NATURE IS HELPINGCOMMUNITIESADAPT TO CLIMATECHANGEACROSS ALL 3
LANDSCAPES BETWEEN
2019-20, THE APPROACH
HAS ACHIEVED

R 10 824 052

Earned between 633 stewards
through livestock auctions where
CSA stewards sold livestock.

THE NEEDIn South Africa, healthy rangelands and wetlands are important for people who
rely on livestock farming for their livelihoods, however, they are threatened byinappropriate land management practices as well as climate shocks such as
extended dry periods and floods.

THE APPROACH
Conservation South Africa (CSA) recognises the potential of the restoration ofrangelands and wetlands to provide social and ecological resilience throughEcosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), which uses nature to help people adapt toclimate change. CSA engages in Conservation Agreements (CAs) with communal
farmers to support them in protecting nature in return for incentives. Conservation
actions and incentives are identified with participating farmers (called stewards)
based on what they can do to improve their farming, particularly their grazing
practices, and what is needed to support them. For example, in Namakwa,
planned grazing is needed to rest rangelands and restore wetlands, and farmers
need livestock medicines, more climate-resilient breeds of sheep and goat, better
access to markets, and training, in order to also help farmers be more resilient toclimate change. As part of the approach, youth empowerment programmes areunder way as well as SMME /enterprise development, mentorship and funding.

986

Farmers had access to fodder,markets and vet services/medicine
over drought period.

WHERE IT WORKED

79

NAMAKWANUMBER OF STEWARDS

64 96540NGOs and government departments
trained in the use of CAs.

AREA UNDER CAs (Ha)4
NORTHERN CAPENAMAKWA(Farmer’s Orginaisations)

NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONSCA SIGNED WITH

483

UMZIMVUBU

262

NUMBER OF STEWARDS

5057

People employed with Green Jobs.

AREA UNDER CAs (Ha)834

Youth trained in rangeland
restoration, gender awareness andfinancial literacy.

14
EASTERN CAPE

UMZIMVUBUKRUGER TO CANYONS(Grazing Associations)

NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONSCA SIGNED WITH

354

NUMBER OF STEWARDS

7863.93363

People trained in climate change
adaptation including civil society
organisations, community-basedorganisations and government officials.

AREA UNDER CAs (Ha)4LIMPOPO & MPUMALANGAKRUGER TO CANYONS(Co-operatives)

NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONSCA SIGNED WITH

EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS WAS ACHIEVED
IMPROVED GOVERNANCE NAMAKWA
The Steinkopf Bulletrap Cooperative was formed to help farmers set up their own local governance and organisation
structures, which contributed to sustaining stewardship even after the Conservation Agreements (CAs) ended.
NAMAKWAKRUGER TO CANYONSYOUTH EMPLOYMENT UMZIMVUBU
Through the Yes4Youth (Y4Y) 12-month readiness programme, CSA (in partnership with Ford and SAS Institute) employed
and provided valuable work experience to 168 youth in all three landscapes. Out of these youth, 4 in Namakwa, 9 in Kruger
Canyons (K2C) and 8 in Umzimvubu were taken up in CSA’s 2021 Y4Y programme and will act as supervisors to the newcohort. In addition, one youth was offered a contract position with a partner organisation and one youth went to pursue
further studies at a college in Cape Town.

IMPROVED WATER SECURITY UMZIMVUBU
4 natural springs were restored in the Umzimvubu Catchment through the removal of wattle and construction of water
points; 140 people had improved access to water.
INCLUSIVITY NAMAKWA
A newly integrated gender advisory forum in the Namakwa District will promote a greater focus on gender empowerment
within the District and future projects.
NAMAKWAKRUGER TO CANYONSRESTORATION WORKERS AND ECORANGERS UMZIMVUBU
Involved in alien clearing and overseeing planned grazing systems for erosion control. In 2019, 22 ecorangers, including
8 women, graduated from the Herding Academy and were deployed in Umzimvubu and K2C. In Namakwa, 26 restoration
workers were employed and trained in gully and sheet erosion restoration methods. By the end of 2019, 159 restoration
workers were trained and deployed in the Umzimvubu Catchment.

INCREASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT NAMAKWA
During active CAs, 82% of stewards indicated that they were more actively involved in the community since signing aCA. In Steinkopf at the end of 2020, 2 years post CA implementation, 92% of farmers were still active in their community.
NAMAKWAKRUGER TO CANYONSCOLLABORATION UMZIMVUBU
Engaged with other climate networks including Adaptation Network and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) communityof practice to share and learn from one another.

Healthier Livestock UMZIMVUBU
In the Umzimvubu Catchment, 3665 livestock were vaccinated in 13 villages. Vaccinated and healthier livestock are more
resilient to climate shocks.
KRUGER TO CANYONS
Market Access UMZIMVUBU
In the Umzimvubu Catchment, 5 livestock auctions were arranged where 795 livestock were supplied, and 722 livestock
sold. Livestock auctions provided income for farmers during the drought and COVID-19. In addition, by removing animals
through livestock sales, rangelands were relieved of grazing pressures. In the K2C, 133 stock were sold at the end of2020, with a turnover of R789 783.

CALL TO ACTION

Actions for policy makers and practitioners to use stewardship and Conservation
Agreements as a tool to help people adapt to climate change by using nature include thefollowing:
1. Stewardship can be replicated in other communities who rely on commonages fornatural resource use;
2. Stewardship programmes should be implemented for at least 3 to 5 years to be able
to demonstrate efficacy;
3. Stewardship should include women, youth and vulnerable members of communities;
4. Vulnerability assessments and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) priority mapping
are able to provide important information to guide the implementation of EbA
approaches;
5. Co-ordination is needed at the landscape level to ensure different programmes thatwork with farmers and conservation objectives are aligned to deliver integrated EbA
responses; and6. Policy makers can prioritise funding of stewardship programmes as an EbA,
especially where people depend directly on natural resources.

Ronald Newman
rnewman@conservation.org
www.conservation.org/south-africa