Jul 29, 2024 | Advocacy, Position papers
Pictured above: the Turkish floating power plant Osman Khan in the Ghanaian port of Sekondi Takoradi. (Image: Karpowership, from Daily Maverick site)
WESSA staff and volunteer activists opposed the proposal to mooring floating gas-powered powerstations in Saldanha, Ngqura and Richards Bay harbours, for contracts lasting 20 years.
Our opposition, along with many other NGOs and CBOs was based on the global warming and local environmental impacts, as well as on sustainable development and financial arguments against investing South Africa in a declining gas-energy future.
In July 2024, the SA government announced the withdrawal of these proposals. WESSA is now engaging in other offshore oil/gas seismic surveys and inland gas fracking proposal applications. Donate towards our advocacy work for a just energy transition.
Jul 29, 2024 | Advocacy
WESSA activists have for many years been trying to prevent the pollution of the Hartbeespoort Dam and the rivers that feed it.
Sewage from 4 dysfunctional municipal treatment works spilling down the Crocodile, Swartspruit and Magalies Rivers have caused significant eutrophication of the dam waters, leading to extensive hyacinth growth (and at times other invasive aquatic weeds), which often covers the dam in excess of 30% of the dam surface area. This in turn has significant detrimental impacts on the dam’s ecology.
WESSA staff and volunteers, along with those of The Magaliesberg Biosphere, National Association of Conservancies/Stewardship of SA, Birdlife Harties and civic structures, have been pressing for appropriate and lasting action. They have recently taken to conducting independent water quality testing to demonstrate the pollution load, that requires intervention from provincial and national government.
To support our efforts in stemming the sewerage pollution and/or get involved in the clean-ups and invasive plant control actions, please contact John Wesson by emailing jwesson@wessanorth.co.za.
Jul 22, 2024 | News, Young Reporters
Young people across South Africa are being empowered to investigate, document, and communicate environmental issues in their communities.
Through the ‘Youth Environmental Reporters and Advocates’ (YERA) programme, led by UNICEF South Africa and WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education, we aim to build learners’ climate literacy and environmental knowledge, and enhance communication and reporting capacities on the local issues that matter to them.
“I am excited to learn how to raise my voice to create more awareness about the pressing environmental issues in our school and community,” said Saron Gidiso, a grade 10 learner at Marklands Secondary in Chatsworth. Another grade 10 learner, Imithle Mkhize, from Glenhaven Secondary in Tongaat stressed the importance of taking action now so that authorities could address the issues of water shortages, pollution and littering to create a more pleasant environment.
“If we don’t speak about it as the youth, then who will?” she said. “These are things that affect us in our daily lives. We see it. We might turn our heads when we see a piece of paper and ignore it, but it affects us in the long run.”
Over the next eight months, the YERA programme will be implemented across four provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape. It will target 40 schools (ten in each province), empowering 400 young reporters.
“The YERA programme embodies our commitment to environmental and social justice,” said Cindy Cloete, WESSA CEO. “By empowering young people, we are shaping a new generation of environmental champions who will lead the fight against climate change and advocate for sustainable solutions. We are thrilled to partner with UNICEF on this critical initiative and look forward to its transformative impact.”
Young people’s voices, particularly girls, often remain stifled, disconnected, and under-supported in the vital call for urgent action against the climate crisis and other environmental challenges they face. The ‘Climate, Energy, and Environment Landscape Analysis for Children in South Africa’, released by UNICEF South Africa in late 2023, reiterated the importance of increasing the visibility of children and young people in the climate and environment agenda to ensure policies and actions that respond to their specific needs.
“Empowering learners and young people, particularly girls, through education and nurturing their skills will build on their local knowledge to help raise their voices and strengthen action on local climate and environmental challenges,” said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF South Africa Representative.
“Young people are exposed to climate and environmental challenges today, they are best placed to tell that story and we need to respond to their needs by directly influencing climate policies and related community level adaption efforts,” added Muhigana.
Through a series of training, the programme will educate participants in investigative journalism, environmental science, and advocacy skills to enable young reporters to be champions of the environment. The workshops will utilise WESSA’s ‘Young Reporters for the Environment’ (YRE) methodology, with one of the key outputs being journalistic works produced by each participating school for distribution across a range of online and media platforms.
By working together, we can all ensure that youth in South Africa, especially girls, are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and platforms needed to raise awareness, influence policy, advocate for the environment, and take meaningful action.
