Report of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism on Participation in the Johannesburg +2 Sustainable Development Conference, dated 4 November 2004:

The Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism having participated in the Johannesburg +2 Sustainable Development Conference, wish to report as follows:

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism funded a multi-party delegation of five members of the Committee to attend the Johannesburg +2 Sustainable Development Conference held in Midrand from 1^ST to 3^rd September 2004. The objectives of the conference were to assess the progress made by countries and government in achieving the outcomes of Johannesburg plan of action. The key element of the conference was a series of roundtable discussions on various topical issues.

The issues discussed both at the plenary focused on the contribution of water to sustainable social and economic development and the eradication of poverty, sustainable human settlement, energy, climate change and sustainable development, biodiversity and sustainable development, agriculture and sustainable development, global agenda for science and technology for sustainable development and, the role of business in sustainable development.

A multi-party delegation of the committee constituted the Chairperson, Ms E Thabethe, Ms N Khunou, ANC, Mr. J Arendse, ANC, Ms C Zikalala, IFP, Ms N Johnson, NNP and Mr. M Manele, Committee Secretary.

The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, in his opening address stated that the objectives of the Johannesburg + 2 conference was assess progress in meeting the goals and targets set in 2002, and chart way forward to ensure that the ongoing legacy of Johannesburg is one of implementation, positive and lasting change. On the implementation of targets, the Minister emphasized that amongst the most notable of these were targets such as halving the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015, maintain or restore depleted fish stocks to levels that could support sustainable use, using by 2020 chemicals in ways that do not damage the environment or human health, and, to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction inn the rate of loss of biodiversity.

On the commitment of South African Government, the Minister stated that the Government is on track to meet the WSSD targets for reducing the percentage of people without access to basic water and sanitation and also the eradication of the backlog of infrastructure for water by 2008, and sanitation by 2010.

In closing, the minister further articulated that the Johannesburg +2 conference should be about reflection and forward planning, assessment and a renewed commitment to implementation and change to ensure that the Johannesburg legacy is more about action that debate, more about change that talk and more about lasting prosperity than recurring poverty.

Addressing the plenary on the relationship between sustainable development and poverty eradication, the Secretary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Mr. Nitin Desai reminded the delegation that Government had to realize that their social and economic programs to eradicate poverty rested on the vision of sustainable development and that the Johannesburg +2 conference must prove that there is a link between social, economic and environmental protection an all poverty eradication strategies must be informed by a sustainable development vision.

On the 2 September 2004, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ms E Thabethe chaired a plenary session on building and strengthening a social compact for sustainable development in South Africa that set a scene for roundtable afternoon session. The overall objective of this session was to share a national perspective on implementation and policy challenges in South Africa.

During her presentation, Councilor, Nomsa Dube shared perspective on the role of local government in implementing sustainable development. The following are the issues highlighted as achievements of local government in implementing sustainable development since 2002:

• Coordination of report back sessions with all municipalities to ensure that each municipality is informed of the outcomes of WSSD and to explore mechanisms of implementation and, development and implementation of guidelines for municipalities to support each other in implementing the JPOI targets through their IDPs.
• Adoption and wider application of community- based planning, community action support and community driven development approaches to ensure the empowerment, mobilization and support of community action and Extensive skills development and training in numerous areas.
• Introduction of municipality learning networks to allow for systematic knowledge sharing among municipalities through sector specific interventions and programmes such as integrated energy planning manual for municipalities, demand–side management to achieve electricity savings, popularization of non-motorized transport among municipalities, HIV/ Aids programme for local government, mainstreaming of gender and the development of a local government gender policy framework, high density housing support programme, water service reform support programme for municipalities and implementation of uniform conditions of service for all employees in local government to ensure parity and eliminate past inequalities.

Despite the progress made by local government in implementing sustainable development, barriers such as finance, systems and institutional architecture, community empowerment, local government transformation and political term of office versus the long–term nature of sustainable development were highlighted as challenges facing the local government in implementing sustainable development in the communities.

On the 2 and 3 of September 2003, the delegation of the committee participated in the on discussions on integrating biodiversity in sustainable development. The main objectives of the discussions were to assess progress and challenges in the national implementation of the biodiversity targets of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and some of the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other related biodiversity Multilateral Agreements, raise awareness among different stakeholders on the cross-cutting nature of biodiversity and its importance to the sustainable development agenda and highlight the link between biodiversity and poverty and showcase projects that are succeeding in addressing the biodiversity –poverty link. The discussions focused on answering questions such as: how do we address the biodiversity-poverty link? How do we integrate biodiversity with Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture and Trade? How do we strengthen partnerships? How do we incorporate/strengthen the contribution of IKS to biodiversity management? What are the priorities for the next 5 years?

It was noted during the discussions that since the birth of democracy, South Africa has ratified many of the multi–lateral agreements in the field of environment, economy and social development and has also succeeded in putting policies and legal frameworks in place in the area of environment and biodiversity.

It was further reported during the discussion that communities who were evicted from areas like national parks, have successfully won land claims, South Africa has moved swiftly to create six trans-frontier conservation areas, which forms an integral part of the new partnership for Africa’s development, since 1994, South Africa has registered 325 natural heritage sites, representing more than 46 000 hectares and that working for wetlands projects has been utilized as a catalyst to fight poverty and to date, it has employed about 2230 people and has carried out a total of 690 rehabilitation interventions through 80 projects with a tune of R30 million a year.

Mr. Livingston Maluleke presented a case study during the discussions on biodiversity on the community development and role of biodiversity. Some of significance of Maluleka region in terms of biodiversity presented included the creation of heritage sites for cultural and traditional consideration, respect to the diverse animals and plants species, animals and plans with their different functions for community and understanding, sustainable use of these resources. Concerning the structures in place to ensure that biodiversity benefits the community, it was reported a joint management committee has been established for the collective decision-making and conservation function of the area. Some of the lessons learned and challenges from the Maluleka case study relate to the need to work with many people in the community by using strong structures that represent the community, the need for the community to know what they want and to avoid dependency and, the need for Communal Property Association to address conflict and tension to biodiversity and sustainable development.

The biggest challenge related to biodiversity and sustainable development noted during the roundtable discussion relates to the implementation of international treaties nationally and integration of multilateral agreements into mainstream development planning, public investment and business activities. The structures of government in particular the separation of units or departments responsible for conventions from trade, finances, planning and sectoral departments like departments of water affairs and forestry, agriculture, trade and industry and environmental affairs and tourism were also noted as significant constrains to implementation. Other challenges identified related to poverty and underdevelopment, inequality, globalization, unsustainable consumption and production patterns, biodiversity loss and heavy reliance on natural resource, sustainable development in a globalising world.

The key recommendations emerging during the discussions on integrating biodiversity in sustainable development which were submitted at the plenary include:

• Biodiversity must contribute to poverty alleviation
• Biodiversity must be integrated into water, energy, health, agriculture and trade
• Implementation at provincial and local level must incorporate biodiversity management in integrated development plans, provincial spatial development framework and provincial growth and development strategies
• Strengthening of co-operative governance, empowerment and support for local implementation and recognition of indigenous knowledge
• Transformation of the sector and strengthen regulatory services
• Capacity building awareness including the judiciary
• Recognition and valuing of biodiversity contribution to the economy
• Building of partnership between government, business, civil society for implementation
• Development of information management system to provide qualitative and quantitative indicators for monitoring.

Having participated at the plenary and discussions on biodiversity and sustainable development discussion, the delegation concluded and recommended that:

Report to be considered.