30x30 and South Africa: Social, economic, and environmental benefits
Today one million plant and animal species face extinction and to date the planet has lost 60% of terrestrial wildlife and 90% of big ocean fish. This year, delegates from more than 190 countries will gather in Kunming, China to negotiate and agree on an action plan for ending this biodiversity crisis at the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).
Ahead of COP15 please join us on Wednesday 16 February 2022 at 3 - 4:00 PM CAT for a webinar on the science-based global 30x30 proposal to conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and oceans by 2030.
Speakers will share their insights and expertise on the significant benefits that biodiversity conservation offers South Africa’s people, economy and environment. The event will be moderated by Ms. Tembisa Jordaan from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and followed by an audience Q&A.
Moderator
Tembisa Jordaan
Acting Manager of Biodiversity Stewardship and Biodiversity Economy, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, South Africa
Tembisa Jordaan is a Marine scientist and the Biodiversity Stewardship and Biodiversity
Economy acting manager, at Ezemvelo KZN wildlife. She is passionate about sectoral transformation in the biodiversity space, and the improvement of conservation models to be more people oriented to improve lives. She recently starred in “Our Oceans”, a 3-part marine conservation documentary commissioned by Off the Fence, which won the N.E.W Film pitch competition at the Nature, Environment and Wildlife Film congress to create a short documentary about the lives of marine Traditional Fishers in KZN. Her short film, "Ulwandle Lushile", is a result of the work she did for many years in marine resource management with KZN coastal communities. So far, “Ulwandle Lushile” has been entered into 76 film festivals and has been selected for 9 festivals, and is a finalist in 3. Tembisa received her MSc in Marine Biology from Rhodes University.
Resource Use Ecologist and Biodiversity Economy Co-ordinator
MSc – Marine Biology (Rhodes University)
Speakers
Dr. Enric Sala
National Geographic Explorer in Residence and Executive Director of Pristine Seas, USA
Dr. Enric Sala is a former university professor who saw himself writing the obituary of ocean life, and quit academia to become a full-time conservationist as a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He founded and leads Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research, and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 23 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 6.5 million square km. 2008 World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, 2013 Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, 2016 Russian Geographical Society Award, 2018 Heinz Award in Public Policy, 2021 National Geographic Hubbard Medal. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Ruth Mthembu
Environmental Communications Expert, South Africa
Ruth aims to use her passion and understanding of law and communications to contribute to society. She has a LLB (law) degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College South Africa. Previously she has held positions as Head of Fundraising and Operations Manager, as well as most recently, she was the Strategic Manager of Communications at WILDOCEANS (a programme of the WILDTRUST), situated in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. She is also part of the ever-growing “Youth for MPAs”, a youth movement on a mission to save South Africa’s oceans. She firmly believes that a lack of marine protection anywhere is a lack of marine protection everywhere.
Sinegugu Zukulu
Educator and Social and Environmental Activist, South Africa
Sinegugu is a dynamic, inspiring and deeply committed educator, social and environmental activist, and Tourist Guide. He was born on the Mpondoland Wild Coast and is deeply committed to the struggle for the protection of communal lands held by the indigenous people (amaMpondo) in South Africa. He is against imposed development, and favours bottom up and locally induced human scale development that will benefit local people. He is a champion for the rights of indigenous communities affected by extractive industries throughout South Africa. Sinegugu spent thirteen years teaching geography and has two academic degrees: BA Ed (Geography and Education) from University of Transkei and a Master of Philosophy in Environmental Management from Stellenbosch University. He has appeared in many television shows including Shoreline, Carte Blanche and 50/50, and a YouTube series advocating against environmental degradation.
Sinegugu believes in promoting and protecting indigenous knowledge systems as a foundation to build on community stewardship for conserving natural resources. He has authored more than ten books including his latest: The Medicinal and Charm Plants of Pondoland. He was nominated as one of the top seven 2015 South African Conservationist of the year and in 2019 he won the Eco-Warrior category from the Ecologic Awards and the Eastern Cape MEC Award for tourism Development.
Dr. Rashid Sumaila
Professor at the Institute for Oceans and Fishers, University of British Columbia, Canada
Rashid Sumaila is a University Killam Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia. His research focuses on bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, marine protected areas, illegal fishing, climate change, marine plastic pollution, and oil spills. Dr. Sumaila received his Ph.D. (Economics) from the University of Bergen and his B.Sc. (Quantity Surveying) from the Ahmadu Bello University. Sumaila is widely published and cited. He won the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize and was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2019. His interest in the environment started early in life when his grandfather used to say people should “walk as if the ground feels pain” – he believes this is sophisticated environmentalism. His specific interest in ocean and fisheries was picked in Norway. Sumaila enjoys exploring novel ideas and mentoring future thinkers. He loves waking up each day thinking of how best to contribute to ensuring that we bequeath a healthy ocean to our children and grandchildren so they too can have the option to do the same.
Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini
Deputy Director of Marketing and Communications at WILDTRUST (WILDLANDS programme)
Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini is the Marketing Deputy Director at the WILDTRUST, also known as the Wildlands Conservation Trust, where her role is to strategically lead and guide the organisations’ communication and marketing strategy in order to leverage the brand and solidify the organisation’s position as one of the leading environmental non-profits in South Africa. Buyi is passionate about being part of the solution in educating people and making them more aware of how humans are destroying the environment as well as how small changes can be made to mitigate these negative actions.
She believes the environment and sustainability debate needs to be owned and discussed by the youth of South Africa. This can only be addressed properly when it’s recognised that it starts with the individual. The time to take action is NOW to start making the small changes in our everyday lives in order to make a difference. Buyi hopes that her voice can begin to penetrate her immediate social circle and spread to other spaces where she can be viewed as a ‘new age’ environmental activist, mobilizing youth across all ages and races, where people begin to internalise current issues and take more responsibility for their own environmental action.
Buyi is a passionate South African, a wife and mother of two boys.
Merrisa Naidoo
Youth for Marine Protected Areas (Youth4MPAs) Representative
My name directly translated means ‘ruler of the sea’ and aptly so the field of Marine Biology chose me. I was born in the beautiful coastal city, Durban, South Africa. A major accomplishment that I am most proud of is having been selected among 800 applicants worldwide to participate on the training expedition, SoNoAT 2019 on board RV.Polarstern.
I am a recent Masters graduate with Cum Laude in the field of marine science. My discourse in recent years has taken a turn for the best towards a new and exciting space in ocean conservation. Since 2018, I have been walking a path among the strong youth (Youth for Marine Protected Areas – Youth4MPAs) of my country and internationally with the youth council at Earth Echo International to advocate for increased ocean protection. I have represented the Youth4MPAs movement as their Spokesperson and Youth leader (2020-2021). In this role I was and still am consciously aware of and engaged in activities that promote the effective implementation of MPAs in South Africa. Both these experiences have borne testament to my newly appointed position as a MPA Project Youth Co-ordinator within a leading conservation organisation in South Africa, WILDOCEANS.