50 years of service to country
WWF South Africa is gearing up for the next 50 years, when environmental challenges will far outstrip anything experienced to date.
This as the organisation yesterday celebrated a half-century of influence in South Africa.
From water security to environmental leadership, WWF has been at the forefront of identifying, scoping and implementing catalytic solutions to many pressing issues internationally.
WWF South Africa was established on June14, 1968 as the Southern African Wildlife Foundation.
Reflecting on the anniversary, chief executive Dr Morné du Plessis said: “WWF has played a significant role to date, but one might call the experience of the last 50 years ‘kindergarten’ compared with what lies ahead.
“Competition for resources – be it food or water – will escalate exponentially and there is very little room for manoeuvre.
“We can no longer afford to make mistakes.
“Among the myths we must debunk is that development and the environment are at loggerheads. We ignore either at our peril.”
He cited as priorities for South Africa securing strategic water source areas, promoting sustainable food production on land and at sea, and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
“WWF will play a role in seeing that future development
‘Globally, competition for resources will increase exponentially’
takes into account not only immediate financial benefits, but the long-term health of people and natural systems.
“When it comes to making decisions, we must do full cost accounting.
“We should never compromise irreplaceable aspects of our natural heritage, for instance, for short-term gain, because these form the backbone of tourism, an industry that now provides around 10% of the jobs in our economy.”
The organisation has also built a considerable body of expertise that is well placed to meet the challenges ahead.
“We have arguably the highest concentration of professional environmental and scientific expertise outside of the government.
“Many of the risks associated with our environmental predicament can be managed if we look to the medium- to long-term future, and to do this we need to have the best minds on board,” said Du Plessis.
The emphasis has also shifted to a much broader focus on the resilience of ecosystems, hence the tagline “For Nature; For You”, which emphasises the critical relationship between people and healthy natural systems.
“We can’t talk about sustainable production without talking about consumption. Better production and wiser consumption should be the watchwords.
“On the plus side, there is a growing awareness among young South Africans of the importance of sustainability.
“This gives us cause for optimism and hope for the future.”