Public comment invited on the revised draft White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable use of South Africa’s Biodiversity

The public has been invited to submit written comments on a revised Draft White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity published on Government Gazette 47378 (Notice No 688) on 28 October 2022 within 14 days from the date of publication of the Notice.

The revised Draft White Paper contains a number of changes to the original Draft White Paper that was published in July 2022 for public consultation.

The revised Draft White Paper has been revised and reduced substantially in line with inputs received, some of the key elements include the following:

• Inclusion of a Preamble  (covered under policy issues identified in the revised version of the draft White Paper), in line  with section 24 of the Constitution 1996, The National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998) (NEMA), the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004) (NEM:BA), ratified international agreements and the National Development Plan;
• Merged the goals, from eight (8) Goals to now four (4) Goals with two cross cutting enablers;
• Definitions, Vision, Mission, Guiding principles, Problem Statement and Theory of Changer are revised; and
• Revision of the output and outcomes of the draft White Paper.

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy had earlier emphasized the importance of the public participation process to gain the inputs from a broad range of interested and affected stakeholders, hence the publication of the revised Draft White Paper for another round of public comments.

Written comments on the revised Draft White Paper can be made by:

Post to:The Director-General: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Attention: Dr Tsepang Makholela

Private Bag X447

PRETORIA 0001

Source: Government of South Africa