In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 18 areas have been declared nature reserves, after a year-long effort to clear red tape surrounding the registration process.
WWF South Africa and Conservation Outcomes, together with environmental law firm Ndlovu de Villiers Attorneys, have helped streamline the legal process in declaring land a nature reserve, enabling access to the country’s biodiversity tax incentive (Section 37D).
According to WWF South Africa, the areas in question ‘are all important for biodiversity and consist of a mixture of communal, private and state-owned land [that are now able] to support their conservation efforts through Wilderness Foundation Africa’s Environmental Tax Services’.
So far, 18 nature reserves (covering 21 600 ha of land) have completed and finalised the declaration process. They include Karkloof Nature Reserve, Red Desert Nature Reserve and the Ncandu Private Forest and Grassland Reserve. An additional 50 000 ha is pending finalisation.
‘Securing new protected areas is a crucial response to addressing our biodiversity-conservation challenges,’ says Kevin McCann, Conservation Outcomes director.
Candice Stevens, head of innovative finance at Wilderness Foundation Africa adds that ‘Section 37D is a critical finance solution providing South Africa’s protected areas and biodiversity stewardship efforts with financial sustainability’.
