South Africa's Natural Heritage Alliance Calls for Consistent Inclusive Conservation
The Natural Heritage Alliance (NHA) has urged the South African government to maintain momentum on inclusive conservation, marking five years since the country adopted recommendations from a high-level panel of experts on elephants, lions, rhinos and leopards. The NHA, established in 2022, brings together communities, women leaders, youth and traditional leaders to ensure conservation addresses justice, equity and livelihoods alongside wildlife protection.
NHA spokesperson Gogo Sibeko acknowledged progress through South Africa's white paper on conservation and new legislation reflecting a more inclusive approach, but warned that inconsistent signals from government risk undermining trust and slowing transformation. The alliance is calling for urgent, clear and collaborative action that places communities with ancestral knowledge at the centre of environmental stewardship. Sibeko noted that the five-year milestone should serve as a call to action on biodiversity loss, climate pressures and inequality, with civil society ready to partner government as co-implementers in conservation efforts.
Source: Citizen (Mpumalanga News)
