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Build houses for the Cape's poor or save species on the brink of extinction? Sometimes the local authority can do both, but often its limited budget and resources force it to pick one. Finding the optimal balance between the often conflicting needs of rapid urbanisation while, at the same time, protecting biodiversity is a major challenge, says Cape Town mayor Helen Zille.

She was speaking at a Kirstenbosch media briefing on the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Project.

The LAB Project, run by the international organisation, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, has become one of the world's leading urban biodiversity projects, and is endorsed by a range of local, national, and international agencies, organisations and institutions.

The project promotes urban biodiversity.

Mayor Zille said that innovative thinking from City officials was required to ensure the optimal integration of biodiversity into the urban fabric of the City.

She said the need to accommodate an increasing number of rural job-seekers and a growing housing backlog of up to 460 000 units placed a difficult onus on a City that was obligated to conserving some of the world's most critically endangered species.

At the same time the City took cognizance of the fact that people are also part of biodiversity and their legitimate needs had to be compassionately recognised and responded to.

Zille also announced one of the City's five new biodiversity projects to be implemented prior to June 2009 as part of its LAB commitment - the development and conservation of a fynbos corridor connecting the Diep River Corridor near Milnerton with the Blaauwberg Conservation Area, one of the City's most important biodiversity areas. Dr George Davis, representing the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), which hosted the Kirstenbosch event, said that the participation of poorer communities living adjacent to remnant areas of nature conservation value is essential.

Referring to Cape Flats Nature - a joint project run by the City of Cape Town and SANBI - he pointed out that biodiversity would only win community endorsement if it was seen to enhance both service delivery and the overall quality of life.

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