Combating the alien invasion in South Africa
WWF International Newsroom
April 27, 2001
South Africa - Conservationists have long been painfully aware of the disastrous effects of alien invasive vegetation.
In South Africa these plants use about seven per cent of the country's scarce water resources. They also increase the problems associated with flooding and fires, cause erosion, destruction of rivers and poor water quality and can cause a mass extinction of indigenous plants and animals.
But, with more than 10 million hectares of invaded land needing to be cleared, and the knowledge of the danger restricted to a dedicated few, this battle looked more uphill than most. To tackle a problem of this size meant getting in the big guns.
But that first meant getting to the big guns: those with the power to make decisions large enough to make a difference. The start was a slide-based 'roadshow' presented by the WWF-South Africa's Chief Executive (then Director of Conservation) Dr Ian Macdonald. In this presentation, Dr Macdonald explained just what damage the alien plants were causing, both environmentally and economically (they cause billions of rands damage every year in South Africa).
In the audience was a very big gun indeed - South Africa's then-Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Professor Kader Asmal. This simple presentation led directly to his setting up the multi-million-rand Working for Water campaign in 1995, with the purpose of dealing effectively with the problem of invading alien plants. One of the major forces behind this highly successful programme is Green Trust-funded water-conservation specialist Dr Guy Preston, the special advisor to the minister.
In March this year new regulations were passed under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act which put the onus on landowners to control alien invasive vegetation on their property. Some 198 species have been divided into three categories - those that must be removed and destroyed immediately; those that may be grown providing steps are taken to prevent their spread; and those that may no longer be planted.
This means that no one is allowed to sell, transfer, rezone or subdivide their land without a clearance certificate. And if someone's land has invader plants on it, the Act allows the land to be cleared at the landowner's cost.
However, although the authorities will inspect residential areas, they won't be unreasonable if people have one or two invasive species on their property.
"We would inform them of alternative species they could plant," explains Dr Preston, "And give them some time in which to begin growing an indigenous replacement before they have to remove the alien."
Legislation now also ensures that species with an invasive potential are not brought into the country (or, if they are, that the importer takes out insurance to cover the possible costs of invasions) and that trading in most of these species is illegal.
Thinking caps are now firmly in place to come up with, and enforce, other policies to help in the battle. For example, if your land is polluted by seeds from invasive alien plants on your neighbour's land, it is now possible to lay a claim against that neighbour.
Another major area of legislative powers lies in the Environmental Conservation Act, in which Environmental Impact Assessments will consider the risks of invasions associated with various activities (for example road, railway, telephone and electricity corridors, in property speculation and in work relating to wetlands).
To coincide with the instigation of the new Act, Working for Water has launched a three-year campaign called "Alien Busters" - designed to raise public awareness about the threats posed by these species.
"The Alien Buster campaign presents a valuable opportunity for the public to educate themselves about invasive alien plants and take the necessary action against them voluntarily," says Minister of Agriculture Thoko Didiza. "Such co-operation would obviate the need for the government to resort to using the big stick of the law to deal with landowners harbouring these unwelcome visitors."
For more information:
Christine Riley,WWF-SA Communications Manager
criley@wwfsa.org.za