“This programme is an important step forward in further nurturing environmental awareness among learners in South Africa and we hope the programme can be expanded in the coming months and years to benefit more South African schools,” said the KZN Department of Basic Education acting Chief Education Specialist, Lazi Mtwa.
The programme is made possible thanks to generous funding through the UNICEF Canada National Committee.
Watch the launch of the new programme.
For more information about the YERA programme and how you can get involved, contact Nomfundo Ndlovu at nomfundo.ndlovu@wessa.co.za
Jul 9, 2024 | Training-environmental impact, Uncategorized
| Course type |
Training duration and mode |
Outcomes |
| WESSA certified |
5 days (online) |
- Greater understanding of the links between the environment and development, leading to sustainable development
- Appreciation of the role and value of EIA in assisting South Africa in meeting strategic objectives – such as poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability
- Improved public participation in the EIA process
- Improved governance in development planning
|
Jun 14, 2024 | Advocacy
WESSA’s origins nearly one hundred years ago were grounded in advocating for dedicated conservation areas such as the Kruger National Park and other parks that now play a critical role in conserving and protecting our natural heritage and rich biodiversity. From the beginning we have tried to use our vision, expertise, experience, and passion to leverage citizens and decision-makers into finding lasting collaborative solutions as to how humans live on the planet. Thus, our motto: people caring for the Earth.
A century later, we find ourselves in a world threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution in which humans have removed themselves from nature and sought to exploit our natural resources to support consumer lifestyles. The Earth has limits, and we have crossed several of those boundaries already that now have dire impacts on our ecosystem and the Earth our children will inherit.
Educate, Advocate and Act
In the face of these challenges, and in recognition of South Africa’s rich terrestrial and marine resources, WESSA’s strategic focus has centred on three core activities: educate, advocate, and act. In turn we have committed ourselves to and are guided by the principles of sustainable (ecosystem) development; natural justice and a just transition; and collective sustainability. Specifically on the advocacy front we have sought to be both proactive and reactive, and work at both a local and national basis.
All-of-society approach
To this end, our local membership regions and branches have become actively involved in local issues which has ranged from participating in campaigns against oil and gas extraction in the ocean (like the Shell and CGG anti-seismic campaigns), taking up sewage and pollution issues in local rivers and catchments, and inputting into various environmental impact assessments amongst others. We try use our local knowledge, access to membership’s (scientific) expertise, and a collaborative all-of-society approach to leverage positive change.
Strong public stance on issues
At a national level, we have focused on raising our “voice” on environmental matters and taken a stronger public stance on issues. Consequently, we have given detailed input into government policy on aspects such as plastic waste, nuclear energy, and the biodiversity “economy;” and collaborating with other environmental NGO’s and the DFFE on initiatives such as the 30 x 30 commitment (30% of our marine and terrestrial habitats restored and protected by 2030). We are also working to establish a raft of policy positions on various aspects such as mining, energy, sustainable use, water catchments, pollution and the like to create a principled and strategic platform from which to engage on daily issues.
Within the operational side of WESSA, this has also resulted in dedicated resources to support advocacy work, the re-aligning of our blue flag beach oversight to be more advocacy orientated, and the creation of a species project focus on Pangolins. As such, advocacy is joint endeavour of central staff, membership, and the Board’s Environmental Governance Committee (EGC), which gives us an especially useful range of resources and interest.
While our planet and country’s ecosystems are in a critical state, we are blessed with a rich biodiversity in South Africa’s land and seas, and our advocacy work will continue to seek collaborative and sustainable solutions to protecting, building resilience, and being part of the nature upon which we are dependent.
Jun 10, 2024 | eco-schools, News
We are incredibly proud to announce that Aziezah Essop of St Andrew’s School for Girls in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, was honoured with the prestigious Foundation of Environmental Education Global Teacher Award!
Aziezah is the only teacher from South Africa among 17 global winners and 46 shortlisted teachers from 16 countries. During her presentation, she highlighted their whole-school approach to embedding environmental stewardship and climate consciousness into their school curriculum and daily lives.
WESSA has worked closely with Aziezah over the years, and we salute her passion for actively driving environmental awareness and sustainability at her school. Through this award, FEE aims to recognise the efforts of outstanding teachers from the global network who promote and integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in their schools and communities. This award celebrates professional excellence, outstanding achievements, and spreads inspirational stories.
Congratulations, Aziezah, for this well-deserved recognition!
