southafrica

Slide1: 

UNCCD THIRD SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ACCESS BY AFFECTED PARTIES, PARICULARLY DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTIES, TO APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLWDGE AND KNOW-HOW 2 – 11 MAY 2005 BONN, GERMANY

Slide2: 

SOUTH AFRICA’S EFFORTS TOWARDS APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW

OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY ANDGALILEO: 

OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND GALILEO “Science is an odd beast. It has its head in the clouds, while keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground. As a result, it has revolutionised human life both intellectually and practically. That the mental landscape today is almost unrecognisable from that of, say, two centuries ago, is due almost entirely to the work of two groups of thinkers: scientists and economists.” - Economist, Jan 3rd, 2002

LAND DEGRADATION: ISSUE OF LAND AND PEOPLE: 

LAND DEGRADATION: ISSUE OF LAND AND PEOPLE “Land degradation is not only about land, it is also about the people. In South Africa millions of people are directly affected by natural resource degradation and many of them live below the poverty line. They depend on natural resources for survival. Yet the capacity of our country’s land, water and biological resources to sustain its people is eroding. Tons of productive land are now lost and many once pristine conservation areas are denuded”. (Foreword to the NAP by Hon Marthinus van Schalkwyk: Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

Country Challenges: 

Country Challenges According to the South African Government and the University of Pretoria: Roughly 80% of SA land is used for agriculture and subsistence livelihoods. About 16 million people (40% of population) live in rural areas 85% of the rural people live in former homelands, the rest on private farms and small towns. Women form the majority of rural population…female-headed households being particularly disadvantaged in terms of income, literacy and education, access to technology, water, energy and other services.

Country Challenges (Cont): 

Country Challenges (Cont) SA has the highest per capita soil loss in the world, losing an estimated 400 million tons of topsoil a year. During the 20th century alone, SA lost 25% of its top soil. In 1992, the cost of soil erosion was estimated at R2 billion a year, including off-site costs such as water purification and siltation dams. Soil loss is in part responsible for farmers abandoning land in many areas, especially those in homelands.

Country Challenges (Cont): 

Country Challenges (Cont) Over R2 billion is spent each year in the commercial farming sector on fertilizers. The subsistence farming sector cannot afford this cost and operates with insufficient soil nutrients, resulting in low yields. Nutrient loss from soil in SA is estimated to cost the country R1.5 billion a year. The average veld degradation index in the former homelands is twice the value for the former RSA

Country Challenges (Cont): 

Country Challenges (Cont) Limpopo Province has the highest level of combined soil and vegetation degradation, followed closely by KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. When wetlands are lost, catchments collapse. River runoffs change from a sustained flow to flash floods…washing top soil away. The town of Ladysmith has bee a victim of catchment degradation.

Country Challenges (Cont): 

Country Challenges (Cont) SA has a “brittle” environment, meaning it has low resilience and low recovery potential, and soil loss worsens this problem, destroying agricultural production base. Experts now regard alien invasive plants to be the greatest hazard to all land resources. However, there is clear scientific evidence of accelerated bush encroachment owing to elavated atmospheric carbon dioxide, a trend highly dependent on how veld fires are managed.

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes NEM: Biodiversity Act promulgated in June 2004 NEM: Protected Areas Act into force on 01 Nov 2004 Regulations to give effect BA and PA being developed. National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment developed; draft action plan developed and circulated for comment National Research and Development Strategy (2002) – to harness the entrepreneurship of the science and technology to better serve national needs. SANBI established and launched on 2 Dec 2004

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Policy (2005) – a framework for the recognition, affirmation, development and promotion of indigenous knowledge in South Africa. National Action Programme was endorsed by the Cabinet in November 2004 The NAP document published in Government Gazette for public information. Private Sector Forum to co-manage resources for implementation of NAP was launched by the Deputy Minister in November 2004. People & Conservation Programme launched by Minister

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes COMMUNITY BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MAGEMENT – TRANSFORM Programme of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in partnership with GTZ. COMMUNITY FORESTRY – Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Working for Water – Department of Water Affairs and Forestry WORKING FOR FIRES – Department of Water Affairs and Tourism WORKING FOR WETLANDS – Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism DESERT MARGINS PROGRAMME – University of North West and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes WaterCare – targets Limpopo Province, management and restoration of irrigation schemes; VeldCare – targets Northwest Province, promoting sustainable grazing systems that improve production; SoilCare – targets KZN, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, promoting sustainable production systems addressing depletion of soil fertility and soil acidity.

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes JuniorCare – promotion of food security at schools, awareness of sustainable agriculture, formation of youth clubs and small projects; and Community Demonstration Projects – improves the ability of resource-poor communities to manage land, water sources and vegetation in a sustainable and self-reliant manner. Land Care: Implemented by the Department of Agriculture in terms of the Land Care Programme Policy whose objective is to optimize productivity and sustainability of natural resources and food security.

