From Participation to Ownership: KwaMkhize Community Leads the Way in community conservation

Samson Phakhati, senior field officer in the African Crane Conservation Programme

The last week of August marked a significant milestone for the KwaMkhize community and the partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the International Crane Foundation (ICF) with the launch of the KwaMkhize community’s second community-led spring project.

For seven years, this partnership has focused on strengthening community resilience and self-reliance through an ecosystem goods and services approach. Together with community members, the organisations have explored priorities ranging from rangeland management and land-use planning to spring protection, financial literacy and food security.

The work is taking place in an area of exceptional importance for cranes. KwaMkhize is a recognised crane hotspot where flocks of more than 100 Wattled Cranes can be seen, alongside Grey and Blue Cranes. In such a landscape, the relationship between healthy ecosystems, sustainable land use and resilient communities is especially important.

Yet achieving meaningful conservation outcomes requires more than identifying areas of ecological importance. It requires an approach that recognises the knowledge, priorities and aspirations of the people who live on and care for the land. Building through facilitation, not prescription

Land-use discussions can be particularly sensitive in areas governed by traditional leadership. Recognising this, the EWT/ICF partnership deliberately adopted an approach centred on facilitation rather than prescription.

Rather than arriving with predetermined solutions, the partnership supported the community in identifying its own priorities and exploring practical ways to address them. Spring protection emerged as an important catalyst.

What began as a focus on protecting vital water sources created opportunities for broader conversations about land-use planning, stewardship, natural-resource management and the community’s long-term priorities.

This approach has helped create space for community members to take an increasingly active role in shaping conservation and development decisions.

Today, the results of this long-term engagement are becoming increasingly visible. The KwaMkhize community has set aside more than 1,000 hectares of natural grassland for ivestock grazing and conservation—an important step towards protecting valuable habitat while supporting sustainable livelihoods.

But perhaps an even more powerful demonstration of progress came pm 23 August with the launch of the community’s second community-led spring protection project.

This time, the community did not simply participate in a project initiated by external partners. It independently mobilised and raised R50,000 towards materials, preparatory work and labour. That achievement represents much more than a financial contribution. It demonstrates growing confidence, collective action and ownership. It shows that the community is increasingly able to identify its own needs, mobilise its own resources and draw on its own knowledge and capacity to turn priorities into action.

A model for self-reliance

The spring protection project is therefore about far more than protecting a source of water. It represents what can happen when communities are supported to lead rather than simply participate. It demonstrates that conservation can become a vehicle for strengthening citizenship, resilience and self-reliance when communities are given the space and support to determine their own priorities. For the EWT and ICF, the journey with KwaMkhize reinforces an important lesson: lasting conservation outcomes are strongest when they are rooted in local ownership.

The goal is not simply to deliver projects in communities. It is to build the relationships, knowledge and confidence that enable communities to lead their own conservation journeys long after an individual project has ended. KwaMkhize is showing what that transition can look like—from participation to ownership, from external support to local mobilisation, and from consultation to collective action.

Community-led spring protection supporting water security and conservation in KwaMkhize

Crafting their own destiny

The progress made over the past seven years is a powerful reminder that resilience cannot simply be delivered from the outside. It is built through relationships, shared knowledge, practical action and the confidence to take ownership of the decisions that shape a community’s future. The KwaMkhize community is increasingly demonstrating that capacity. As the community continues to protect its natural resources, manage its land and invest its own resources in local priorities, it is helping to build a future in which conservation and community wellbeing reinforce one another.

This is what community-led conservation can achieve: not communities participating in someone else’s vision, but communities crafting their own destiny. The EWT and ICF are immensely encouraged by this journey and proud to walk alongside the KwaMkhize community as it continues to lead the way.

** The EWT would like to thank the N3TC and Paul King Foundation for their support.

First Carbon Offsetting Project for 90,000 Hectares Registered

By Jodi Legge and Eleanor Momberg

The Endangered Wildlife Trust and the International Crane Foundation have registered carbon offsetting project in the Drakensberg – one of only six registered carbon offsetting projects in the world using Voluntary Carbon Market Methodology and covering the widest geographical footprint in a country.

This is part of the EWT/ICF partnership’ s long-term commitment to protect threatened crane habitat in the Drakensberg region. The project extends 90,000 ha, of which 88,500 ha is managed by the EWT/ICF partnership as the Carbon Management Entity with the developer, WeAct, from Australia. Further expansion is planned during the second half of 2024 and will be known as the second instance.

“Landowners are interested in joining at least another 45,000 ha for the second instance,” said Pieter Botha, ICF project manager.

Botha added that the partnership covered several critical areas under biodiversity stewardship agreements with crucial landowners. Information opportunities were created to discuss the project, objectives, and outcomes with our partner landowners.

The primary purpose of carbon trading is to channel finances towards a sustainable transition in limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and GHG sequestration. The cost associated with the removal of GHG needs to be recovered because the removal cost is potentially much lower than the cost of dealing with the consequences of global warming. Through the voluntary carbon market initiatives linked to the free-market principle are allowed as these achieve an incentive by pursuing the initiatives set out in the Paris Agreement reached at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’ s talks in 2015.

