WESSA - 90 Years of People Caring for the Earth

ecotourism UNIT

addressing the need for skills DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

in South Africa

training in the Western & Southern Cape areas for hundreds of youth in the environmental sector on the Environmental Practices Skills Programme over a 3 year period, commencing in 2013. In addition, Stop the Spread- WESSA’s Invasive Alien Plant unit - is currently the implementing partner for the DEA Natural Resource Management (NRM) capacity building programme, facilitating the training cycle for NRM nationally in order to streamline processes at all stages; fromparticipant nomination, training delivery and reporting as per the NRM training matrix for the expanded public works programme (EPWP). Since 2010 WESSA, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has successfully implemented the Stepping Up to Sustainability Project in South Africa. This project is an educationally-driven response to climate change, grounded in alternative livelihoodpractices and the implementation of supporting technologies with a reduced environmental impact. In 2015, the project moved into its second phase, extending project implementation to include work in six Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries: Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, Lesotho and South Africa. One of the successful project outcomes has been the establishment of innovative ‘sustainability commons’ with local partners in each country, testing out and actively using a range of sustainability technologies. Meaningful, country- relevant, climate-focused resources and materials are also in development. Since the beginning of the second phase alone, more than 400 participants have been capacitated through accredited and non-accredited training that focus on building capacity to adapt and mitigate against climate change; while over 800 people have been engaged to make ‘change choices’ toward sustainability. WESSA’s professional environmental training unit is committed to addressing the critical scarcity of skills required to drive a green economy in South Africa. Our courses benefit more than 1,000 participants around the country each year. With an emphasis on developing hands-on, practical skills our work is empowering individuals and enabling them to follow promising career paths into the future.

Blue Flag is the prestigious, voluntary eco-label for beaches, boats and marinas that is recognised as a trusted symbol of quality and is regarded by the World Tourism Organisation as the most well-known eco-label in the world. The programme has been running internationally since 1987, and in 2001 South Africa became the first country outside of Europe to launch Blue Flag, when WESSA was appointed to implemented the programme locally in partnership with participating coastal municipalities. The number of certified sites in South Africa has increased from six in 2001 to almost 60 sites today. Over the years Blue Flag has also expanded into the marine and freshwater environments, where it includes the certification of marinas, and – for the first time this year – sustainable boating operators in the tourism industry will be acknowledged through the eco-label too. New beaches that show the potential to achieve certification are identified early and then guided by means of a pilot phase through the process of achieving the standard required for full Blue Flag status. The Blue Flag Programme is focused on the conservation of marine and coastal habitats. It is designed to raise environmental education and awareness, and to increase sound environmental practices among tourists, local populations and beach management. Blue Flag has had a remarkable impact along South Africa’s coastline with an estimated 2 000 environmental education activities having taken place over the past 15 years on certified beaches in all four coastal provinces. The bathing areas of Blue Flag beach sites have also been subjected to an estimated 3 000 water quality assessments, which is an ongoing process that ensures that authorities are able to closely monitor potential health hazards for beachgoers. Every beach site also provides suitable waste facilities, ablutions, lifeguards and security services. With 33 strict criteria that need to be adhered to, our partner municipalities have shown incredible commitment to the programme and a strong will to provide coastal tourism sites that are safe, clean and sustainable.

WESSA introduced one of the country’s first official environmental education projects in Umgeni Valley in KwaZulu-Natal in 1968. Today the organisation is acknowledged as one of the leaders in this field, both in South Africa and in the world. WESSA recognises that environmental skills development is essential for building the type of ecological knowledge and understanding required to support our country’s sustainable growth and development. The organisation’s training unit was formed in 2005 to coordinate the accreditation of WESSA as a training provider, driving human capacity development through the delivery of accredited education and training in the organisation. Following a number of needs analyses as well as a socio- ecological power-mapping exercise, WESSA developed and implemented a wide range of accredited and non- accredited environmental training courses. Today WESSA delivers an extensive range of courses on a variety of topics from environmental education, alien invasive plants, climate change, water, waste and biodiversity to professional development in the field of sustainability. In 2006, WESSA was accredited through the ETDP SETA and obtained programme approval to offer the National Certificate: Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice NQF Level 5 (122 Credits) on the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This flagship qualification has been successfully implemented nationally over the past ten years, developing skills that enable participants to train others and further advance career opportunities within the environmental education field. The Environmental Practices Skills Programme is another course which has been successfully developed and implemented across the country. This short skills course highlights the critical role municipalities must play in the endeavour for sustainable development. WESSA is currently accredited through the ETDP SETA with an extension of scope with the LG (Local Government) SETA until March 2018. In December 2011 LGSETA granted WESSA its status of being an ‘Institute of Sectoral and Occupational Excellence’ (ISOE). TheDepartmentofEnvironmentalAffairsYouthEnvironmental Services (DEA YES) Programme enabled WESSA to roll out

In recognition of the value of tourism as a powerful driving force for economic growth and development, the National Department of Tourism announced an exciting new coastal tourism project in partnership withWESSA in 2015. This is the first project falling under the department’s new Working for Tourism Programme and it is aimed at improving the quality of our Blue Flag beaches as tourism destinations while also providing youth employment opportunities. The Tourism Blue Flag Project, which will be launched in October 2016 and managed by WESSA, aims to improve the tourism facilities and services offered at all Blue Flag member beaches and to promote their adherence to the Blue Flag criteria and to responsible tourism practises. The project will see two hundred unemployed youths from low-income households being hosted by local coastal municipalities at Blue Flag beach sites throughout South Africa. These beach “stewards” will receive accredited and non-accredited training and be developed for further employment in the “Blue Economy” coastal tourism sector. WESSA is proud of this latest development in the Blue Flag programme, and excited by this opportunity to partner with national government to contribute both to the social upliftment of local communities as well as to the quality of our country’s beaches.

36 | 90 years of people caring for the earth

37 | 90 years of people caring for the earth