Creating an ecological corridor between the Tankwa Karoo and the Cederberg Wilderness Area
A corridor for the safe movement of species between Tankwa Karoo National Park and the Cederberg Wilderness Area has been created
The goal of the SANParks land acquisition framework is to acquire conservation-worthy land through purchase or other means to conserve ecological systems and patterns. In the Tankwa Karoo there is a vision to create an ecological corridor between the Tankwa Karoo National Park and the Cederberg Wilderness Area (TKNP-CWA). This involves developing a physical link between these areas to form a mega-interprovincial Protected Area (Fig. 1). The initiative is being undertaken in partnership with government departments, landowners, the Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA), WWF South Africa and SANParks. The corridor is intended to maintain and restore landscape patterns and ecological processes while recognising and respecting the importance of historic as well as present cultural, social and economic land use in the region.
The Tankwa-Cederberg-Roggeveld area, which straddles the Western Cape and the Northern Cape, is an important migration corridor for fauna and flora, including freshwater biodiversity via a perennial river in an arid landscape. By connecting the Cederberg conservation area to the Roggeveld, additional vegetation types will be protected. Many of these vegetation types contain species of South Africa’s Red Listed succulent plants. Additionally, the initiative is breaking down fences and changing attitudes towards conservation through working with landowners.
Through negotiations with landowners, all land in the TKNP-CWA corridor has been declared as Protected Environment under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (57 of 2003) as amended through negotiations and through the support of willing landowners. A Protected Environment is an identifiable physical natural environment, that is formally recognised as an area with conservation potential and it is granted legally-binding environmental and restrictive land use protection status.
The last piece of land that completed the corridor was a property called Osvley Hoogtens. This unique property borders the Matjiesrivier Nature Reserve, which is part of the Cederberg Wilderness Area. The property is situated in a winter rainfall area with hot, very dry summers and cold dry winters with flat to slightly undulating landscapes. The terrain drops down dramatically into the Doring River ravine, which is the western boundary of the property and the boundary between the Western and Northern Cape. A contract park agreement was negotiated with SANParks, and although the property does not border TKNP it contributes greatly to protected area expansion and the vision and corridor that connects Tankwa Karoo National Park to the Cederberg Wilderness Area.
The whole process has been a collaboration between conservation agencies and interested parties to achieve an ecological corridor that stretches over 100 km and includes conservation-compatible land uses and practices. Conservation is not only about the expansion of national parks but also about building relationships, sharing experiences, such as coping with drought, problem animals and pests, and responsibilities and working together for the best possible outcomes of land use practices towards better conservation outcomes with owners and communities for future resilience and sustainability.
Figure 1. Map of the Tankwa Karoo to Cederberg Wilderness Area showing the corridor between the two conservation areas. In addition to the corridor, a contract park agreement (orange property) was negotiated with SANParks, and contributes to protected area expansion (Map: D’Reull de Beer, Wilderness Foundation Africa).
The Doring River forms part of the new corridor between the Tankwa Karoo National Park and the Cederberg Wilderness Area (Photo: Ben-Jon Dreyer).
This article was originally published in the 2022/2023 Research Report.
