BIODIVERSITY: AREA-BASED CONSERVATION NORMS, STANDARDS GAZETTED FOR COMMENT

BIODIVERSITY: AREA-BASED CONSERVATION NORMS, STANDARDS GAZETTED FOR COMMENT

• 13 February 2026
• Environmental Law
• SA Legal Academy

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment has called for input by 15 March 2026 on draft norms and standards for assessing areas not officially protected under the 2004 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and possibly requiring the introduction of in-situ biodiversity conservation measures.

This is noting that:

• in terms of the 2022 15^th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biodiversity, in certain circumstances the imposition of ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’(OECMs) may be necessary, and that
• this is reflected in the 2023 White Paper on Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainable Use.

Against that backdrop, the draft norms and standards seek to set ‘clear minimum requirements’ to be met by areas possibly qualifying for the introduction of OECMs.

• draft norms and standards
• White Paper
• Biodiversity Convention COP 15

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

Follow us on X @SALegalAcademy (you can also join us on LinkedIn and Facebook)

If you use this information in articles, reports and social media posts of your own, please acknowledge SA Legal Academy Policy Watch as your source

0 COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT