Ideal combination of factors for a solution

GEORGE NEWS - Prof Josua Louw, an associate professor at the School of Natural Resource Management at Nelson Mandela University George Campus, says the Garden Route is in serious trouble as far as alien invasive vegetation is concerned. He explains:

In the context of anticipated climate change the matter of invasive alien species (IAS) cannot be ignored any longer and the Garden Route has an ideal situation for a solution.

Additional funding should be sourced to approach the issue of alien eradication in an organised and systematic way. We have to design new business models from which the environment can benefit, such as so-called circular business models from which the environment eventually benefits.

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The use of biomass, specifically originating from such unwanted invasive stands, also needs to be investigated.

Several projects of this kind are currently in place under the banner of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.

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We have the ideal combination of factors in the Garden Route: a major ecological problem, impoverished communities, significant wealth from private individuals as well as organised business, and in between a university with technical knowledge and expertise.