species in the country took off and became a national priority for the government and all environmental agencies in the country
Please provide specific examples of how your/your organisation’s practices and work have a positive effect on the environment
Kloof Conservancy is one of the leading conservancies in KwaZulu-Natal with a track record of innovative environmental projects stretching over 30 years. In 1999 the conservancy launched the first indigenous open gardens show in the province; by promoting indigenous gardening we help to protect biodiversity. In 2001 we launched the M13 project where we sell advertising space on the King Cetshwayo Highway and use the funds to maintain the vegetation along the road, keeping one of Durban’s major freeways free of invasive alien plants. In 2016 we started a R5 million pilot project in Clermont to address river health issues in Durban and provide the eThekwini metro with a working solution for the removal of disposable nappies from the environment. The suburb of Kloof is assisting neighbouring communities get to the point where their environment, and consequently their quality of life, is improved. Our nominated project in Molweni specifically addresses this issue.
What are some of the biggest environmental challenges faced by South Africans today?
The challenges are complex and too many to list here. The Molweni project has faced difficulties. The survival of Uvemvane Lwe-Afrika depends on the ability to attract funding which is difficult in this economic environment. It needs the funding to run social development, youth leadership and early childhood development programmes. Kloof Conservancy can assist with environmental programmes, but does not have the resources to fund other programmes, which puts the overall initiative at risk. Despite these difficulties the project has provided a ray of hope for the Molweni community.
Kloof Conservancy and Uvemvane Lwe-Afrika have opted not to “fix the country” but to “fix what we can, in our own home”. In this context, the biggest challenge is protecting biodiversity in the face of the lack of economic opportunities in poor communities. For example, it is difficult to persuade individuals to not hunt wildlife because that is potentially their only source of a meal and they derive no other benefit from the biodiversity of the area. The lack of economic opportunities is significantly and negatively affected by climate change, which disproportionately affects poor people who do not have the means and resources to “insulate” themselves from climate change consequences.
Our theme this year is Celebrating Environment Heroes. What do you believe could be the repercussions for millions of people in South Africa and the continent if we do not tackle problems exacerbated by climate change, encompassing issues like drought, floods, fires, extreme heat, biodiversity loss, and pollution of air and water?
The ultimate repercussion will be the collapse of civil society and increased polarisation between the “haves” and the “have-nots”.