South African National Parks (SANParks) said in a statement work is underway to establish a high-altitude national park in the mountains of the Eastern Cape close to the Lesotho border and the spectacular Naude’s Nek pass – South Africa’s highest lying road at over 2500m. Not only is this area rich in biodiversity and endemic species, but it also lies within the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area which is a natural source of fresh water for people downstream. When declared the park will also improve formal protection of South Africa’s grasslands which have been identified as a national conservation priority. This new proposed national park is a collaboration between SANParks and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This will see a 30 000-hectare protected area that, once formally declared, will become South Africa’s newest national park, significantly contributing towards the conservation of grasslands and water security.
SOURCE: GETAWAY