CapeNature’s 2025 State of Conservation Report reveals gains in protecting Western Cape biodiversity, adding over 13,000 hectares to the conservation estate while highlighting resilience efforts, climate challenges, and the power of partnerships.
Western Cape (02 July 2025) – Conservation is about more than just preserving land and saving species. There are administrative tasks, meetings to unite stakeholders, and a lot of data to capture. CapeNature has recently released its 2025 State of Conservation Report, which highlights progress and priorities in protecting the Western Cape’s biodiversity.
The report was released at its annual Conservation Review, offering a clear, evidence-based view of the Western Cape’s biodiversity and how conservation efforts are measuring up.
Reports are essential for identifying gaps that need to be filled and recognising real wins. This year’s report highlighted several key themes, including the need for the team to adapt to climate change resilience.
Insights are gleaned from extensive fieldwork, spatial analysis, and ecological monitoring across river corridors, mountain fynbos, and coastal habitats. The report provides a valuable snapshot of how species and ecosystems are faring amid ongoing pressures from land-use change, climate variability, and biodiversity loss.
This past year, CapeNature added 13,117.41 hectares to the Western Cape’s protected area network, expanding the conservation estate to 1,095,428 hectares as of 31 March 2025. That is a significant milestone worth celebrating.
Conservation successes noted in the report highlight close co-operation between government, private landowners, communities, research institutions, and other partners. Stewardship agreements with private landowners continue to secure ecologically important land outside formal reserves. At the same time, partnerships with research networks for surveys and data collection have enhanced the accuracy and reach of biodiversity monitoring efforts.
“The resilience of our ecosystems and the services they provide is key to the well-being of the people of the Western Cape and the long-term sustainability of the province,” said CapeNature CEO Dr Ashley Naidoo. “This Report provides insights to where we are succeeding, where challenges remain, and how we can collectively respond, with the help of our partners.”
The State of Conservation Report outlines CapeNature’s commitment to align its reporting with the South African State of Environment Outlook Report (SoEOR) and international environmental and conservation reporting obligations, such as those outlined in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Report describes CapeNature’s response to its primary mandate to conserve species and ecosystems that provide essential ecosystem services such as clean water, disease resilience, atmospheric absorption and carbon storage, which helps to ensure a more resilient and sustainable future for both people and the environment.
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