Invasive alien plants not only threaten our fynbos landscapes, they also threaten our water security.
Huge invasive trees have spread all along rivers and catchments across the Western Cape, including in the Kogelberg Biosphere. These trees are thirsty and consume hundreds of litres of water each a day.
The catchments in the Kogelberg Biosphere are exceptionally important, as they provide water to the City of Cape Town. The importance of healthy-functioning ecosystems made headlines during the height of the drought in Cape Town in 2018, where the entire city faced Day Zero – the day that water ran out for Cape Town residents.
This highlighted the importance of removing thirsty alien plants from Kogelberg waterscapes. There are numerous alien clearing projects underway in the region – and the Kogelberg Biosphere implements some of the projects or plays a role in coordinating these various efforts, and provides support and advice to stakeholders regarding their invasive alien clearing projects.
Some of our invasive alien-clearing projects and partners we work with:
- The Kogelberg Biosphere is managing invasive alien clearing teams with funding from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s LandCare division and WWF South Africa, with landowners’ contributions. The teams are working along the R44, with the work taking place in partnership with Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa and Ithemba properties.
- With the assistance of Dr Paul Clüver of Clüver Wine Estate, the Kogelberg Biosphere coordinated an alien clearing project now managed by GWUA. The funds to manage the project are donated by British retailers, coordinated by WWF South Africa. Clearing costs are covered by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s LandCare division, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and property owners. This project focuses on agricultural land that forms part of the fruit export industry. The Biosphere is providing strategic support and guidance to the GWUA on this project.
- WWF South Africa, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture’s LandCare division, the Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association, CapeNature and The Nature Conservancy are all implementing invasive alien-clearing activities.
- The Kogelberg Biosphere is also working with the Greater Cape Town Water Fund, and is a member of the this fund’s Operational and Data Working Group. The Greater Cape Town Water Fund is funded by The Nature Conservancy (an American non-profit organisation). This fund is bringing partners together around the common goal of restoring the surface water and aquifer catchments which supply Cape Town’s water. The Kogelberg Biosphere is also a member of the steering committee of the Boland-Groot Winterhoek Strategic Water Source Collective.
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For more information, contact admin@kogelbergbiosphere.org.za
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