The Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (SKEP) is the result of a one-year planning process which combined a rigorous scientific process with broad land-user participation to identify and generate broad consensus around an ultimate vision and set of conservation targets for the Succulent Karoo.

This process was initiated in September 2001 and completed one year later. It was facilitated by Conservation International’s (CI) Southern Africa Hotspots Programme and formed part of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund’s (CEPF) preparation to expand its investment to the hotspot.

The team included scientific advisors and four co-ordinating organisations from the region. As a result of this process an ecosystem profile has been produced for the CEPF that identifies key areas for investment in this region.

SKEP pioneered a unique approach to conservation planning in South Africa by integrating high-level scientific expertise with socio-political, economic and institutional concerns.

 

Bushmanland Inselbergs Priority Area
Bushmanland Fact sheet	(195 kb)
Central Namaqualand Coast Priority Area
Namaqualand Coastal Fact Sheet	(241 kb)
Namaqualand Uplands Priority Area
Namaquland Uplands Fact Sheet	(254 kb)
Knersvlakte Priority Area
Knersvlakte Fact Sheet	(205 kb)
Hantam Roggeveld Priority Area
Hantam Tanqua Roggeveld Fact sheet	(255 kb)
Central Little Karoo Priority Area
Central Little Karoo Fact Sheet	(249 kb)
Multiple Priority Areas
SKEP 20-year strategy	(1783 kb)
SKEP Technical Report Exec Summary	(1566 kb)
SKEP Ecosystem Profile	(486 kb)

The 20-year conservation targets that have been identified thus far for the Succulent Karoo are:

75 percent of the conservation targets set in the SKEP process for 135 vegetation types will be protected and conserved.Key climatic gradients and riverine corridors are taken into consideration in the creation or expansion of any protected areas.

Globally threatened and endangered species listed in the Red Data sources will be under additional protection. Sites in the Succulent Karoo hotspot that house unique, endemic and globally threatened species will be identified and protected.

After a more fine-scaled analysis, this will be formalised as conservation out-comes for the Succulent Karoo hot-spot.

• National Bird Week: 5-11 May 2008
• International Day for Biological Diversity: 22 May 2008
• World Environment Week: 2-6 June 2008
• World Environment Day: 5 June 2008
• World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought: 17 June 2008

Click here for more information regarding the SKEPPIES Fund.

Click here to view our list of interesting websites

If you are interested in reading more about the Namaqualand Colloquium, click here to read the final report.