Sacred natural sites as other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMS) for biodiversity conservation in South Africa: Key opportunities and challenges for policy and practice

The focus of this study is on sacred natural sites (SNS's) as other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in South Africa. The global recognition of OECMs Kunming-Montrel Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 is an important milestone in the global conservation arena. The recognition of OECMs as an essential supplementary strategy to protected areas is a critical step towards conservation. This study aimed to assess opinions and perceptions about the opportunities and challenges of SNS's as OECMs in contributing to global conservation goals and targets. Semi-structured interviews were used as the main collection tool (either face-to-face or remotely) to elicit perceptions, judgements and feelings from academics involved in research on Indigenous knowledge, people involved in discussions related to OECMs, and the custodians of sacred sites. Recruitment of experts was undertaken using a mixture of non-probability purposive and snowball sampling. Experts were purposefully selected after which they were requested to refer us to other stakeholders/respondents who were also involved in projects related to OECMs. The study identified several opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed if SNS's are to be designated as OECMs. Although there is potential for recognising SNS's as OECMs, there are no standard criteria or guidelines available at the local or national level in South Africa for declaring SNS's as OECMs. This highlights a policy gap within the existing legal structure. The lack of clear policy frameworks and guidelines specifically designed for OECMs in South Africa creates implementation uncertainties.