COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BIODIVERSITY 2022

Natural Justice and the Biodiversity Law Centre provide a commentary on the Draft White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity 2022, expressing strong support for its shift toward a 'Living in Harmony with Nature' paradigm and its recognition of the colonial and apartheid legacies within the conservation sector.

• Natural Justice and the Biodiversity Law Centre support the Draft White Paper for adopting a 'Living in Harmony with Nature' vision, which aligns South Africa with the United Nations and the Convention on Biodiversity. This represents a shift away from conservation models based on colonial and apartheid practices that were characterized by the exclusion of local and indigenous communities and the over-exploitation of nature.
• The commentary commends the White Paper for recognizing the intrinsic value of Nature beyond its economic utility as assets or resources. It specifically highlights the document's focus on the philosophy of Ubuntu—emphasizing interconnectedness and interdependence—and the integration of 'One Health' and 'One Welfare' approaches to link human and natural well-being.
• The document emphasizes the need to protect 'wildness' by avoiding the domestication of wildlife and reducing the use of fences that disrupt ecological processes. It advocates for the restoration, rehabilitation, and rewilding of natural landscapes to redress past harms.
• The commentary notes that South Africa's biodiversity sector remains largely untransformed 25 years into democracy, with ongoing inequality regarding access to benefits from ecosystem services. It supports the White Paper's recognition that while sustainable use of wild species is permitted, economic considerations must not take priority over the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.
• The White Paper is praised for prioritizing animal welfare and ethics within conservation, aiming to harmonize these ethics with conservation goals to ensure the health and welfare of all animals, including humans.

APA

Natural Justice (2022). COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BIODIVERSITY 2022. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cover-Letter-NJ-and-BLC-08.09.22.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BIODIVERSITY 2022. 2022. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cover-Letter-NJ-and-BLC-08.09.22.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BIODIVERSITY 2022 |date=8 September 2022 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cover-Letter-NJ-and-BLC-08.09.22.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljustice2022commentary, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ON CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S BIODIVERSITY 2022}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Cover-Letter-NJ-and-BLC-08.09.22.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }