Research Projects

Biological invasions are one of the most challenging facets of global change, and the extent and impact of invasive species is increasing in all ecosystems. This situation is evident in South Africa where invasive species pose a huge threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services, with consequences that often impact the poor and most vulnerable people in society. Despite these challenges, there are, however, many success stories in this sector. Developing new governance and management approaches may be helpfully informed by successful examples of alternative ways of doing and thinking. Such examples can help us build alternative visions of the future, that can in turn identify direct actions and enable policymakers to recognize opportunities for facilitating positive systemic change. This project aims to identify and explore “seeds” of success in invasive alien species management across South Africa and understand how they may contribute towards transformative change, and use these identified seeds as inspiration for co-creating positive visions for the future of this sector with key partners, as well as explore actions to achieve these visions. This project therefore acts as an important step in fostering the potential of bottom-up innovations to transform IAS management in South Africa.