Can conservation succeed if the people most affected are not part of the decisions? Can Marine Protected Areas be effective if tensions with communities remain unresolved? And can we achieve 30×30 without addressing equity, access, and participation?
In March 2026, a new approach to marine conservation began to take shape in South Africa—one that places people, rights, and governance at the centre of biodiversity protection.
Through the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) Project, implemented by UNITAR and OHCHR in collaboration with the University of Cape Town’s One Ocean Hub and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), conservation and small-scale fisheries are being reframed as interconnected systems rather than competing priorities. The initiative is grounded in a human rights-based approach, emphasising participation, accountability, and equity.
While South Africa has made significant progress in expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), underlying governance challenges persist—particularly tensions with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). These challenges are not simply technical; they reflect deeper institutional gaps in participation, trust, and inclusion.
The project directly addresses these gaps. Through a series of engagements in Cape Town, government, United Nations agencies, and community representatives came together in a dialogue-driven process designed around co-creation rather than consultation. Participants explored how human rights principles can be applied in practice and identified key capacity needs for more inclusive and effective marine governance.
A central shift emerged: communities are not stakeholders to be consulted—they are partners in governance.
This shift has practical implications. It opens space for integrating local knowledge into conservation planning, strengthening co-management of MPAs and other area-based conservation measures, and improving how decisions are made and implemented on the ground. It also supports better alignment between conservation objectives and coastal livelihoods, particularly for small-scale fisheries.
Anchored in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 3 (30×30), the initiative contributes to a broader transition—from expanding conservation coverage to ensuring that conservation systems are effective, equitable, and sustainable.
For South Africa, this approach strengthens the legitimacy and long-term success of marine conservation. For the Western Indian Ocean region, it offers an emerging model for how conservation can be delivered differently—through systems that integrate science, policy, and community knowledge.
As countries across the region work towards 30×30, the challenge is no longer just about declaring protected areas. It is about making them work.
And that depends on people, institutions, and how they come together.
