GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - If we want to mitigate climate change and have a sustainable lifestyle in the Garden Route, it is vital that environmental management stakeholders and the entire Southern Cape conservation community constantly maintain meaningful communication, collaboration and interaction.

This is why Dr Nina Viljoen, head of environmental management at the Garden Route District Municipality and chairperson of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (Gref), calls on citizens, conservancies and privately funded environmental organisations to join Gref and its activities.

Public participation

She says Gref is not restricted to directly implement and manage regional environmental programmes, but rather to be a think tank and public platform for interaction, public participation, showcasing of projects, opening debate and enhancing awareness for everybody who is interested and involved in environmental management and conservation in the Garden Route.

"Global events such as the havoc and negative socioeconomic repercussions sowed by Covid-19 and the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine, continue to divert much-needed attention and resources away from the calamitous effect the changing climate is already imposing on the well-being and quality of life of South Africans, and notably the most vulnerable of our communities," says Viljoen.

Stakeholder report

Gref has released its stakeholder report, which reflects on some of the projects the governmentally mandated and funded environmental management bodies, academic entities, large biosphere reserves, and non-governmental conservation entities are currently busy with, as well as what they are planning to achieve within 2022/23. 

"However, she says, the report really aims to "consolidate the collective effort to safeguard the sensitive Garden Route environment against relentless pressure brought about by high levels of population growth, natural disasters enhanced by a changing climate and a fast-shrinking natural environment where much of our unique and endemic biodiversity is already critically endangered".

Gref encourages residents to actively take part in Gref actions.

Become a stakeholder

Garden Route citizens are generally very responsible in terms of environmental best practice, and in favour of and committed to conservation, she says. "There are many regional conservancies and privately funded and resourced environmental organisations, NGOs and individuals doing a significant amount of environmental management in the Garden Route deserving of praise and encouragement. 

"Gref would like to encourage them to list on the Gref stakeholder database and participate actively in Gref events and actions."

The Gref stakeholder report is available on this link.

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