THE WORKING FOR WATER

PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE

JH Venter
Department of
Agriculture
South Africa
AIS : The damage and threat

 1 000 introduced plant species became naturalised, 200

are invasive
 use 3.3 billion cubic metres more water than indigenous
vegetation
 waste 7% of our water resources
 Cost South Africa R600 million a year over 20 years
 Loss of Biodiversity: Up to a 1/4 of RSA’s plant species
 Loss of life, damage to land and property through high
intensity fires.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
The Government of South
Africa's Department of Water
Affairs and Forestry created a
conservation program called
Working for Water in 1995

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
MISSION

The Working for Water programme will control invading alien

species, to optimise the potential use of natural resources,
through a process of economic empowerment and
transformation.
In doing this the programme will leave a legacy of social equity
and legislative, institutional and technical capacity.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Objectives
 Enhance water security
 Improve ecological integrity
 Restore productive potential of
the land
 Invest in marginal sectors to
improve quality of life
 Develop economic benefits from
wood land, water and trained
people DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Clearing invading alien plants.
Integrated approach
 Various Departments
 Research and Academic Institutes
 Partners/sponsors in the Private Sector
 International partners

Results:
More than 40 000 jobs
were provided.
Projects in all the
provinces.
DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Mechanical and Chemical Control

 Basal bark
 Hand pull
 Ring barking
 Frill
 Cut stump treatment
 Stem injection

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Bio Control

Savings of
20-30% could be
achieved if biocontrol
methods are used for
woody species.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Is biological control safe?

 Is only released once it has been

proved as sufficiently host-specific.
 Tested and approved biocontrol
agents do not pose a threat to our own
crops or indigenous vegetation, or to
those of neighbouring countries.
 No cases of changing their host plant
affinities.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Track record

Since 1913,
95 species of biocontrol agents
have been introduced into SA
to control 48 weed species.
No unpredicted host switches
have occurred yet.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Is biocontrol effective?
 do not completely
exterminate populations of
their host plants
 small populations of
biocontrol agents that
persists will disperse onto
re growth or newly-
emerged seedlings of the
weed
 sustainable control method

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Advantages of biocontrol
 environmentally friendly,
 self-perpetuating or self-sustaining
 cost-effective
 does not disturb the soil
 does not create large empty areas where other invaders
could establish.
 allows natural vegetation of the area to recover gradually in
the shelter of the dying weeds.
 all levels of biocontrol improve the chances for
rehabilitation of the cleared area

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Legislation

 The Agricultural Pests Act

 The Conservation of Agricultural Resources
Act
 National Environment Management Act
 Environment Conservation Act
 Draft National Biological Diversity Act
 National Water Act
 National Veld and Fire Act

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Agricultural Pests Act, 1983 (Act No. 36 of
1983)
 The main purpose is to prevent the introduction of
agricultural pests and organisms associated with
agriculture.
 Control the importation of biocontrol agents
 The Directorates Plant Health (DPH) the NPPO,
South African Agricultural Quarantine Inspection
Services (SAAFQIS)

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Official International trade

 Controlled by the NPPO

 Agricultural Pests Act, 1983 (Act No. 36 of 1983)
 National and International regulations, standards and
agreements

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Plant import

 Plants imported on permit system

 Declared weeds and invaders are prohibited
 Risk assessment show potential new weeds
 Weeds and potential weeds are regarded as pests as per
IPPC definition

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Import of biological control agents

 Biocontrol imported per permit

 Background info is required
 Panel of experts review application, do risk assessment
 Approved organism imported
 Species specificity tests done
 Host specificity test plus other research

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Biocontrol import

 Application for release to NPPO

 NPPO review plus sent to panel of experts
 Release can continue and biocontrol agent are mass
reared for implementation

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
CONSERVATION OF AGRICULTURAL
RESOURCES ACT (CARA)

Act 43 of 1983, Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983

was proclaimed to provide for control over the utilisation of the
natural agricultural resources of the Republic in order to promote
the conservation of the soil, the water sources and the vegetation
and the combating of weeds and invader plants; and for matters
connected therewith.

