The GRBR Strategic Planning Workshop ‘Identifying and addressing drivers of urbanisation, land use and land use change and capacity building in the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve’
was successfully hosted on 14th February 2020, with various governmental and non-governmental sectors represented.

A draft report has been prepared to capture the event’s proceedings and the outcomes of the discussions held. Please view here.

We would like to thank all who attended and contributed to the days conversations. Additionally, we would be glad if workshop participants can review this draft outcomes document and send their comments to admin@gardenroutebiosphere.org.za.

If there are any suggested changes, please communicate these by Friday, 20th March, 2020.

If no comments are received, the report will be shared on various platforms as the final product. Thank you.

Further enquires: admin@gardenroutebiosphere.org.za.

As part of the 2020 Strategy Planning for the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve, several workshops are being planned across the region.

The first workshop is this Friday 14th February titled:

 “Identifying and addressing drivers of rapid urbanisation, land use and land use change in the GRBR” 

Venue: Nelson Mandela University, George Campus, Conference Room 

The Draft Program is below (and available as pdf here):

 Time 

Event 

Persons involved 

09h00-09h30  Arrival and registration; refreshments  Project Team 
09h30-09h45  Welcome and introduction  Bianca Currie 

Chair, Garden Route Biosphere Reserve 

09h45-10h00  Purpose of the workshop & agreement on the agenda 

. 

Robert Fincham 

Project coordinator 

10h00-11h30  Identifying the drivers: Debate 1: All Participants  Facilitators: Project Team 
11h30-12h00  Refreshments & snacks 
12h00-13h00  Addressing the drivers: Debate 2: All participants  Facilitators: Project Team 
13h00-13h30  Outcomes and way forward 

Finger lunch 

Robert Fincham 
Departure

We cordially invite interested individuals and organisations to a series of 3 workshops to identify and contribute to tackling key drivers of rapid urbanisation, land use and land use change in the GRBR. The purpose of these workshops is to develop a framework to understand, and a strategy to address, these key drivers and the challenges they pose for government and other institutions of civil society.

In pursuit of the purpose and framework of the workshops, a bottom up, collaborative approach is envisaged. This approach should lead to a strong sense of actions required at the landscape level, while learning from specific project level work already underway. 

The outcome of the workshops is to establish a working group for the GRBR to address these challenges and their resolution in the medium and long term.

The workshops will be held on:

Friday 14th February in George;

Friday 3rd April in Knysna and

Friday 15th May in Jefferey’s Bay.

A key output of the workshop series will be a strategy ratified in a proposal by June 2020. The proposal will be used to raise funds for coordinated actions by stakeholders in the landscape, aligned with the vision and mission of the GRBR. 

Participants are encouraged to commit to and attend all three workshops to ensure continuity and consistency in the development of ideas, knowledge and outcomes. 

Registration for the Workshops 

Please express your interest in attending as soon as possible, but not later than Monday 10th February 2020, by contacting Luzanne Visagie [luzannev@mandela.ac.za]