Journal Article

Systematic Conservation Planning in the Cape Floristic Region and Succuluent Karoo, South Africa: Enabling Sound Spatial Planning and Improved Environmental Assessment

Brownlie, Susie, de Villiers, Carhl, Job, Nancy, Driver, Amanda, Maze, Kristal, von Hase, Amrei

2005

Overview

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) and the Succulent Karoo in South Africa have been identified as global biodiversity hotspots. Environmental assessment (EA) can contribute to meeting the objectives of the Biodiversity Convention, and is required at the project level nationally, and at the strategic level in municipal planning. Conservation planning is essential to sound spatial development frameworks (SDFs) at the municipal level. Challenges with this integration include overselectivity, a primary focus on listed species, poor precedents in spatial and temporal planning, inadequate biodiversity information, limited understanding of biodiversity among practitioners, problematic assignments of significance ratings, and the tendency of the issue based scoping process to rely on uninformed stakeholders.