Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh has unveiled a plan that advocates for a thriving environment for people and nature by 2040.
“We are today declaring a path towards a time in the future when nature and people both thrive because of how they would have reshaped the terms of their co-dependence,” Singh said on Thursday in Johannesburg.
Addressing the occasion of the reveal of Vision 2040, the Deputy Minister said the plan was about shifting the needle in terms of shared economic growth and job creation in a manner that promotes a much stronger embrace for nature.
Vision 2040 was launched under the theme “For A Life in Harmony with Nature,” which talks to a deliberate effort to ensure benefit sharing through sustainable development practices which can be articulated around the elements of people, planet and prosperity.
“Ours is a great, exciting and ambitious mission which speaks to how by 2040 we hope to have reshaped the character of conversations, plans and ambitions happening in our streets, homes, boardrooms, in public discourse and even possibly education to embrace our cultural and natural heritage,” the Deputy Minister said.
The main aim of Vision 2040 is to promote social justice and inclusivity by guaranteeing that all communities, particularly the disadvantaged and marginalised ones, have fair access to opportunities and resources and that conservation is a catalyst for growth and prosperity and the betterment of people’s livelihoods.
“Vision 2040 is part of our deliberate contribution of an element of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) that we need to grow our conservation estate to be constituted so that 30% of the land and 30% of the sea be placed under protection by 2030 (commonly known as 30X30).
“It also indicates that communities living in and adjacent to conservation must tangibly benefit from the economic opportunities created. The creation of Mega Living Landscapes (MLLs), which as we have heard are vast, integrated areas that balance human development with natural ecosystems, and will be a major priority,” the Deputy Minister said.
This work is also linked to the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy.
Vision 2040 promotes sustainable economic development by leveraging biodiversity as a catalyst for social and economic transformation.
This includes promoting eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture, and green businesses that generate income while using and conserving natural resources.
“By aligning conservation efforts with economic activities, we aim to create job opportunities, support local economies and small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and provide sustainable livelihoods,” Singh said. - SAnews.gov.za
