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Practical actions for applied systematic conservation planning
Emily A Botts1, Genevieve Pence2, Stephen Holness3
1Independent Consultant, P.O. Box 85, Rosetta, KwaZulu-Natal, 3301, South Africa.
Summary
South Africa successfully transitioned systematic conservation planning from theory to practice. Key actions included government leadership, practitioner involvement, and integrating plans into legislation, enabling effective spatial decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Conservation science
- Environmental planning
- Spatial decision-making
Background:
- Systematic conservation planning aims for spatially explicit decision-making but faces challenges in integration with governance.
- South Africa is a leader in applying conservation plans for spatial planning across government spheres.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the progression of conservation planning in South Africa from theory to implementation.
- To identify practical actions that facilitated this transition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of temporal trends in the characteristics of 94 conservation plans from 1990-2017.
- Assessment of factors enabling the transition from planning to operationalization.
Main Results:
- Since 2010, conservation planning in South Africa entered an operational phase with government leadership, administrative focus, smaller planning units, and scheduled revisions.
- Successful transition factors include shifting leadership to practitioners, capacity building, legislative integration, community of practice, and adaptive methods.
Conclusions:
- South Africa's model offers valuable lessons for other megadiverse, developing countries seeking to operationalize conservation planning.
- Effective integration of conservation plans into spatial planning and decision-making is achievable through strategic actions and adaptive management.
Keywords:
South AfricaSudáfricabiodiversity mainstreamingcommunity of practicedecision makingimplementaciónimplementationintegración de la biodiversidadinterfaz ciencia-políticaomunidad de prácticaplaneación espacialplaneación sistemática de la conservaciónscience-policy interfacespatial planningsystematic conservation planningtoma de decisiones
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