31 May, 2006

Biodiversity Hotspots E-News just released ...

Conservation International's Biodiversity Hotspots E-News, Spring 2006, has just been just released. Link here.

This edition includes "Release of 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reveals ongoing attrition of biodiversity" - surprise surprise! But that article does contain many useful statistics on rates of decline and relevant hyperlinks.

29 May, 2006

Catalizing Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) ...



I found the announcement more or less by chance while browsing the Katoomba Group's website at http://www.katoombagroup.org/africa/index.htm


If anyone has further information about the event please leave a comment for us all to read, thanks.

See also PES Assessments and Case Studies at http://www.katoombagroup.org/africa/pes.htm and click on the individual countries on the map to see the country PES Assessment.

27 May, 2006

2006 Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Budget Speech ...

2006 Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Budget Speech by Ms Tasneem Essop, Minister of Environment, Planning and Economic Development, at the Provincial Legislature on 24 May 2006.

You can find Minister Essop's Economic development Budget speech here.
There is also a very useful page here that lists most previous speeches by Minister Essop - see the bottom of the page.

These speeches are all recommended reading for anyone interested in understanding the policies and strategic direction of the Western Cape Ministry of Environment, Planning and Economic Development

New South African EIA Regulations ...

This is where you can link to copies of the new South African EIA Regulations

Fynbos Fynmense ...

You may wonder about the word 'Fynmense' in the URL.

Cape Action for People and the Environment (C.A.P.E.) is a GEF funded Bioregional programme aiming to improve biodiversity management in the Cape Floristic Region (In the South Western Cape Province of South Africa - capital city Cape Town, symbol Table Mountain).


The CFR is a biodiversity hotspot of global significance. The dominant vegetation of the region is a dwarf shrubland known as Fynbos. Fynbos is an Afrikaans word that translates directly as 'fine bush'. This is a reference to the fine sclerophyllous leaves that reduce transpiration during the hot dry summers of the region.

Fynmense translates directly as 'Fine People'. The C.A.P.E. programme has adopted the phrase 'Fynbos Fynmense' as a symbol of the link between our special biodiversity hotspot and the fine people who live in the region and whose livelihoods and lifestyles are enhanced by their concern and involvement in caring for our unique natural environment.



Our two other bioregional programmes are SKEP the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme. Our Succulent Karoo has 4 times the biodiversity of any other arid zone worldwide



and STEP the Subtropical Thicket Ecosystem Project