DEGRADATION AND THE NEED FOR RESTORATION
Much of South Africa has been degraded through the unwise use of land. This includes activities such as overgrazing by livestock or wildlife, too-frequent burning of veld, and invasion by alien plants.
As a result of these unsustainable land-use practices, ecosystem services such as water supply, soil quality and grazing have diminished, with negative impacts on rural and urban economies.
This degradation cannot be remedied without active and appropriate intervention such as restoration.
Restoration has a number of positive outcomes:
- additional water baseflow - improved water supplies
- sediment reduction/avoidance - improved efficiency and lifespan of dams
- carbon storage - income through carbon credits
- improved soil condition and renewed plant productivity
- stormflow reduction - reduced soil erosion and flood damage
- return of previous biodiversity
- providing an ecosystem service from a defunct coastal dunefield
- job creation and skills development
- economic recovery through improved grazing
- enhanced tourism - more attractive landscapes.