K2C History & Context
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve
In 2001, under the supervision of the then Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C BR) was officially ratified by UNESCO as part of the Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Programme. UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme recognises landscapes, where reconciliation of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the face of climate change are pursued.
Mission: To support, promote and demonstrate within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Landscape a balanced and sustainable relationship between socio-economic development, the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources on which people’s livelihoods depend.
Kruger to Canyons Non-Profit Company
The K2C Non-Profit Company (NPC) was established in 2011 to act as the vehicle for coordinating the implementation of Biosphere activities. K2C is also registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) with approved income tax exemption from SARS.
The K2C NPC works towards three strategic objectives that align with the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MaB) strategy:
- SO 1: To enhance the conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage, maintain ecosystem services and foster the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources through the implementation of projects.
- SO 2: To explore, develop, support, and study thriving sustainable societies, economies, and human settlements respecting the web of life on which they depend.
- SO 3: To promote the understanding of the impact of environmental changes, including climate change, and develop and support mitigation and adaptation actions.
Zonations
Central to fulfilling these three basic functions is the zonation of biospheres that spatially and conceptually delineates the following zones that are bound by and guided by national and provincial legislation as well as district and local municipal by-laws:
- Core Areas – securely protected sites for conserving biological diversity, monitoring minimally disturbed ecosystems, and undertaking non-destructive research and other low-impact uses; Environmental Management Framework for the Olifants and Letaba Rivers Catchment Areas
- Buffer Zones – surrounds or adjoins the core areas, and is used for co-operative activities compatible with sound ecological practices, including environmental education, recreation, ecotourism and applied and basic research; and
- Transition Areas – may contain a variety of agricultural activities, settlements and other land uses.
K2C is currently implementing a range of conservation and sustainable development projects that are managed in an integrated way & address our vision and strategic objectives. Interventions are focused on the interface where vulnerable communities; water; biodiversity and ecosystem services exists which is pertinent in the face of climate change. This is achieved by working at a number of levels, across disciplines and with a number of partners which helps to ensure impact at scale.
K2C has considerable experience implementing projects within the biodiversity stewardship framework which works with private, communal and corporate landowners to better manage and formally protected critical ecosystems and biodiversity areas. In addition, our work focusses on capacity building, awareness & career pathing activities within the environmental sector with a particular focus on youth & women.
Since the inception of the K2C BR NPC in 2011, over 23 projects have been successfully implemented by the biosphere and we are a well-known and highly embedded NGO within the Limpopo and Mpumalanga landscape. We pride ourselves on the fact that we have been actively involved in multiple novel projects within our landscape.