Environmental policy and administrative management

This proposal is for a two-year project framed in the context of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which aims to promote sustainable use of land-based resources in the world s drylands, whilst also recognizing the importance of participation of local populations and ensuring that their livelihoods are secure. The project will be situated on the Bokkeveld Plateau on the western margins of the Northern Cape Province, at the interface between the fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes. The project aims to develop the capacities of small-scale land users and aspirant land users to manage land sustainably and to rehabilitate degraded range and plough lands so as to enhance the long-term viability of their farming operations. Specific objectives of the project include planning and implementing land rehabilitation activities on degraded rangeland and previously ploughed lands on the Avontuur conservation property so as to serve as a living laboratory and learning venue for innovative techniques of rehabilitation of degraded lands. The project will develop the capacities of land users, potential land reform beneficiaries, learners and staff of service agencies to analyse land degradation problems, and to design, implement and monitor practical interventions to address these. It will also enable local small-scale farmers on the Bokkeveld plateau to plan and implement successful interventions to control land degradation and enhance biodiversity and productivity of their rangeland and cultivated land through the provision of mentorship services. Successful techniques and outcomes will be shared with local and global audiences to enable others to learn from successful interventions. The project will achieve specific results including the effective management of erosion on 100 ha of severely degraded land and 400 ha of moderately degraded land on Avontuur using appropriate, low cost interventions. A further 200 ha of degraded land on other properties in the Bokkeveld will be secured and rehabilitated by small-scale farmers by the application of appropriate, low cost interventions. At least 100 small-scale farmers will have developed capacities that will enable them to practice sustainable land management of their farms, and at least 100 learners from local schools will have learned the principles of sustainable land management, acquired skills and engaged in practical work to rehabilitate degraded land. Furthermore, at least 35 members of staff of government agencies and non-governmental organisations working with small-scale farmers in similar areas of the Northern and Western Cape will have developed their capacities to rehabilitate degraded soils, and will be in a better position to effectively provide support to small-scale farmers who are faced with challenges of land degradation. A volunteer programme will recruit 20 volunteers to contribute to combatting land degradation and promoting biodiversity restoration. Monitoring of sites on Avontuur will provide sound scientific data on sedimentation and re-vegetation of rehabilitated sites. Dissemination of results will be achieved via publication of an illustrated manual on sustainable land and water management, material posted on the Avontuur website and the production of an educational film. This project will be implemented in partnership between the Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) and Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture, as the latter is a relatively new legal entity and does not have a financial track record. EMG and Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture have collaborated closely since the foundation of Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture in 2009, and have managed the grant funding that has been utilized by Avontuur Sustainable Agriculture.

South africa