Advocacy
Wilderness Foundation Africa has a strong history of successful advocacy, from the proclamation of Protected Areas and World Heritage Sites to playing an active role in global conservation forums.
We believe that government, business leaders and civil society have a responsibility to be custodians of the environment and it is through effective collaboration and cooperation that we meet the needs of all people without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
In the late 1980’s, WFA led a successful campaign of 400 NGOs locally and internationally to convince the South African government to stop open pit-mining on the dunes of the eastern shores of St Lucia (the oldest protected area in Africa), and in 1999, UNESCO recognised the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (now Isimangaliso) as a World Heritage Site.
WFA has also played a lead role in creating two other iconic World Heritage Sites: the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve (as part of the Cape Floristic Region, 2001) and the Okavango Delta (2014).
In the late 1990s, WFA used protected areas as a vehicle to bring together over 350 South African parliamentarians (both national members of parliament and provincial legislators) and key community environmental leaders on four-day wilderness trails, which enabled networking amongst formal and grassroots opinion leaders and acted as a catalyst for the development of an environmental consciousness.
WFA is aiming to build political will in order to improve global environmental governance and coordinate interactions between policymakers and stakeholders.
Since 2020, WFA in conjunction with the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) has been hosting high profile briefings and domestic and international field visits for South African parliamentarians on a range of environmental issues affecting policy making.
WFA is aiming to build political will in order to improve global environmental governance and coordinate interactions between policymakers and stakeholders.
In 2022, WFA and ICCF facilitated the establishment and formalisation of a nonpartisan forum of South African legislators: South African Legislators for the Environment (SALE). SALE exists as a voluntary forum of legislators committed to ensuring that South Africa remains a global leader in conservation and sustainable development through knowledge sharing, capacity building and empowerment of Members and their constituencies.
Contact: Kristin Smithers (Coordinator: Advocacy Programme), kristin@wfa.africa
