Sibusiso Ndlovu SWADINI-The Deputy Minister of Water and Environment Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi, in collaboration with South African National Parks (SANParks) celebrated the environmental monitors’ day at Swadini Forever Resort on Monday 02. She was accompanied by Charles Sekoati, MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in Limpopo. The day marks the achievements of Environmental monitors of the Kruger to Canyon Biosphere. The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere is one of the Department of Environmental Affair’s six biosphere reserves in South Africa. The programme is registered about Eight years ago under United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). It has a combination of protected areas, forestry, agricultural and rural landscape.
The task of the Environmental Monitors is to do a research about environmental problems, and also increase conservation capacity within South African National Parks. The Deputy Minister says that the department has joined part with both private and public sectors in showcase that the programme is running smooth. “We have joined hands with the universities and our monitors who are assisting us in spreading the messages to communities by raising community awareness, and helping to do the research. Our monitors have been doing the good job in patrolling the areas to curb poaching as well as monitoring of biodiversity integrity in and around the protected areas”, she said.
The Kruger to Canyon Biosphere has managed to appoint 862 Environmental Monitors and 168 jobs were created especially for youth. The Deputy Minister says the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere is rated the third largest biosphere reserve in the world. “K2C Biosphere programme is an extensive community-driven initiative that provides additional support to Kruger National park as well as numerous private host institutions bordering the park”, she explains. The MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in Limpopo Charles Sekoati, says K2C is the largest mammals species and that it will continues to be like that, this is evidence by the research done by the Environmental Monitors. It is an Expanded Public Works Programme funded by the Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Programmes (EPIP) of the Department of Environmental Affairs implemented by South African National Parks (SANParks).
“Our Department has in a small way made a commitment but also a contribution to assist the biosphere to fulfill its mandate of education and research, key amongst the priorities is the protected areas expansion programme, stewardship programme, clement change approach and community based natural resource management. The Environmental Monitors are working several areas of the Mpumalanga natural reserves and Limpopo tourism reserves, most of people and schools surrounding the areas of reverses will sooner benefit from the programme”, he explains. Maritinka, the organiser of the event says it was simple for her to organise the event because everybody was working together in making sure that the day be the successful one, “all the stakeholders were willing to participate even the Minister and her constituency were willing also to come on board, we hope that we will celebrate the day every year”, conclude Maritinka.
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