In March 2001 regulation 15 and 16, dealing specifically with

declared weeds and invader plants, were promulgated in the
Government Gazette Number 22166, thus bringing the number of
declared weeds and plants to a total of 198.
DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
REGULATION 15 -
CATEGORY 1

15A
-Deals with combating Category 1
plants
Declared weeds
Importation and cultivation is
prohibited

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
CATEGORY 2

15B
- Deals with the combating of Category 2 plants.
These plants have a commercial or utility value, and are only
allowed to occur under certain conditions and with special
permission.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
CATEGORY 3

 
15C
- Deals with the combating of Category 3 plants.
These are plants with an ornamental value, and are allowed to
be kept growing if under controlled circumstances and no more
trading or propagating is allowed
 

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 CONTROL MEASURES

15D - Deals with the designation of biological control reserves for

the breeding of biological control agents.
 
15E - The different methods for control are stated here. The need
for follow-up actions is emphasised . Any action taken to control
category 1, 2, and 3 plants shall be executed with caution and in a
manner that will cause the least damage to the environment.

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism

 National Environment Management Act

 Environment Conservation Act
 Draft National Biodiversity Act

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

 National Water Act

 National Veld and Fire Act

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Implementation by Working for Water

 Work flow for implementation

 WFW policy for clearing land
 WFW herbicide policy
 Standard implementation documents
 Annexure to implementation documents

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 The Biological Control Implementation (BCI)
programme in WfW :

Initiation and structure

 National BCI officer (Penny Gillespie) – PPRI, 1999

 Six regional BCI officers – WfW

–Ensure all available BC agents

distributed throughout range
–Facilitate incorporation of BC into
WfW clearing programmes

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Distribution of biocontrol agents

Researchers:
 Brief BCI officers on biology of agent
 Supply them with starter culture
 Supply info and photos for agent brochure
 Involved with releases
 Detailed post-release monitoring
BCI officers:
Mass-rear agents
Release agents in co-operation with researchers
Monitor for establishment in co-operation with researchers
Produce agent brochures
DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Sources of insects for redistribution

1. Mass-rearing in regional BCI centres

On potted plants in shade houses
In insectaries on cut stems

2. Field collecting, once insects has

established on biocontrol reserve sites

3. Insects laying their eggs on immature fruit or

seeds of large woody trees cannot be mass-
reared in lab – field-collected seasonally

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Protection of released agents

•Legislation recognises biocontrol, protects effective BC sites

•Allows important BC agent nurseries to be registered as
“biocontrol reserves” – protected from clearing
•Undertaking signed between land user and DoA

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Lessons learnt

•Importance of co-operation between researchers and BCI

officers
•Selection criteria for regional BCI officers: skills in field &
technical information transfer
•Value of large agent releases

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Research Unit of WfW

 Bio control
 Social Development
 Hydrology
 Ecology
 Resource economics
 Research publications

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Sustainable Development through WfW

 Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Livelihoods

 Training
(Business management, chainsaw operation, etc)
 Maintaining and restoring ecosystem integrity
 Sustainable Consumption and Production

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
 Involves the community

Seeking to create entrepreneurial

support through secondary
industry development

It offers opportunities for

women, the youth and the disabled

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
The 2000/2001 Year report

 23 998 people employed in the programme.

 54% of the workers are women.
 26% of the workers are youth.
 92% of the budget spent within the financial year.
 70 660 hectares of invading alien plants cleared.
 180 736 hectares of follow-up clearing undertaken.
 20 wetlands undergoing rehabilitation work.
 313 projects, across all nine provinces.
DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE
Special Thanks

 Hélette Prinsloo (LUSM )

 Hildegard Klein (ARC PPRI Rietondale)
 Fiona Impson (ARC PPRI Stellenbosch)
 Simone Noemdoe (Working for Water)

DEPARTMENT: AGRICULTURE