Carbon offsetting is considered a sustainable financing option by providing investments that reduce or remove emissions, improve livelihoods and protect the environment. Carbon credits are sold on the market with revenue returned to landowners. Landowners are rewarded financially as they implement sustainable and improved land management practices that contribute to a healthier ecosystem, are friendly to cranes, and promote greater biodiversity.

The Drakensberg region is home to three species of threatened cranes – the Wattled, Blue and Grey-Crowned Cranes. It is a region that has been at risk from mining, infrastructure development, invasive species, uncontrolled fire and agricultural expansion. These factors have reduced habitat for cranes and other species, and pose significant challenges to landowners, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of people who live and work in this region.

“We know these are complex problems,” said Botha adding these required innovative solutions. “Exploration of the carbon trading market has been one of our key strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration, to improve the state of these fragile habitats.”

Botha said the cost associated with the removal of greenhouse gas emissions to improve the soil needs to be recovered as landowners cannot do it on their own. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere is a cheaper alternative than dealing with the consequences of global warming.

“Carbon trading is not frequently discussed among farmers as it is not part of their daily production cycle on the farm.,” said Botha. “For many landowners, this was a foreign idea, and careful negotiation and education is required to explain the complexities of the project. It takes a long time to engage with landowners, explain the benefits of participating in the project, and getting them to commit to an agreement.”

Farmers are custodians of large tracts of land, which is also home to many diverse species. The Foundation understands that farming has many challenges and no state assistance or subsidies are available in South Africa. This project aims to assist farmers by offsetting costs that come with conservation, creating an enabling environment for proactive conservation.

The project implemented a four-year cycle of carbon credit verification and issuance, with a goal to ensure a 30-year commitment to the project. Anticipated revenue is substantive.

“We believe this approach will mitigate the effects of global warming while creating resilient habitats for our crane population,” said Botha. “This pioneering approach will result in increased carbon in the soil, while providing relief to our resilient farmers to protect their livelihoods and create conservationists at the same time.”

World Environment Day 2024

World Environment Day 2024: Restoring Land and Securing Our Future

World Environment Day 2024 marks a pivotal moment to reflect on the urgent need for ecosystem restoration. On 5 June, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) joined millions worldwide in raising awareness about land rehabilitation, desertification prevention, and drought resilience.

This year’ s theme, “Our Land. Our Future,” highlights the critical role of conservation. Moreover, it aligns with the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’ s #GenerationRestoration movement, which seeks to reverse environmental damage by 2030.

The Global Crisis of Land Degradation

Recent findings from the United Nations’ Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists reveal alarming statistics—nearly 50% of the world’ s rangelands face degradation due to overuse, climate change, and biodiversity loss. In South Africa, afforestation, mining, and land conversion contribute significantly to this crisis.

The EWT has taken proactive steps, establishing over 100,000 hectares of protected areas and clearing invasive species to restore vital water catchment zones. These efforts improve ecosystem services, particularly in climate-sensitive regions. However, a nationwide shift in natural resource management is essential to meet Sustainable Development Goals on land degradation neutrality.

The Human and Economic Impact of Environmental Decline

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), over two billion hectares of land—more than 20% of the Earth’ s surface—are degraded. This affects 3.2 billion people, disproportionately harming Indigenous communities, small-scale farmers, and rural populations. Droughts alone impact 55 million people annually, threatening food security and livelihoods.

If left unchecked, land degradation could reduce global food productivity by 12%, driving food prices up by 30% by 2040. Africa holds significant restoration potential, with over 720 million hectares that could be rehabilitated. The Pan-African Ecosystem Restoration Action Agenda aims to restore 200 million hectares by 2030.

World Environment Day 2024

Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Future

The EWT’ s Drylands Conservation Programme addresses climate change and unsustainable land use in southern Africa. By promoting eco-tourism and supporting local enterprises, the initiative fosters economic resilience while preserving ecosystems.

Governments and financial institutions must also play a role. Redirecting agricultural subsidies towards regenerative farming and small-scale producers can enhance food security without compromising ecosystems. UNEP estimates that investments in nature-based solutions must double to $542 billion by 2030 to meet global climate and biodiversity targets.

The Path Forward: Policy and Collaboration

With the Convention on Biological Diversity’ s 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) approaching in October 2024, nations must reaffirm their commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Adequate funding, particularly for developing nations, is critical to implementing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

In South Africa, collaboration between government, businesses, and communities is vital. The EWT’ s carbon trading agreements in the Free State grasslands demonstrate how sustainable practices can generate revenue while protecting biodiversity.

A Call to Action for World Environment Day 2024

World Environment Day 2024 reminds us that healthy land is as vital as clean air and water. By restoring degraded ecosystems, we safeguard food security, biodiversity, and human well-being. Every stakeholder—from policymakers to private citizens—must contribute to this collective mission.

