Johannesburg: Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, has called on the private sector to partner with the government to slow biodiversity loss, restore critical habitats, and secure the ecological infrastructure that supports the economy. This appeal aligns with the findings of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), which paints a concerning picture of the state of the country's biodiversity, showing that nearly one-third of terrestrial ecosystems are classified as threatened.
According to South African Government News Agency, pressures on biodiversity are intensifying as habitat loss from agriculture, settlements, mining, and infrastructure development, alongside issues such as invasive alien species, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change, continue to drive ecosystem degradation and species decline. Freshwater systems, including rivers, wetlands, and estuaries, are among the most threatened, Singh mentioned during a recent address at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Johannesburg.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that through concerted, collaborative efforts, South Africa can slow biodiversity loss, restore critical habitats, and secure the ecological infrastructure that supports both the economy and environmental well-being. He noted that water source areas, such as mountain catchments, wetlands, and rivers, cover only 10% of the land yet supply more than 50% of the country's water. These areas face severe pressure from pollution, invasive species, and altered flows, making urgent action necessary to protect this vital ecological infrastructure for water security.
Healthy freshwater flows to estuaries and oceans are crucial for marine fisheries and coastal resilience, Singh added. While some species have shown improved protection status through protected areas and stewardship programs, demonstrating the potential of sustained and well-supported conservation efforts, much more needs to be done.
The Deputy Minister stressed that meaningful progress depends on policy reform, targeted finance, and strong partnerships. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have proven to be powerful tools, enabling the private sector to drive investment, create jobs, and advance shared goals through corporate social responsibility and innovation. Singh highlighted the need for modernizing regulatory frameworks to make them more transparent, efficient, and aligned with objectives focused on people, planet, and prosperity.
By forging innovative partnerships across government, business, and civil society, South Africa can overcome barriers such as data gaps and regulatory challenges, fully unlocking the potential of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks and sustainable investment. An ESG framework is a structured set of guidelines, metrics, and standards that companies use to measure, manage, and report their Environmental, Social, and Governance performance, facilitating transparent disclosure of sustainability data to stakeholders.
A collaborative, whole-of-society approach to conserving natural assets will be central to achieving social and economic development goals, requiring coordinated action, secure livelihoods, and a united national purpose. Singh called on the business community to partner in the conservation and infrastructure enhancement of South Africa's national botanical and zoological gardens, emphasizing that their support could expand these spaces, improve visitor experiences, advance research and education, and contribute directly to national biodiversity targets. - SAnews.gov.za