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Enhancing the livelihoods of rural Free State communities through natural resource restoration
Nokwanda Ngombane
2nd Annual Biodiversity Research and Evidence Indaba 17 August 2017
Introduction
• The Free State is characterised by high unemployment, low education levels, a significant population of people with disabilities, a high proportion being women.
The purpose of this presentation is to show the impact of the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Natural Resources Management programmes (NRMP) in the wellbeing of the poor and vulnerable people of the Free State with notable improvements in the resilience of ecosystems in the province
Fulfilling South Africa’s commitments set by the Sustainable Development Goals
National Development Plan (NDP) imperatives
The national development plan proposes to create 11 million jobs by 2030 by:
• Realising an environment for sustainable employment and inclusive economic growth
• Promoting employment in labour-absorbing industries
• Environmental sustainability and resilience
• Making communities and the environment more resilient to the impacts of land degradation and water stress through investing in programmes aimed at conserving and rehabilitate ecosystems and biodiversity
The Rationale For The Study
• The Department of Environmental Affairs’ NRMPs have made very significant investments in ensuring job opportunities for the poor and vulnerable people with notable improvements in the resilience of ecosystems in the province.
• It is important that we develop our understanding of the impact the NRMPs have on the positive development and well-being of our communities.
The Research Question
What difference is being made by the NRMP on the Free State community?
– What impact does NRMPs have on reducing inequality and social exclusion in the Free State community?
– What were earnings used for?
– What other activities did participants engage in?
– What is the outlook and confidence of participants in the future?
Findings
A total of R 23 582 666 has been invested towards wages of an average 1157 participants (794-1622) between 2012/3 and 2016-7 financial years; 1036,1 Full-Time Equivalents
• Initial Hectares cleared- 27 054,79
• Follow up Hectares cleared 67 457,58
0
500
1000
1500
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Key Performance Indicators
# of female beneficiaries # of youth beneficiaries
# of disabled beneficiaries
R-
R1 000.00
R2 000.00
R3 000.00
R4 000.00
R5 000.00
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Earnings per participant
21
33
4643
37
20
0
10
20
30
40
50
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
PERSON DAYS /PARTICPANT
Average Working days per participant per cluster and province (2016/7FY)
60
25
82
65
47
95
55
46
66
46
53 51
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
EC FS KZN Southern GP LIM MPM NW Northern NC WC Western andNational
NRM 1995 – 2016/17 Annual Budget (R’000) compared to Expenditure
R 1 757 450
R 1 895 088
R -
R 200 000
R 400 000
R 600 000
R 800 000
R 1 000 000
R 1 200 000
R 1 400 000
R 1 600 000
R 1 800 000
R 2 000 000
19
95
/96
19
96
/97
19
97
/98
19
98
/99
19
99
/00
20
00
/01
20
01
/02
20
02
/03
20
03
/04
20
04
/05
20
05
/06
20
06
/07
20
07
/08
20
08
/09
20
09
/10
20
10
/11
20
11
/12
20
12
/13
20
13
/14
20
14
/15
20
15
/16
20
16
/17
Budget Expenditure
R2 729 666.94
R5 766 145.64
R7 517 202.88
R10 201 369.47
R11 761 404.79
R5 774 720.46
R-
R2 000 000.00
R4 000 000.00
R6 000 000.00
R8 000 000.00
R10 000 000.00
R12 000 000.00
R14 000 000.00
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Free State Expenditure
Findings (Continued)
Save4%
Food, clothing91%
Contribute to household
5%
Distribution of Earnings
14%
50%
36%
Future Plans
Further education
Permanent employmentopportunity
Start own business
These employment opportunities create real benefits for society not only through financial benefits but also in relation to identity, skills, capacity building, changing social relations and social cohesion
Key Challenges
• Limited resources- proportion of households living below the poverty line accompanied by high levels of unemployment
• How to ensure functional connectivity- with other stakeholders and sister departments such the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in order to maximize benefits and avoid duplication
Lessons Learnt
• Importance of continuous objective performance assessments
• Development of processes to deal with administrative challenges such as late starts –lead to high turnover – impacts on livelihoods and skills loss
Key Policy Message and Recommendation
• This assessment provides evidence of the social and livelihood benefits to communities as a result of NRMPs investments.
• It is recommended that policy mechanisms that seek to manage tensions between strategic priorities and equitable resource allocation receive priority .
