Annual Review
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ANNUAL REVIEW OUR MISSION is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, 2006 • 2007 appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich biodiversity of South Africa for the benefit of all people Copies available from SANBI SANBI Private Bag X7 Private Bag X101 Claremont Pretoria 7735 0001 tel: (021) 799 8800 tel: (012) 843 5000 fax: (021) 762 3229 fax: (012) 804 3211 website: www.sanbi.org For submission in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, No. 1 of 1999 August 2007 ISSN 1021-7460 The photographic contributions of SANBI staff, fellow researchers and conservationists are acknowledged with appreciation Compiled and edited by made plain communications <[email protected]> Design by davidson design solutions <[email protected]> SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE Annual Review 2006-2007 Biodiversity conservation . a gift to future generations The SANBI logo is based on the flower of Strelitzia reginae (bird of paradise or crane flower), a species that is endemic to the east coast of South Africa. The Strelitzia flower has fascinated biologists for centuries, due to its adaptation to pollination by birds, a symbiosis between the animal and plant kingdoms, which symbolises the mandate of SANBI. Strelitzia reginae is a uniquely South African plant that has become a garden favourite world wide, reflecting our commitment to promoting the sustainable use, conservation and enjoyment of our rich biodiversity by all our people. Contents Section 1 Vision 1 Corporate Highlights 2 Chairperson’s Overview 6 Overview of the Acting Chief Executive Officer 7 Section 2: Corporate Overview 8 Composition of SANBI Activities 10 Clustering of Programme Activities 10 Corporate Human Resources and Transformation 11 Corporate Governance 14 Section 3: Overview of Performance Report 18 SANBI Mandate 19 Key Performance Outputs 20 Overview of Programme Performance 29 Bioregional Programmes, Policy and Planning 29 Conservation Science and Sustainable Use Research 38 Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections Management 42 Gardens and Horticultural Services (National Botanical Gardens) 45 Environmental Education and Outreach 56 Ecosystem Rehabilitation: Working For Wetlands 58 Section 4: Financial Reports 61 Report of the Audit Committee 63 Report of the Auditor-General 64 Financial Statements 65 Notes to the Annual Financial Statements 69 Donations, Grants and Sponsorships 75 List of Acronyms 76 section one Vision Biodiversity richness benefitting all South Africans 1 Corporate Highlights BIOREGIONAL PROGRAMMES, POLICY AND PLANNING BIOREGIONAL PROGRAMMES, POLICY AND PLANNING • Biodiversity GIS website received more than 60,000 visits and over 600 new registrations to use the online map service. The Department of Science & Technology granted R10.5 million to SANBI for the South African Biodiversity Information Facility programme. • A grant of R10.5 million from the Norwegian Government was approved for Phase 2 of the Threatened Species Programme, which will focus on several animal groups and information products. • The South African National Survey of Arachnida was launched, a partnership project with the Agricultural Research Council. • The fourth National Biodiversity Planning Forum at Pilanesberg National Park in the North West Province in February 2007 was held. It was co-hosted by North West Parks and Tourism Board and the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment. It was attended by 120 representatives of national and provincial environmental departments and/or provincial conservation agencies, research institutes, NGOs and biodiversity planning consultants. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE USE RESEARCH • An important new book on The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland was published as the culmination of ten years of research. • A Field Guide to the Chameleons of southern Africa was published, the first animal field guide written by SANBI staff and partners. • The Directorate participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and was co-lead author of chapter 4 of the highly influential fourth assessment report released in 2007. • SANBI scientists were lead authors on a paper in the prestigious journal Nature, showing how phylogenetic information can help conserve the evolutionary potential of the Cape flora. • The 2nd Southern African Bird Atlas Project, a flagship project involving civil society and scientists in the monitoring of bird populations, was established and will be officially launched in June 2007. • The head of the Global Change Research Programme was selected as a finalist in the National Science and Technology Forum awards for individual contributions to science and technology in South Africa. • A mentoring programme was initiated for early career scientists at the Kirstenbosch Research Centre. 