Our Commitment

The University of Pretoria (UP) has many well-regarded research facilities and projects which are aimed at protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable ecosystems on land like managing forests, preventing land degradation, and maintaining biodiversity. A flourishing life on land is the foundation for our life on this planet. We are all part of the planet's ecosystem and we have caused severe damage to it through deforestation, loss of natural habits, and land degradation. Promoting sustainable use of our ecosystems and preserving biodiversity is not a cause. It is the key to our own survival. Everyone can help to make sure that we meet the Global Goals. We can protect life on land together. 

UP is an active player and influencer in the advancement of conservation and sustainable utilisation of land, including forests and wild land. The evidence provided are examples of UP convening high-level and multi-stakeholder events in this arena. UP plays a leadership role in advancing sustainable food systems, and hosts the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA): Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems. UP has an extensive geographic footprint, and is actively working to maintain, extend and rehabilitate existing ecosystems and their biodiversity. This includes shared ecosystems where activities upstream of and beyond our footprint have negative impacts on sensitive ecosystems within our footprint. Our approach is captured in the Institutional Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable use of Terrestrial Ecosystems Guideline. We see agriculture, related ecosystems and community engagement as intimately related and interconnected. This integrated approach is evident in our examples of transforming a city dumping site into a thriving garden, and building capability in small scale farmers to boost food security. Our Institutional Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable use of Terrestrial Ecosystems Guideline is framed by and gives expression to the Institutional Environmental Policy. Our Alien Invasive Species Guideline is framed by and gives expression to the Institutional Environmental Policy. A collaborative and integrated approach recognises complexity is essential to sustaining ecosystems. This commitment and approach is reflected in the suite of policies related to life on land, and our practical examples at Mamelodi Hills and the Waterberg Mountain Complex. The Institutional Water Management Plan which flows from an overarching Water Management Policy presents a detailed and comprehensive approach to water management. This includes nationally accepted standards and specifications for water use in different circumstances. The second piece of evidence demonstrates efforts to embed a culture of water management into the institution.

Events about sustainable use of land

The following is a list of some of the events about the sustainable use of land: ​

• The Embassy of France in South Africa, with the support of the University of Pretoria and Future Africa, hosted a debate on Africa's priorities when it comes to global environmental issues. The debate engaged stakeholders to finalize the report on Climate, Land, Agriculture, and Biodiversity (CLAB), drawn up by a pan-African high-level science committee gathered under the leadership of Future Africa. With major international events on climate and biodiversity scheduled for this year - including the IUCN World Nature Congress, the COP15 on Biological Diversity, the COP26 on Climate Change, and the COP15 to Combat Desertification - African voices need to be heard. Click here to read more. ​​

• The University of Pretoria (UP) hosts and contributes to the international Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2021 (SRI2021). The fully recorded Congress brought together over 2000 attendees from more than 100 countries in partnership with Belmont Forum and Future Earth, the SRI2021 was the world's first transdisciplinary gathering on sustainability, which attracted advocates of sustainability scholarship, innovation, collaboration, and action from around the world. The congress served as a conduit to unite the Global North and the Global South, supporting the objectives of Future Earth's global network of scientists, researchers, and innovators to ensure a more sustainable planet. As the objectives of Future Africa are well aligned with the sustainability goals of Future Earth, particularly those of its regional office in the Global South, FEROSA, it is in a prime position to contribute to solutions for issues pertinent to Africa, especially those related to food security, water, energy, climate change, health challenges and the impact of COVID-19. This year's Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress (SRI2021), held in June, was the first in an annual series to unite global sustainable development leaders, experts, industry, and innovators to inspire action and promote sustainability transformation. Click here to read more. 

• The University of Pretoria (UP) is the host and organizer of the 50th-anniversary conference of the South African Wildlife Management Association (SAWMA). SAWMA is a registered voluntary association, founded in 1970, with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP). The association represents a multi-disciplinary membership and is involved with the science and management of wildlife and other renewable natural resources. It includes various disciplines, such as wildlife research, conservation science, ecology, genetics, animal science, etc. Click here to read more. 

Sustainability farmed food on campus

• During the construction of the Future Africa campus, an executive decision was taken to utilize the gardens for sustainable production of indigenous food, not only in support of the on-campus catering but also as a biodiversity showcase. The Future Africa landscape paradigm is to improve and redefine life in urban environments by diversifying existing city landscape norms. The Future Africa Landscape will be focused on the ability of the urban landscape to provide food for fauna and people, and will in so doing highlight not only the potentials that South African plants but also African plants can provide. Click here to read more. 