The time to act is now. Together, we can secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Going, going… Gone… EWT working to reverse habitat loss in South Africa’ s drylands

By Zanne Brink, Drylands Conservation Programme Manager

“The eye of the beholder” has always been an interesting emotional sense that has dictated a person’ s view or outlook on the Dry Lands of South Africa, and further afield. Those individuals drawn to vast open spaces with its unique endemic biodiversity and specialist species, versus those individuals who dread the “nothingness”.

For the most part, “arid”, or “dry” areas are characterised by limited natural water resources and, to the layman, large open areas with plants growing relatively low to the ground, and very little cellphone reception. These arid areas receive on average between 50 to 300 mm of rain per annum, making the arid regions very sensitive to climate variability with big impacts on endemic plants and animals adapted to this environment. Survival is dependant on evading drought or harsh periods through migration or endurance in the form of soil, water and vegetation management. No matter how you look at it, the arid areas are exposed to extreme weather and climatic occurrences, such as droughts and heatwaves. This results in these landscapes being vulnerable to rapid and devastating environmental change and land degradation.

The vast open landscapes of southern Namibia, the Western and the Northern Cape Provinces of South Africa are home to three significant arid biomes: the Namib Desert, Nama Karoo, and the Succulent Karoo. Despite the harsh conditions experienced in these biomes, it is a fact that not only species, but biodiversity, and dare I say communities living in these biomes, are highly adapted and diverse.

In arid environments, mobility is the most important adaptation to extreme conditions. Animals and people can move from one area to another when plants do not spread fast enough. Increasing temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are altering ecosystems and placing additional stress on already vulnerable ecosystems and communities. Temperatures in southern Africa are expected to rise at a rate 1.5 to 2 times that of the rest of the world, exacerbating the possibility of biodiversity loss and climate change challenges for communities. Arid areas are also known as the most sparsely populated areas of South Africa, and in recent years these communities have been shrinking due to socio-economic drivers.

Ongoing research allows us to understand these changes brought on by both short-term droughts and climate-induced shifts. This is very important, as natural and social responses to an ever-increasing changing environment due to increased frequencies in drought occurrences is vital. South Africa’ s meat and wool ‘breadbasket’ depends on changes implemented at a farm level and through legislation, to include a different style of farming to adapt to less water and increased temperatures over extended periods.

But, it must also be understood that arid regions have a slow response rate, with long-term monitoring over several years needed to understand impacts on fauna, flora, avians and invertebrates. Even with stringent monitoring, it does not provide answers to feed into the need for livelihood protection for communities and biodiversity. With growing economic needs, the search for renewable energies have started focussing on areas seen as low productivity areas, and slowly started desertification through development-related damage in a sensitive landscape.

Traditionally, small livestock farming was the most widespread economic opportunity in the arid areas. However, rampant overgrazing in some areas has caused severe land degradation, leading to a compromise in the ecological resilience of the areas. Poor rural communities in these areas have a particularly high dependency on well-functioning ecosystems, and currently, their resilience to climate change impacts is very low. A recent surge in renewable energy production has fuelled development across much of the landscape, which, in most cases, has left a shameful legacy of environmental degradation in the form of vegetation clearing, water abstraction and pollution, soil compaction and road development, all in the name of growth.

There is an urgent need to manage the arid regions of South Africa more effectively, to benefit both the landscape and people living off it. This includes injecting much-needed support for ecologically based adaptation (EbA), sustainable land management (SLM) and climate-smart agricultural practices, while tackling the negative impacts of land degradation.

The EWT Drylands Conservation Programme is working with landowners to champion the conservation of this spectacular landscape. We collaborate with all stakeholders to promote alternative economies and sustainable agriculture over unsustainable developments, such as hydraulic fracturing and uranium mining. We focus on enhancing habitat protection and improvement, and driving innovative research, to better understand the unique species in the Karoo. This has allowed us to “rediscover” lost species such as De Winton’ s Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni).

Through our work, it allows us to collaborate with the communities within the landscape and to undertake activities that achieve specific conservation goals in each of these. By providing guidance in Sustainable Land Management (SLM), the EWT ensures that communities in landscapes benefit along with the ecosystems and wildlife that share these spaces through the responsible use of the available natural resources. The Karoo Forever website was developed for the Drylands of South Africa to provide a knowledge-sharing platform with downloadable resources focused on sustainable land management (Welcome to Karoo Forever).

It is not all doom and gloom, but a realistic look at our beloved fragile arid environments is crucial to allow for a united focus on how to balance nature and development. As financial constraints impede the application and implementation of ecological practices across this arid landscape, industry and conservation along with all communities and stakeholders need to find common ground to benefit man and environment.

The need, and the potential to do things better, must be emphasised. This can only be done through our own actions and allowing locally led research to show the way to sustainability, allowing nature to benefit, and does not limit people’ s wellbeing. We, as a community, must make climate change and associated concerns a part of our day to day thinking and planning to build resilience in livelihoods and economies, to reduce our vulnerabilities, and the associated conflict.

Give our arid regions a chance and break the cycle of nature loss. We do have huge potential to enable nature and people to thrive together in a changing climate.