Sponsors & Partners
The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative (ABI) is a project under the Cape Action for People and the Environment. ABI was initiated to
support and incentivise landholders to bring land under conservation. ABI served as the parent project for the Nuwejaars Wetland
Special Management Area's UNDP-GEF funded project. The Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area was responsible for
implementing output one of ABI's initial goals: to develop and implement a landscape-level conservation management and planning
system, through public-private partnerships negotiated by a well-capacitated extension service. Today ABI serves as the over-arching
landscape initiative on the Agulhas Plain, and remains a close partner of the Nuwejaars Wetland initiative.
www.agulhasbiodiversity.co.za
Cape Nature is responsible for off-reserve conservation in the Western Cape. The organisation has already stated its support for the
Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area initiative. It then backed this support up when it donated 20 bontebok to the Special
Management Area from Potberg. With CapeNature's assistance, these bontebok had microchips donated by Virbac implanted in them -
allowing them to be individually recognised. www.capenature.co.za
The Cape Action for People and the Environment is a programme held within the South African National Biodiversity Initiative
(SANBI). C.A.P.E.'s long-term goal is to protect the Cape Floristic Region, recognised for its high levels of endemism and vulnerability.
The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative, and the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area are partners of C.A.P.E.
www.capeaction.org.za
The Denel Overberg Test Range and the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area signed an initial Memorandum of
Understanding in support of biodiversity conservation. Subsequently, the Test Range donated 19 bontebok to us. The Denel Overberg
Test Range also offered manpower in catching and transporting the bontebok to the Special Management Area.
www.otb.co.za
Dennis Moss Partnership helped the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area from the start - spending many hours with key
stakeholders to create the Development and Management Framework. This process took four years. The Special Management Area
today operates according to this framework. The consultants also assisted the Nuwejaars Wetland initiative to become a formal
Special Management Area (SMA), the first in South Africa. www.dmp.co.za
The Department of Agriculture in the Western Cape is responsible for the management of agricultural resources, and has a joint
responsibility for the implementation of landscape initiatives in the province. The Department was (and still is) a key partner of the
Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative, and has offered much support to the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area. More recently, the
Department signed a novel Memorandum of Cooperation with the SMA. This will see both parties support each other - taking joint
responsibility for sustainable biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of economic, ecological and social wealth of the people
of the Western Cape. www.nda.agric.za
Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
The Development Bank of Southern Africa gave funding for the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area to set up its
Development and Management Framework. This was completed by Dennis Moss Partnership. The DBSA offered vital advice and input
during the planning phase of the framework, and has remained partners since.
www.dbsa.org
German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
The German government offered the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area a €2-million grant in 2009. These funds were
facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme and the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative. The funding was crucial in kick
starting the Special Management Area's first formal biodiversity conservation projects - with emphasis on projects related to climate
change adaptation. The BMU funds reached financial completion in 2010. Early in 2011 German government officials visited the SMA
and noted their surprise and satisfaction at the Nuwejaars Wetland initiative's achievements. www.bmu.de
Overberg District Municipality (ODM) and the Nuwejaars Wetland SMA are working closely - in the first deal of its kind in the country
between a municipality and private landowners. Through funding secured from the German government, the Nuwejaars Wetland
initiative bought fire-fighting infrastructure, including a fire engine. This infrastructure is now managed by the ODM, and used to
fight wildfires across the Agulhas Plain and beyond.
www.odm.org.za
South African National Parks (SANParks) served as the executing agency for the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative during the first
phase, which ended in 2010. As such, the Nuwejaars Wetland SMA worked closely with SANParks in utilising the funding provided by
the German Government, as well as UNDP-GEF funds. During this time, SANParks offered invaluable technical and operational support.
SANParks and the Nuwejaars Wetland team still work closely together: SANParks is the custodian of the Agulhas National Park, which
borders on the Special Management Area. www.sanparks.org
The Table Mountain Fund (TMF) offered the Nuwejaars Wetland SMA an R800 000 grant to employ a project coordinator in 2009.
This funding was instrumental in ensuring the climate change projects set up from the BMU grant were efficiently implemented. At
the time, the TMF noted that the landscape management model presented by the Nuwejaars Wetland initiative will have to become
the norm over the coming decades to tackle food security, conservation and climate change effectively. Subsequent to the grant, the
TMF has become a vital partner - offering continued technical and other support.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative received funding from the Global Environment Facility, facilitated by the United Nations
Development Programme. This UNDP-GEF funding was used by the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative to further biodiversity conservation
on private land. The Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area was tasked with fulfilling output one of the UNDP-GEF funded
project. Since the conclusion of the project, the Nuwejaars Wetland team remains a close partner with the UNDP, which continues to
offer key support. www.undp.org.za
Working on Fire has partnered with the Nuwejaars Wetland SMA, in a similar arrangement as with the Overberg District Municipality,
in a government programme. With additional funding obtained from the Department of Public Works, this partnership has allowed a
26-man fire-fighting crew to be trained and employed. This crew is on standby 24-hours a day in case of a wildfire, and helps in
implementing the Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area's fire plan through maintaining fire breaks. The crew is available to
fight wildfires across the entire Agulhas Plain. www.workingonfire.org