The Issue: globally, we are facing an unprecedented extinction pandemic, with no less than 10,000 species of animals and plants going extinct every year. Biodiversity loss fundamentally threatens our own existence, and at least 3.2 billion people are already adversely affected by ecosystem degradation.
The Opportunity: South African conservation efforts around rewilding— transforming degraded, unproductive land back to natural ecosystems that support biodiversity— offer an important case study and model that can inspire global conservation efforts. WEIF seeks to amplify the impact of rewilding by inspiring the preservation as well as restoration of critical ecosystems. We will showcase rewilding efforts around ecotourism destinations to illustrate nature-positive solutions that not only generate positive benefits for rural communities and nature but also create economic value through ecotourism and agroecological businesses.
Key Projects / Initiatives:
- Rewilding Programme: a series that showcases rewilding efforts of South Africa’s leading ecotourism destinations.
- Conservation Hour: a dedicated show that spotlights leading organisations engaging in ecosystem restoration as well as fostering mutually beneficial relationships between rural communities and natural habitats.