GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - More sustained investment from government is essential in efforts to clear invasive alien trees and plants, says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (Gref).
"The multiple fires seen in the Garden Route over recent weeks confirm what we have warned about for years. With rainfall figures remaining low, invasive alien plants proliferating, and climate conditions becoming harsher, the region is facing rising fire danger and intensifying pressure on already stressed water resources.”
Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are one of the greatest threats to the Garden Route’s critically endangered habitats, sensitive mountain catchments, and the ecological functioning of rivers and estuaries, according to a media statement issued by the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM on 18 November.
Species such as pines, wattles, Lantana, bugweed, gums and hakeas consume large volumes of water, starving rivers of sustained flow and undermining the health of estuaries that depend on reliable freshwater input. At the same time, these invasives create dense, highly flammable fuel loads that can turn ordinary wildfires into uncontrollable events.
To better understand and respond to these risks, entities such as the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), SANParks, CapeNature and the GRDM established the Risk Reduction Task Team, a working group that continuously evaluates the growing threats posed by IAPs and advises on coordinated mitigation.
"However, the challenge is outpacing the resources available. Government grants, including those that previously supported large-scale clearing under programmes such as Working for Water, have shrunk dramatically," says Meiring.
The breeding and release of biological control agents - once an essential tool for suppressing the spread of several invasive species - is now no longer freely available, further compounding management difficulties. As a result,
Firefighting is expensive, and so are the preventative measures required to reduce risk, but prevention is far cheaper than disaster.
Alien plant control must be funded consistently, prioritised strategically, and integrated with fire management, biodiversity conservation and climate-adaptation planning. Without this, the region’s water security, natural heritage and community safety will remain increasingly vulnerable.
The Garden Route Environmental Forum is a public platform for landowners and environmental managers and a climate change think tank. (www.grefecsf.co.za)
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