SCIENCE COUNCILS’ EXPENDITURE
Environment research is lagging
A country of SA’s standing in biodiversity ought to be spending more on research and development related to the environment, writes Sibusiso Manzini
SA punches way above its weight on biodiversity. Surpassed only by the more expansive Indonesia and Brazil, SA is the world’s third-most biodiverse country, according to the South African Biodiversity Institute, a member of an exclusive club of megadiverse countries that provide sanctuary to most of Earth’s biological treasures. SA owes its rich biodiversity and ecosystems to its unique natural environment, which encompasses the interaction of all living species, climate, weather, topography as well as other natural resources and processes. Apart from the incalculable benefits derived from the various biological species, the environment also bestows on the country critical resources and services that underpin its development. The complex naturally functioning ecosystems that render invaluable services such as water and climate regulation, soil formation and disaster risk reduction are collectively referred to as the ecological infrastructure. Without a thriving and robust ecological...
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