South Africa launches ReLISA: €15 million push to restore 100,000 hectares by 2030

The useful part

South Africa launched a €15-million programme to restore grasslands, savannas and thickets, with 100,000 hectares targeted by 2030 | World News. The programme is designed to connect ecological restoration with protected-area expansion, community partnerships and new approaches to financing conservation at landscape scale. The organisation identifies overgrazing, mining, invasive alien plants, drought and fire among the factors contributing to degradation across these landscapes.

How it works

• The programme's approach combines ecological restoration with economic valuation, financial innovation and collaboration with communities and land users.
• Within the programme, EWT is working in 3 target landscapes: the Northern Drakensberg, Soutpansberg and Amatholes.
• Field officers in these areas work with land users on rangeland management, ecological restoration and invasive alien plant clearing.
• The organisation says the work is intended not simply to increase the amount of protected land, but to strengthen connections between important wildlife corridors, intact habitat and properties containing...
• The objective is to connect the ecological value of restoration with financial models that can support conservation work beyond individual grants or short-term projects.

What to take from it

The stated aim is to help develop a longer-term restoration economy in South Africa by combining ecological work with community involvement and sustainable financing. With an unwavering commitment to accuracy, depth, and timeliness, we strive to keep you informed about the ever-evolving world, delivering a nuanced understanding of international affairs to our readers. Climate pressures are adding to those challenges through prolonged drought, high temperatures, wildfires and changing rainfall patterns.

Example or evidence

• This approach builds on the idea that restoration can provide benefits beyond biodiversity.
• South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment recorded the launch as part of the ministerial meeting's October 16 activities and described ReLISA as a partnership with Germany and...
• EWT says degradation in these areas can affect water retention and erosion, while restoration can contribute to improved ecosystem resilience.
• The programme therefore links habitat restoration with broader goals around water security, climate adaptation and the livelihoods that depend on healthy landscapes.

Details worth keeping

The initiative is funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment through its International Climate Initiative and was jointly launched on October 16, 2025, on the sidelines of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group Ministerial Meeting in Cape Town. This ambitious initiative demonstrates how international cooperation and innovative financing models can effectively address complex environmental challenges, offering a promising blueprint for large-scale landscape restoration worldwide. A particular focus is placed on Strategic Water Source Areas, or SWSAs.

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• Mongabay: This is the second article in Mongabay's three-part investigation of spekboom-led ecosystem restoration in South Africa.
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