2 Corporate Highlights BIOREGIONAL PROGRAMMES, POLICY AND PLANNING BIOREGIONAL PROGRAMMES, POLICY AND PLANNING • The 1st National Grasslands Partners Conference was hosted in November 2006, attended by over 170 participants from production sectors including agriculture, forestry and mining as well as government agencies, universities and civil society bodies. • The Marine Ecosystem Programme was initiated, in partnership with WWF-SA and MCM. The programme will focus on catalysing the establishment of a network of Offshore Marine Protected Areas that effectively protect the biodiversity and ecological processes within marine areas under South African jurisdiction. • The first SKEP Partners Conference took place at Kirstenbosch Gardens in May 2006. BIOSYSTEMATICS RESEARCH AND BIODIVERSITY COLLECTIONS • An introductory workshop, attended by the SANBI Board, research management and representatives from the museums and higher education institutions, was held at the KRC in October 2006 to determine a strategy to coordinate and promote taxonomy, including for South Africa’s fauna, and to discuss aspects of the future of South Africa’s Natural History Collections. • Under the auspices of SANBI, a Biodiversity Collecting Permitting Workshop took place in March 2007 and was attended by 64 delegates from nine provinces, DWAF, NRF, DEAT and SANParks. • A comprehensive and enriched checklist of South Africa’s 19,581 indigenous plants was published and distributed to stakeholders. • Scientists at SANBI produced numerous books and scientific papers. Amongst the publications produced by the SANBI Publications Section were the following: Fynbos fynmense: people making biodiversity work (SANBI Biodiversity Series 4) and Reptile Report (SANBI Biodiversity Series 5). • A collaborative project on inventorying the flora of Angola was initiated between SANBI, the IICT in Lisbon and participants in Luanda. • Selected aspects of the African Plants Initiative are being expanded to deliver informative web-based resources on the aloes, mesembs and the ferns of Africa. • Biodiversity information is increasingly disseminated free of charge through SANBI’s website. • The MSB Programme conducted collecting trips to rescue plants at the proposed De Hoop Dam development site in Sekhukhuneland, in collaboration with the Gardens Directorate and National Herbarium staff. 3 NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS • 1,258,032 people visited the eight NBGs. This is the highest combined visitor number ever received. Kirstenbosch received 753,216, Pretoria 92,137, Harold Porter 56,988 and Walter Sisulu 186,077 for the year, making these the highest annual visitor numbers received in the history of these four Gardens. • Kirstenbosch was financially sustainable for the second year in succession, generating non-grant income of R18,494,139 against expenditure of R17,743,385. • SANBI was awarded the Lawrence Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK for its exhibit at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show. The South African exhibit also received its 28th Gold Medal at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show. • The Natal NBG was officially renamed KwaZulu-Natal NBG. • Consolidated bird checklists were prepared for the eight NBGs, with 416 birds so far recorded for all Gardens combined. Consolidated biodiversity checklists were initiated for all the NBGs. • More than 2,000 people have been employed in temporary situations through funded poverty relief projects in the Gardens since 2001, with more than 135,000 temporary job days worked, of which more than 45,000 were worked by women. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND OUTREACH • Environmental Education programmes are fully operational in five NBGs, namely Kirstenbosch, Pretoria, Walter Sisulu, Lowveld and Free State with garden-based and teacher professional development programmes starting in Harold Porter and Karoo Desert NBGs. • A total number of 30,429 learners benefitted from the National Lotteries funded Garden-based EE programme, while 11,247 learners attended the non-funded garden-based programme, making a total of 41,676 learners involved in the programme. • The National Lotteries School Indigenous Greening programme completed 128 greening projects in urban and rural areas. • Over 100 schools have been greened to date throughout the country. • Currently over 1,650 people have been employed in EE projects. Over 200 people have received skills-based training that will allow permanent opportunities either in the form of training or permanent jobs. • Over 20,000 indigenous trees have been planted throughout the country. 4 ECOSYSTEM REHABILITATION: WORKING FOR WETLANDS • 83 wetlands were rehabilitated, in the process providing