Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve
On the 20th of September 2001 the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Reserve was registered in Paris by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). K2C is recognised under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme.
It became the 411th Biosphere Reserve site to be registered in 94 countries worldwide, acknowledging the global significance of Greater Kruger bioregion, the eastern savannahs and escarpment of South Africa.
Biosphere Reserves are designated regions throughout the world where internationally important ecosystems and protected areas lie adjacent to human settlements, and are established to promote solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use.
The K2C Biosphere Programme is an extensive community-driven initiative situated in the east of the country. It bridges Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, and it is also at the interface of the Eastern Transvaal Drakensberg Escarpment and the Central Lowveld.
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Map of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve
The map below depicts the extensive conservation land use within the K2C Biosphere. Covering three biomes (Savannah woodlands, afromontane forests and montane grasslands) these protected areas and resource areas are approximately 4,800,000 ha in total extent, including the Transfrontier and Escarpment protected areas.
On closer scrutiny, these protected areas make up a unique constellation of public, provincial, private reserves and natural resource areas.
In the transition zone more than 1.5 million people reside on communal land.
READ MORE
- Read about some of the land-use pressures facing the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere
- Read about the the ecological importance of the Kruger National Park and Biosphere
- Understand how historically disenfranchised people are being involved in new millennium conservation as policies become more understanding of the critical need for local support
- Read a profile of the inhabitants of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere
