National LRBSI Learning Exchange 2020

The 7th National Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship Learning Exchange was convened in February 2020 and hosted over 190 delegates that represented national, provincial and local government departments, community beneficiaries and non-governmental organisations with interest in the work of people-centred biodiversity stewardship in communities. The Learning Exchange gave everyone working in the space of Land Reform & Biodiversity Stewardship a chance to reflect on the journey from the beginning in 2009, to identify the lessons learnt and to celebrate the strides of Biodiversity Stewardship, growing beyond being a tool for protected area expansion to being a way of addressing some of the socio-economic challenges of South Africa. The Learning Exchange was hosted jointly by the National Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) with the support of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) as a host province under the theme “Reshaping Rural Development through the Biodiversity Economy.” This event was hosted from the 18th-20th February 2020 in Hluhluwe in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The purpose of the Learning Exchange was:

To create a learning and innovation hub for key matters relating to land reform and biodiversity conservation
To demonstrate, through learning and case studies, the developmental impact of biodiversity in land reform projects
To showcase the strides of the National LRBSI since the call for the initiative to be revitalised
To provide a learning platform for communities and NGOs which are functional at the LRBSI space
To increase the participation of communities in the process of peer-learning within the LRBSI space
To present opportunities for rural and economic development in the Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship
Capacity building for community beneficiaries and practitioners within the Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship space

Presentations and resources shared over the three days can be accessed in the table below:

PRESENTER	ORGANISATION	PRESENTATION
Mpho Ratshikhopha	SANBI	A Clear Path from the Past to the Present (Work of the LRBSI to date: 2009-2019)
Simon Mafela	Tshivhula CPA	Market Stall Presentation:Tshivhula CPA
Natalie Veltman and Koena Cholo	DEFF	Unlocking the Socio-economic Potential of South Africa’s Biodiversity Assets through Sustainable Use of Biodiversity
Greg Martindale	Conservation Outcomes	Rangeland Management
Yuval Tchetchick	DEFF	Identifying Biodiversity Economy Opportunities
Greg Martindale	Conservation Outcomes	Development of Management Plans
Natasha Wilson	SANBI	Closing Remarks

Learning Exchange Programme

Proceedings Report

Contact Mpho Gumula for access to the attendance register