1 Introduction Protected Areas (PAs) are national assets that contribute to the environmental integrity, economic development and social well-‐being of this country and society at large. Many protected areas such as Table Mountain, Kruger Park or iSimangaliso are national icons and a source of pride and well-‐being for many South Africans. Unlike minerals, ecosystems are a 100% renewable natural resource that if managed correctly will deliver environmental, social and economic returns indefinitely. More tangible benefits of protected areas include biodiversity conservation; ecological sustainability; climate change adaptation; economic development; land reform, rural livelihoods, food security, and sustainable development. Understanding the importance of PAs to this country is central to changing national mind-‐sets towards valuing and investing in PAs. The role of the Limpopo Protected Area Expansion Strategy (LPAES) is: 1. Securing our national assets by incorporating our highest-‐value ecosystems into the PAN; and, 2. Unlocking the ecological, social and economic benefits of these assets for the people of Limpopo The purpose of this document is to understand how PAs benefit our every-‐day lives and use this understanding as a basis for developing arguments for increasing investment in the development of the provincial Protected Area Network (PAN). The Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment & Tourism (LEDET) has a Strategic Development vision and legal mandate that provides a context for developing “Making the Case” (MTC) arguments. Ultimately, MTC arguments need to clearly link to this vision, and by supporting it give effect to LEDET’s legal mandate. LEDET’s vision is: “A competitive economy within a sustainable environment.” The legal mandate of the Department is to develop the provincial economy, and to promote and manage environment and tourism activities. To carry out this mandate, the department pursues the following three strategic goals: 1. To improve the service delivery to communities and stakeholders through a skilled, accountable, empowered and intergraded Public Service 2. Contribute to the growth of the economy and job creation through targeted interventions 3. Protect and enhance environmental assets and natural resources The Limpopo PAN is one of the provinces most important environmental assets and the cornerstone of the province’s ecological infrastructure. Growth and investment in the PAN will help LEDET and the province achieve its vision and legal mandate. The role of this document is to provide arguments in support of achieving this vision.
2 Why Do We Want to Make a Case for Protected Areas? Despite the legal obligation of the state to protect our natural heritage, the broader socio-‐economic context of South Africa has resulted in the majority of state spending priorities being allocated towards expenditure on basic service delivery and poverty alleviation -‐ particularly in the areas of health, education, social protection, public order and safety and local government.
Limpopo Protected Area Expansion Strategy: Making the Case
3
