Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Eastern Eswatini is part of the Maputaland Centre of Plant Diversity — one of the world’s hotspots of floral, as well as faunal species richness and endemism [ ] 102 Educational programmes in environmental awareness and biosafety The National Environmental Educa- tion Programme (NEEP) is mandated by the Swaziland National Trust Commission Act to coordinate and promote environmental education in Eswatini. The NEEP has the role of promoting and supporting environ- mental awareness projects carried out by governmental and non-govern- mental organizations. Other activi- ties include: commemorative celebra- tion days such as World Environment Day, Wetlands day, and International Day of Biodiversity; environmental or nature conservation radio pro- grammes broadcast through the SEA shared radio slot; the provision of an academic service to the tertiary in- stitutions; providing access to nature reserve public facilities for biodiversi- ty studies; training for rural commu- nities on environmental issues and nature conservation; incorporation of indigenous knowledge systems in or- der to promote sustainable attitudes; functioning as a support service for both external and internal stake- holders in various departments; the incorporation of appropriate tech- nology in environmental education; a focus on work projects involving interested and affected stakeholders; and general environmental education awareness with focus on the social, economic, political, and biophysical dimensions of Swazi inhabitants. Following the enactment of the Biosafety Act in 2012, there is a need for increased awareness on the value of biodiversity and the risks associ- ated with the use of living modified organisms. It is in this context that the Eswatini Environment Authority partnered with the education sector through the National Curriculum Centre and the University of Eswati- ni to mainstream issues of modern biotechnology and biosafety into curricula at both lower and higher education. Through this partnership, the development of a curriculum matrix exercise at lower education has been initiated and currently underway. Training materials have also been developed to support the integration of modern biotechnology and biosafety issues in the institu- tions of higher education. Other exercises to raise awareness on the value of biodiversity have been undertaken by a number of institu- tions in the environment sector. This includes education and awareness programmes run by conservation parks; workshops conducted at community level by stakeholders in the environment sector; and environ- mental impact assessment exercises. F or a country with a land area of 17,364 km 2 , Eswatini is relatively rich in biodiversity with a large diversity of plants and animals. The country’s biodiversity resources have great cultural and economic significance as well as providing a wide range of direct benefits in the generation of products used for subsistence income and employment purposes. The diverse flora and fauna has a variety of recreational and aesthetic values, and the Swazi culture is deeply dependent on biological diversity both for everyday life and for various traditional ceremonies practiced annually. Lobamba, Hhohho, Eswatini Patrik M. Loeff on flickr Eswatini