The 4th National Biodiversity Stewardship Conference 2026 is underway at the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre in Kimberley.Welcoming delegates to the “warmest province,” the Head of Department for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform (DAERL), Mr Zolile Monakali, highlighted the critical importance of biodiversity conservation as a shared responsibility for all role players.<\/p>\n
“Biodiversity is critical and must be pursued by all role players,” said HOD Monakali.He said the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme offers a flexible suite of conservation options, ranging from formally declared protected areas such as national parks, nature reserves and protected environments, to Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) and entry-level partnership arrangements.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the conference, delegates visited three potential OECM sites on 07 September – Vaalbos Farm, Dronfield and Kamfersdam – to introduce the OECM mechanism as a complementary approach for conserving important biodiversity beyond formally protected areas.Held under the theme “Biodiversity Stewardship \u2013 Connecting People and Nature through Partnerships for a Thriving Biodiversity Economy,” the conference has brought together stakeholders from the biodiversity stewardship community of practice across South Africa to engage on conservation, stewardship and strengthening partnerships.<\/p>\n
The gathering also marks an important milestone as it provides an opportunity to reflect on 25 years of biodiversity stewardship implementation in South Africa \u2013 a country globally recognised for its exceptional species richness, endemism and ecosystem diversity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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