The City of Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve received South Africa’s first Green Coast status in 2018 and has since been awarded annually in recognition of the City’s dedication to maintaining the unique flora and fauna along its coastline, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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The Green Coast Status complements the International Blue Flag programme by allowing communities to manage coastal places other than traditionally established swimming beaches in a sustainable manner.
The City of Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve covers roughly 2 000 hectares of beautiful coastline terrain as well as inland koppies and flats. It is home to critically endangered vegetation and has a seven-kilometre coastline.
The Blaauwberg Hill in the natural reserve is one of the few places in the world from which you can see two designated World Heritage Sites, Table Mountain and Robben Island.
The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), the national implementer of the Green Coast Programme, presented official Green Coast Status to the City’s Environmental Management Department for the fifth time at a special ceremony held at the Two Oceans Aquarium yesterday, October 28, 2024.
Along this stretch of coastline, the Green Coast Zone promotes conservation, sustainable tourism and environmental education.
‘This achievement comes as a result of the City’s Environmental Management Department and its implementing partner, the Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area sparing no effort in actively monitoring; maintaining and ensuring the accessibility of this coastline, while providing opportunities for environmental education; sustainable tourism and the empowerment of local communities. Today we can proudly say that Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is a beacon for coastal conservation in Cape Town and South Africa,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment Eddie Andrews.
‘I am pleased that we have set the “Green” bar. It is an amazing honour to receive this achievement for the fifth time this year. We want to thank WESSA for recognising the hard work, effort and passion of people in our Environmental Management Department and the Friends of Blaauwberg Conservation Area.’
‘As the most biodiverse city in the world, we have a responsibility to conserve and protect this unique biodiversity. But we cannot do it alone. Valuable partnerships with local communities and organisations enable us to sustainably manage our precious fauna and flora.’
During intensive surveys conducted by volunteers from Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW), more than 200 plant species were identified and located along this stretch of shoreline.
Green Coast sites seek to safeguard at least one of three major coastal themes: sensitive habitats, sensitive species and cultural legacy.
The WESSA Green Coast Programme seeks to empower local communities by incentivising successful conservation and environmental education efforts.
The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve has demonstrated a continued commitment to conserving and monitoring its sensitive coastal regions, maintaining the high quality set by the WESSA Green Coast criterion.
‘This award has certainly put our beautiful coastline on the tourism map and we are looking forward to welcoming more visitors, who are looking for experiences in adventure, outdoor living and ecotourism, to our nature reserve. There are opportunities for our schools to participate in our Green Coast Environmental Education Programmes, which will provide young people with the opportunity to learn about nature and science in a fun and interactive outdoor classroom environment. I encourage our schools to make use of these opportunities,’ said Andrews.
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Picture: City of Cape Town