THE Aller River Pilot Project was recently awarded the 2018 Mail and Guardian’s Greening Award, in the category, Community Conservation and Resilience.
The award was collected at a function in Johannesburg by the chairman of the eThekwini Conservancies Forum and Kloof Conservancy, Paolo Candotti, on behalf of the project.
Candotti started by applauding the Eco-Champs and entire project team which has contributed to this recognition.
“The challenge has been, and remains, a massive one and the project has merely been a catalyst in a process of working towards a long-term solution which empowers the community to become co-custodians with the designated authorities, of river health within the Aller River Catchment.
“The team set its objectives in 2016 to facilitate this process and has stuck doggedly to this despite the enormous challenges and the ongoing poor river health. The team remains of the view that ultimately the residents in the catchment need to be the ones who hold themselves and the authorities accountable. The Project Team has always acknowledged its limitations in that it does not have the resources, mandate nor authority to “fix things”,” said Candotti.
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In this context, Candotti said the role of the project team continues to assist wherever possible to provide guidance, help find local solutions, build resilience, invest in building local skills, facilitate the interactions with the authorities and generally create a climate of co-operation.
“I would also like to thank the conservancies that constitute the eThekwini Conservancies Forum, this project recognises the co-operative spirit of conservancies and what can be achieved when conservancies pull together, share resources and support each other.
“Thanks also to the Duzi Umgeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) for providing the initial inspiration and support and to all the eThekwini Municipality officials who have been part of this project and have been more than willing to engage with us to find solutions. Thanks also to the funders of the project over its three phases, eThekwini Municipality, The United Kingdom Arts and Humanities Research Council (via the University of Cambridge) and the National Lotteries Commission,” he said.
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