Global Conservation Issues

Conservation stewardship expanding protected areas and mitigating for climate change in the Western Cape, South Africa

Kerry Purnell, Chris Martens

Friday, October 17, 2008 - 3:30-4:00

The Western Cape Conservation Stewardship Programme launched in 2000 has developed legal mechanisms and innovative partnerships which support the expansion of formal and informal protected areas across the landscape. The Stewardship Programme provides for long term security and management of the network of corridors and fragments. Using cutting edge conservation planning the program has focused its expansion of these protected areas in a way which mitigates for climate change, alien plant invasions and the associated ecological drivers, such as fire.

Keywords: STEWARDSHIP, PROTECTED AREA EXPANSION, CLIMATE CHANGE, LEGAL MECHANISMS