NATIONAL LAND REFORM AND BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP INITIATIVE LEARNING EXCHANGE

Theme: Biodiversity stewardship: A catalyst for transformation in conservation

The South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment, and their partners will be hosting the 2025 National Land Reform and Biodiversity Stewardship Initiative Learning Exchange. This event is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the project titled Catalysing Financing and Capacity for the Biodiversity Economy around Protected Areas (the Biodiversity Economy Project).The purpose of the Learning Exchange is to bring together key stakeholders from communities, the conservation sector, and the private sector across South Africa to share experiences and insights on integrating land reform and communal land areas within the context of biodiversity conservation and community development. 

Purpose of the event

The exchange aims to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing and learning among stakeholders involved in biodiversity stewardship and community-led conservation initiatives, with a focus on supporting sustainable socio-economic development in South Africa through land reform and biodiversity conservation efforts. Additionally, the event will explore the role of Indigenous knowledge systems in climate change disaster risk reduction (DRR), and how these systems can transform biodiversity governance through the active participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. It will also address land management and biodiversity conservation innovations while reflecting on the outcomes of previous learning exchanges through an impact assessment.

Event objectives 

• Facilitate knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer learning amongst diverse stakeholders to enhance the biodiversity stewardship and land reform programme.
• Create an environment for communities to engage with global and national policies that support the expansion of the conservation estate and the biodiversity economy.
• Facilitate collaboration and partnership between local communities, NGOs, and the public and private sectors, promoting cross-pollination of information and support.
• Create space for collaboration and partnership between local communities, NGOs and private and public sector stakeholders as a foundation for communities to access support, investment and other resources needed to participate in the biodiversity economy
• Reflect on Progress and Lessons Learned: share progress on LRBSI together with outcomes of the previous learning exchanges.