Biodiversity
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
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Despite the small size of the country, Swaziland is topographically and
climatically very diverse. This diversity of environmental conditions
supports a correspondingly high biological diversity.
In 2002 a National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) has been compiled with the primary
objective to prevent the erosion of Swaziland's biodiversity.
NBSAP does not stand alone but
forms part of the Swaziland Environment Action Plan (SEAP). Swaziland supports a diverse assemblage of habitats which are home to a wide
range of organisms.
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Although the information base on Swaziland's biodiversity is
still incomplete, survey work has shown that a significant portion of southern
Africa's plant and animal species occur here. The eastern region of Swaziland,
for example, forms part of the Maputaland Centre of Plant Diversity (one of the
World's "hotspots" of floral, as well as faunal, species richness and
endemism), while the western region falls within another area of global
significance, the Drakensberg Escarpment Endemic Bird Area.
The value of
Swaziland's biodiversity has long been recognised by Swazis who make use of it
on a daily basis for various reasons including: traditional medicine, food,
building material, traditional attire. Traditional systems of conserving
biodiversity also exist but have not been documented and are currently being
eroded.
The International Convention on Biodiversity (Article 2) defines biodiversity
as "the variability amongst living organisms from all sources including, inter
alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part". Put more simply, biodiversity is the variety
of plants, animals and other life forms, the genetic material they contain and
the ecosystems which they form. Biodiversity can be seen as three distinct
components which includes:
- Genetic diversity: the genetic variations within a species, that usually
results from environmental selection pressure or from genetic mutations in
reproductive cells. Genetic variations can result in distinct populations within
the same species, often resulting from the diversity of habitats which are
occupied by a single species.
- Species diversity: the variety of different species which have emerged from
evolutionary processes. The processes which generate genetic variation also
create species, except the magnitude of differences is larger that in the case
of species. When two organisms' genetic material differs to the extent that they
are unable to produce fertile off-spring, then they may be considered different
species.
- Ecosystem diversity: the different communities of plant and animal species
that create the numerous habitats in Swaziland. The various combinations of
different plant and animals species create different ecosystems as the various
organisms interact with each other and the physical environment (minerals, water
and climate) around them.
The NBSAP describes the issues in more detail.
Biodiversity Capacity Building
The Capacity Building Needs Assessment (BCBNA) Project formally started on 1st
July 2002. The purpose is to assess the current situation with respect to
institutional capabilities to implement the recently completed NBSAP for
Swaziland.