An initiative in Gqeberha is in progress that aims to restore our green spaces, reintroduce natural biodiversity, and strengthen the city's resilience to climate change.
Why is Biodiversity and Conservation important?
Cities must be resilient to climate change to ensure citizen safety during natural disasters. Recovery becomes more challenging as global climate change intensifies droughts, storms, and fires.
Unfortunately, in Gqeberha, our natural fail-safes have been compromised due to poor environmental management decisions. For instance, the introduction of alien Bluegum, Fort Jackson, and Willow trees in the Greenbushes area was intended to manage land for farming, but instead, it destroyed natural wetlands and aquifers. Years later, these trees have spread across the city and the whole region, causing damage to natural ecosystems due to misguided efforts by those who underestimated their impact.
What is the Green Lung Project?
The Green Lung Project is an initiative that stemms from the Presidential Commission on Climate Resilience (PCC). The PCC is a multistakeholder body established by the President. It advises the country on climate change strategies and facilitates a fair transition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and society. Read more about it here.
It was formed to act as a catalyst that brings together businesspeople, environmental scientists and funding for activities that will make our city once more resilient to climate change. They aim to improve the city's environmental health and quality of life. The venture emphasises creating and maintaining green spaces to combat urban heat, augment biodiversity, and promote community engagement. I spoke to Kevin Taylor, who is part of the Green Lung project committee, to find out their plans for our city.
Conservation Lessons from the Past
In the past, South Africa's conservation model followed the "island conservation" approach, exemplified by the Kruger National Park. This method involved fencing off an area to keep animals in, and communities out. However, this practice overlooked the crucial role community support has in the long-term sustainability of conservation efforts. Without their involvement, conservation becomes expensive and unsustainable. Poaching, fence damage by elephants, and grazing shortages during droughts were just some of the challenges Kruger National Park faced. They charged high entrance fees to cover these costs, making them exclusive and unaffordable for locals to visit. This further alienated local communities and led to a lack of feelings of connection and responsibility towards the Kruger.
Learning from these challenges, Van Staden adopted a new approach. Originally, the Van Staden's Flower Reserve employed community casual workers to work alongside municipal workers. The project was sponsored by a group of locals known as the Friends of Van Staden's. However, to secure more funding, they needed to formalise their efforts by registering as a non-profit organisation with good governance. This change attracted support from external funders.
One of the first initiatives was employing local youth to work alongside municipal workers to maintain the reserve. This included tasks like lawn cutting and visitor assistance. Now, visitors to Van Staden are welcomed by young interns who provide maps and guidance. This upgrade in facilities has led to a significant increase in visitors, from 1,000 to 25,000 per year.
The success of this community-based model has also allowed students to offer guided walks, generating enough income to sustain their salaries without relying on external funding. In the future, they plan to establish a small shop for the community to sell baked goods and handmade items while also training interns as baristas to lift their skills and build confidence.
Additionally, efforts to remove alien plants in the reserve have been successful, thanks to the involvement of local small and medium contractors from the area. This has not only improved the soil and plant life but also reduced illegal protea theft.
It is nice to note that the Van Staden Dam, a strategic water source, continues to supply water to the city, highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and biodiversity efforts.
Gqeberha's Green Lung Roadmap to Nature Conservation
When Gqeberha was planned, green zones like Bakkens Valley and the coastline from Van Staden's to Cape Recife were established but later neglected. The Green Lung Project aims to restore these areas through a three-phase approach:
Phase 1: The Green Lung Project committee is conducting a geospatial mapping exercise to identify community stakeholders, opportunities, and challenges in the area. They will provide management, plans, and oversight to smaller projects carried out by locals. Funding is channelled through the Wilderness Foundation and supported by the Presidential Commission. Local organisations will start projects with MOUs and public-private partnerships, recognising that each area has unique challenges.
Phase 2: Following Phase 1, the committee will prioritise "low-hanging fruit" projects to ensure quick success, leveraging the momentum from Van Staden.
Phase 3: This phase will expand on the successes of Phase 2 and try to achieve long-term goals like proclaiming Cape Recife a heritage site and National Protected Area and joining it with Sardinia Bay.
The three initial projects for Green Lung support are:
Cleaning Up the Coastline by Removing Alien Vegetation: From Van Stadens to Cape Recife.
Addressing Specific Challenges: Different challenges exist in Baakens Valley and Cape Recife, requiring tailored approaches to bring all stakeholders together to pursue a common goal of conservation.
Restoring Wetland Pathways: Greenbushes and Parsons Vlei are natural wetlands that need restoration to minimise flooding in Gqeberha.
The Green Lung Committee will oversee and fund these projects. However, the community will take the lead in executing the actual work, drawing on their support of the initiative and local knowledge.
The committee plans to encourage all private small-holding landowners on the outskirts of Gqeberha to support conservation through stewardship or responsible farming practices. They can help restore the wetlands by removing alien trees from their land to restore the original aquifers that absorb water and reduce flooding, thereby strengthening Gqeberha’s resilience to climate change.
Other Key Initiatives within the Green Lung Project
Besides the three main projects mentioned above, the Green Lung Committee is also looking to tackle these problem areas:
The Papenkuil River, originating from the Chatty Gorge, flows through the northern parts of Cotswold and Malabar and passes by the bottom of Helenvale. It crosses under the freeway multiple times, including near the Neeve Industrial area, before reaching the concretised section in front of Continental Tyres and eventually flowing into Smelly Creek. The river also receives water from the Chatty River, extending up to the Chatty Gorge. Unfortunately, Both Papenkuil and Chetty rivers are infested with alien vegetation and littered with rubbish, making the area dangerous to access due to blocked drainpipes.
WESSA Ibhayi has taken on the challenge through the Green Lung project, involving the community in cleaning and restoring the river from Smelly Creek to Commercial Road, including sections near Isuzu Trucks. By encouraging local businesses to take responsibility for small sections of land that fall outside their factories, a restored ecosystem can be achieved.
These rivers hold significant value as locals swim and fish there despite dangers. Tragic drownings highlight the need for better safety measures. Stopping illegal dumping by taxis and builders is essential to preserving the river's health. With proper funding and community involvement, the Papenkuil River can once again become a vital and vibrant part of the local ecosystem.
Adjacent neighbourhoods like Mill Park Conservancy have successfully cleared parts of the Baakens Valley. In the future, Green Lung may consider working with groups like these to provide sustainability, funding, and professional oversight to maintain the cleared area and involve the community in conservation efforts.
St Georges Park has seen significant improvements in cleanliness and safety thanks to the active involvement of the community, including Park Runs and local clubs. The park area has seen noticeable improvements but hasn't been completely transformed yet. The park still needs more work to achieve its full potential for residents and visitors. Again, Green Lung may involve stakeholders to ensure these efforts are not wasted.
Van Der Kemp’s Kloof faces challenges such as disputes among local chiefs and the high costs of proclaiming it a state nature reserve. Ongoing negotiations and planning are in place to overcome these obstacles. Similarly, Jags Vlakte Reserve is neglected and unsafe, putting unique plant species at risk. The goal for the Jags Vlakte area is to restore and protect the area's biodiversity.
Conclusion
The Green Lung project is a comprehensive initiative integrating various smaller projects to create a sustainable and vibrant urban environment in Gqeberha. By addressing the unique challenges of each area and involving the community, the project aims to enhance the residents' ecological health and quality of life.
Sources:
Interview with Kevin Taylor
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