the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 85 As the table above demonstrates, the Succulent Karoo is home to over one thousand endemic succulents. With more succulents than any other place in the world, the Succulent Karoo warrants global recognition for its natural heritage. What the table also shows is of the various centres of the Succulent Karoo the Gariep Centre attributes almost half of the endemic succulent species with an astounding 80% endemism rate. This more than doubles almost every other Region or Centre in Southern Africa, a part of the world renowned for succulent plants. With the Conservancy being a Core of the Gariep Centre, this comparison emphasizes the justification as having outstanding universal value to the world botanical estate. Other deserts inscribed in the World Heritage Site List, such as Oman’s Arabian Oryx Sanctuary or the Mauritania’s Banc d’Arguin National Park, do not, despite other worthy attributes, demonstrate universal biological or ecological importance as dramatically or as quantitatively as the Richtersveld. In regards to diversity, species densities and rates of endemism reaching upwards of 40%, the Richtersveld, stands tallest of all the world’s deserts. If natural aspects of the environments of the two above sites prove them justifiable for World Heritage inclusion, then the status of being one of only two deserts in the world to be a Biodiversity Hotspot should provide a very sound case for inclusion of the Richtersveld. Similarly, if the Pirin National Park of Bulgaria is regarded as universally outstanding for its endemic and rare species – which is impressive in its own right - it can reasonably be argued that the greater biologically diversity and uniqueness of the Richtersveld can be viewed as extraordinary. A final comparison can be made between the Richtersveld and the Valle de Mai Nature Reserve of the Seychelles. The island’s coco de mer is described as a universally significant and valuable species and rightly so. It is immediately evident the similarities between the high status of the coco de mer and the scientifically and culturally valuable “halfmens” (Pachypodium namaquanum) and Aloe pillansii, of which most of the world’s population exist inside the Richtersveld Community Conservancy boundaries. All three species have enormously restricted habitats and all are also very large and charismatic species bearing powerful presences and cultural significance. They are flagship species for their respective environments,
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 86 severely threatened, and in the case of the Aloe pillansii, of great value to science, especially in regards to the impact of climate change on the global environment. 3.d. Integrity and Authenticity Infrastructure and development are minimal in the Conservancy with only two small towns, Kuboes and Eksteenfontein, existing on the Southern and Western boundaries. Population of the two towns are very low and are unlikely to grow due to low carrying capacity of the land, lack of substantial water and in light of the general trend in the region of people moving towards larger urban centres and away from small villages such as these which offer few jobs and limited opportunity beyond minor livestock farming. Inside the Conservancy land, are only seasonal livestock posts and |haru oms of pastoralists. There are no paved roads in the area and all tourism development has fallen directly within the very strict regulations set forth by the Conservancy Management Committee, as well as municipal, provincial and national laws, such as the Environmental Conservation Act, National Heritage Resources Act and National Environmental Management Act, amongst others. All future developments, such as plans for a small eco-lodge, must carry out comprehensive and transparent Environmental Impact Assessments and Social Impact Assessments with exhaustive public participation. The integrity of the environment is such that an adjacent provincial reserve, the Nababiep (Helskloof) Reserve is soon to be taken under the Conservancy’s management and boundaries. In regards to Section IIE of the Operational Guidelines, the core area indeed is of sufficient size at 160,000 Hectares to encompass the most critical environments and the necessary diversity of environments to adequately protect the valuable flora of the Gariep Centre of Plant Endemism and Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot. The Conservancy boundaries were designed and approved according to such ecological parameters. The natural elements found within the boundaries are comprehensive with the entire Ploeberg, Stinkfontein, Blackface mountain ranges, numerous quartz fields, the Helskloof Canyon and a large untouched section of the Orange River all located within its boundaries. The Conservancy also includes all of the sub-biomes of the Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot, with the exception of
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the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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