• As a result of UP’s policies on community engagement, the opportunity for a community urban gardening project was realized on an abandoned lot within the broader university community. Sustainably-produced fresh produce is provided to a shelter and supports an old-age home. The unit for Community Engagement at the University of Pretoria has managed to transform a dumpsite in the city into a lush garden with flowering canals, vegetables, trees, and free therapy on-site. Eventually, 3 000 tons of rubbish were removed during a gigantic effort. UP provided 3 000 tons of topsoil and 200 tons of compost to kick-start the project. The first 120 fruit trees were planted. True to the meaning of its name, the site was going through a transition. Click here to read more. 

 Maintain and extend current ecosystem’s biodiversity

• The University of Pretoria (UP) leads a stakeholder-based project in the Waterberg Mountain Complex (WMC), an area of special conservation interest, threatened by mining and infrastructure development. WMC in the Limpopo province will be the focus of a "multidisciplinary of foundational baseline biodiversity data gathering project "after a University of Pretoria researcher was awarded Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP) funding to carry out the Large Project. Click here to read more. 

• South Africa's Marion - and Prince Edward Island together encompass the Prince Edward Islands archipelago. These islands enjoy the highest protective status available under South African legislation - that of "Special Nature Reserve". These islands are set aside solely for purposes of conservation of biodiversity and for research purposes. UP manages a long-term research programme on Marion Island to manage these threatened ecosystems. Click here to read more. 

• Urban biodiversity gardens with threatened indigenous species: This project monitors the survival of native plant palettes in urban contexts, and explores to what degree these native plants contribute to biodiversity, sense of place, and food production. The greater programme has implemented two biodiversity gardens one project (200 sqm patch area) is part of the Future Africa Research Complex on the University of Pretoria Hillcrest Campus; the second project (100 sqm patch area) is part of the Javett Art Centre and Mapungubwe Collection Museum on the UP Hatfield Campus. Click here to read more. 

Educational programmes on ecosystems

• Paid: Post Graduate Course in Land Reclamation and Restoration Ecology is presented by the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Courses are presented in many different ecological subdisciplines, such as Conservation Ecology by the Department of Zoology and Entomology. A course in Urban Form, Urban Ecology, and Site Ecology by the Department of Architecture provide the opportunity for students to learn about urban ecosystems. Read more:

  • Year book - Land Reclamation and Restoration Ecology

  • Year book - Conservation Ecology

  • Year book - Design​​

• Free: The University of Pretoria leads a stakeholder-based project in the Waterberg Mountain Complex, an area of special conservation interest, threatened by mining and infrastructure development.  The project includes education and outreach to local schools and NGOs. Click here to read more. 

• The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences received R4.5m from the Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FPIB) for biodiversity research across multiple institutions and disciplines. Click here to read more.

Sustainable management of land for agriculture and tourism

• Continuous Education Programme for local and national communities on Environmental Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement by Centre for Environmental Studies through the Enterprises University of Pretoria. Continuous Education Programme for local and national communities on Environmental Law (Online course), presented by the Department of Public Law.​​

• Environmental Compliance Monitoring - This short course prepares learners with knowledge and insights to align company policies and objectives to current environmental legislation to ultimately minimize liabilities and interact with audit, inspection, and enforcement processes. Click here to read more.​

• Our innovative online short course in Environmental Law provides you with insight into the fast-growing and increasingly relevant field of environmental law in South Africa, and further afield. The online course, presented over 10 days in a creative virtual platform, looks at, for instance, laws regulating: environmental impact assessment and various compliance and enforcement mechanisms under the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998, the protection of South Africa’s significant biodiversity and protected areas, topical mining issues, and climate change impacts. Click here to read more Info Brochure​​

• Teaching and research on Wildlife Management and Conservation at the University of Pretoria has been running under the umbrella of the Eugène Marais Chair of Wildlife Management for 50 years. We are committed to developing a greater understanding of wildlife, and the management and conservation thereof, through the training of scientists and the pursuit of primary research in aspects of wildlife biology. We work on management-related subjects in several southern African countries and abroad. Click here to read more. 

• Collaboration with a local company on bioconversion of food waste using insects. In South Africa alone, Click here to read more. 
• Spatial Development Plan:This plan focuses on the future physical development of the University of Pretoria. Building on the Spatial Development Plan 2020-2025 (adopted in 2019), this plan is underpinned by the University’s vision of becoming “a leading research‐intensive university in Africa, recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, and also for developing people, creating knowledge and making a difference locally and globally”. 

Read more about Goal 15 on UN website