Asset balance sheets log the stocks of assets and their values in the national accounts. Whereas flows of economic production--goods and services--have been used as primary indicators of the "health" of an economy, these measures do not take into account depreciation or degradation of the asset base form which these flows stem. Changes in the asset balance sheet would reflect, for example, the reduction in value of depleted fisheries stocks. 

There is a five-tiered process to becoming a WHS.

1. An initial online application that ensures there are no fundamental prohibitive issues. 

2. A candidacy review of the initial application is carried out by impartial representatives.

3. Technical advice to discuss and advise on areas for improvement and on how to submit an application with the greatest chance of success.

4. Final application including supporting evidence, a justification for the geographical delineation of the site and a detailed explanation of how the site achieves each of the criteria. 

5. If successful, Whale Heritage Site (WHS) designation. It must then prepare and submit annual reports explaining how criteria are met.

By going through the accreditation process, The Bluff had to show that they could ensure responsible, sustainable practices and livelihoods would be continually improved thus ensuring the health and welfare of whales, dolphins and porpoises and their ocean habitats. 

The building block is built on the principle that a community based initiative to protect cetaceans and their habitats is best done when owned by the local communities itself. It incentivizes, empowers and engages a community and its businesses so that they benefit directly from a healthy and thriving ocean. 

To coordinate and facilitate the development of a WHS initiative, a steering committee is formed by local stakeholders. These are enthusiastic, creative and passionate individuals who steer the process and help launch, maintain, and sustain the application process.

An effective WHS steering committee should be fully diverse and inclusive and representative of the community and include staff, volunteers, and community members. Its purpose is to serve as a mobilizing force, not a bureaucracy. Making the process meaningful and purposeful for everyone involved. Within the process there is guidance on establishing sub-committees or workgroups to focus on specific goals and activities. 

As well as leading and manageing the process of application, the steering committee must show continual improvement across the community with its various initiatives, through annual reporting as a measure of WHS's excellence.

The Van Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sanghatan has initiated several initiatives for the youth amongst them to turn towards education, both from schools as well as self—study groups which also initiate them towards traditional knowledge protection, bird watching, nature guiding, outdoor education through trails and games, handicrafts and cultural orientation of the community, to preserve their forest identities. The tribal identity is further promulgated in their sincere efforts to file for individual and community claims through the Forest Rights Act, 2006 as well as initiate community restoration drives, practices of herd mobility by empowering pastoral opportunities, prepare forest fire prevention squads and protect forests from poachers and cattle smugglers. They have currently undertaken a project to document the traditional knowledge and ecosystem benefits of 20 species of flora, which have food, medicinal, household or cultural uses for the community. 

Rehabilitation of the irrigation system to mobilise alternative sources of income

The district's damaged irrigation canal had led to a loss of income from agricultural activities. The community could not afford maintenance. With the support of the programme, the irrigation system was put back into operation and the residents were able to successfully resume the cultivation of maize, barley and vegetables the following year. The financing of the 1.5km long canal provided a sustainable alternative source of income.

Participative dispute management

Out of several other potential solutions, the one that really worked was embedded deep in the community norms and culture. In order to solve longstanding communal conflicts that hindered the restoration of land and protection of the Chilgoza forest ecosystem, the programme seek consultation and advice from representatives and heads of the involved communities. Starting with a smaller group of forest owner families in conflict over an abandoned piece of communal agricultural land, the programme was able to set an successful example for a dispute settlement approach in the region that enabled further landscape restoration activities.

Our ground-breaking applied research is focused on shark presence and behavioural ecology in Cape Town to inform public safety policy, conservation and management strategies and education and awareness. We drive an adaptive management approach to human-shark conflict which is responsive to conflict and proactive in using research and best practices. Shark Spotters also collates shark bite information and respond to all local incidents to collect factual and objective information.

We have published our results in multiple peer-reviewed journals (see attached) and presented at numerous scientific conferences.

Following the covid-19 pandemic, it has become even more imperative that we understand the negative impacts we are having on our environment to mitigate these timeously before they escalate into large, global issues. Our research focus is therefore shifting to not only understand the behaviour and distribution of sharks in our bay, but also to look at the role they play in maintaining ecosystem structure and resilience, and how human impacts, as well as environmental changes, influence this. We can then target our conservation strategies to ensure that the marine environment can continue to provide important ecosystem services that will help protect us from future pandemics or environmental disasters. 

Engagement of 500 private forest owners to set aside 6000 hectares for conservation of chimpanzee corridors

To incentivise conservation, the benefits must be locally meaningful and transparently distributed. Here, we worked with the communities to identify priority areas (healthcare, education and veterinary medicines) and translated points into benefits every 3 months. The village requested the benefits and the project sourced and delivered them. They were distributed at a large village celebration, where the programme was explained again. Then the number of points was reset to zero and the process began again.

-Use non-invasive 21st century genetic barcoding techniques to catalog the biodiversity of the main Galapagos Islands and surrounding marine reserve, from microbial to mammal;

-Train locals in key field, lab and curatorial techniques, and employ them to undertake the project, which can also open new job opportunities in the future