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Green Coast status awarded to Blaauwberg Nature Reserve coastline for fifth time

South Africa’s first Green Coast Status was awarded to the City of Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve in 2018, and since then was awarded annually in recognition of the City’s commitment to preserving the unique flora and fauna along its coastline. The Green Coast Status complements the International Blue Flag programme as it allows municipalities to sustainably manage coastal sites outside of traditionally developed swimming beaches.

The City of Cape Town’s Blaauwberg Nature Reserve is situated in an area that includes approximately 2 000 hectares of pristine coastal landscape, and inland koppies and flats. It is home to critically endangered vegetation and boasts a seven km coastline. The Blaauwberg Hill at the nature reserve is one of the few viewpoints in the world from where you can see two proclaimed World Heritage Sites, namely, Table Mountain and Robben Island. The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), the national implementer for the Green Coast Programme, presented official Green Coast Status to the City’s Environmental Management Department for the fifth time during a special ceremony yesterday, 28 October 2024 at the Two Oceans Aquarium. The Green Coast Zone focuses on conservation, sustainable tourism and environmental education along this coastline. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/20240731_093404.jpg" alt="" style="width:1898px;" /> </figure>‘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. 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,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/IMG_3649.JPG" alt="" style="width:1069px;" /> </figure>More than 200 plant species have been identified and located in this section of the coastline during extensive studies undertaken by volunteers from Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW). Green Coast sites aim to protect at least one of three main coastal themes, namely: sensitive habitats, sensitive species and cultural heritage. The WESSA Green Coast Programme aims to empower local communities through incentivising effective conservation and environmental education initiatives. The Blaauwberg Nature Reserve has shown ongoing commitment to conserving and monitoring its sensitive coastal areas and has maintained the high standard set out by the WESSA Green Coast criteria. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/bnr%203.JPG" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure>‘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 Alderman Andrews. End

2024-10-28T22:00:00Z

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