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes Agri-Tourism Development – Project to assess apparent potential, making of recommendations to exploit potential, plus planning of pilot projects; Green Lungs / Urban Agriculture – Project will assess the potential, scope & feasibility of promoting the sustainable production of agricultural products in urban and peri-urban areas. Alternative Source of Energy (SHELL SOLAR) (2004) – project based initiative to reduce dependency on fuel-wood.

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes Solar Distillation to Provide Potable Water and a cost effective solar geyser. The objective of the project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a household managed solar distillation apparatus to provide potable water in areas of saline groundwater and to design a cost effective hot water geyser where there is no pressurised household connection

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes: 

Addressing the Challenges: Policies, Legislations and Programmes Technologies for Conservation and Development in Southern Africa (t4cd). This project aims to identify, introduce, adapt, deploy and report on information and communications technologies (ICTs) e.g. mobile phones and their integration with other technologies in support of conservation and sustainable development.

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW IN THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME: 

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW IN THE EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME The Project…Development of Appropriate Farmer Eco-technologies…Identify, adapt, demonstrate and spread such technologies. Understanding that…Farmers while rich with Indigenous Knowledge Systems, often these need to be complemented with access to modern technologies and techniques to reverse the scourge of desertification.

Slide19: 

NATURAL RESOURCES ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE LAND UTILIZATION Resource Inventory AGRICULTURAL DEMOGRAPHICS Components of Technology, Knowledge, and know-how

The Conventional GIS: 

The Conventional GIS What is at…? Driekoppies Dam Which place and where…?

GIS Applications: Trends: 

GIS Applications: Trends What has changed since…? 1995 2001

GIS Applications: Database for Development: 

GIS Applications: Database for Development

GIS Applications: Climate Suitability: 

GIS Applications: Climate Suitability

GIS Applications: Environmental Conditions: 

GIS Applications: Environmental Conditions

Online Information: www.mpu.agric.za: 

Online Information: www.mpu.agric.za

Challenges: 

Challenges Expanding Network Equipment/Quality Internet Service with Skills User Interface Capacitate people Data needs GIS personnel

Slide27: 

EMERGING FARMER INTRODUCING THE CD DEVELOPED FOR BEGINNER FARMERS IN SOUTH AFRICA…TOWARDS APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW

Slide28: 

What is Imparted: Appropriate Technology, knowledge and know-how

Current content: 

Current content Brochures and information created by development scientists in the Rural Livelihood programme Information packs – Leaflets to provide basic information on various topics Information packages, called INFOTOONS (Information + Cartoon), which translate scientific knowledge in easily comprehensible pictures and language format – developed in SA Information on best practices from WOCAT

Challenges: 

The current CD is far from comprehensive Need to ensure additional funding to expand on the current content Test mechanisms to ensure that content is demand driven and relevant – inclusion of local indigenous knowledge Content must be validated by extension officers/development facilitators. Closer link with rural ICT developments must be established – MPCC Challenges

Slide32: 

Challenges (Cont) Content Critical sets of information needed Packaged according to needs Modelling and Decision Support Systems Grazing Capacity Impact of climate on livestock Risk Management

Slide33: 

Challenges (Cont) Institutional arrangements Buy in, active support and ownership to develop AGIS as the digital information repository and library for the South African agricultural sector Access funding Develop business models Public goods Subscription

Strengths: 

Strengths Strong political will and commitment Strong interest and participation from the private sector, NGO’s, research institutions and academia. Good, enabling and supportive legislation Weakness Less awareness and capacity building programmes. Inter-departmental communication and coordination Alignment of provincial ordinances to national legislation, duplication, overlaps and contradictions Inadequate budgets at provincial and local authority levels. Inter departmental roles and mandates Complexities of a 3-tier government system.

Sustainability of Initiatives: 

Sustainability of Initiatives DBSA in partnership with government to Strengthen local institutions through funding and capacity building. Review of all policies that or impede technology transfer. Agreements and partnerships with Universities, NGO’s, Private sector for the effective mobilization, generation and delivery of the knowledge and appropriate technology required to support sustainable land management.

Sustainability of Initiatives (Cont): 

Sustainability of Initiatives (Cont) SA seeks its “appropriate technology” wisdom from the work of one Dr Fritz Schumacher, British economist and author of the book “Small is Beautiful – Economics as if people mattered” which is still the foundation text on sustainable futures. SA understands technology as one that fits; is suitable for and adapted to the circumstances or purposes, and is capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage. SA accesses technology, works with knowledge and know-how from bottom-up and attempts to make genuine grassroot solutions to social and economic needs.

RECOMMENDATIONS: 

RECOMMENDATIONS The golden thread to run through these technologies should be the ability to take care of and make sure that things are done. Bringing about technology, knowledge and know-how that does not impose on prevailing circumstances, but rather adapts to same in order to resolve infinite social and economic challenges of every day life. Appropriate technology should embrace the concept of traditional/indegenous knowledge, local technology, knowledge and practices.

Slide38: 

HOW DO WE DO THIS…? We Practice Religiously, the Principle of 1 + 1 = 3

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE…?: 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE…? “Let us endeavor to live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.” Mark Twain (1835-1910, American humorist, writer)

THANK YOU!: 

THANK YOU!