Wwf – Macroeconomics Programme Office Macroeconomics and Sustainable Development in Southern Africa Synthesis Report of South African Study

FOREWORD That a healthy environment is intrinsic to sustainable development is now generally accepted. However moving beyond mere recognition is more difficult. This includes understanding the dynamics, and myriad environmental, economic and social relationships. Greater insight into the interactions between the macro economy and the environment is critical. To address the last mentioned this project focused on policy reforms, taking account of environmental issues, at macro economic level and the socio economic implications thereof. The overall project includes work from four countries, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and was initiated by the WWF/MPO (Macroeconomic Programmes Office, Washington DC) with stakeholder groupings in each country. Each country project was managed independently, (in South Africa DBSA acted as Project Secretariat) had its own National Advisory Committee (NAC) while the overall project was guided by an International Advisory Committee (IAC). The overall project has been funded by a variety of international donors. The South African project secretariat and stakeholders acknowledge with great appreciation the funding provided for the South African project by GTZ. This synthesis report, based on a series of ten research reports, reflects the output of the research element of the SA project. The project as a whole and in particular the individual papers benefited enormously from the range and diversity of stakeholders involved. However it needs to be acknowledged that this diversity is both a strength and weakness. A strength because of the insights gained from these diverse positions and a potential weakness precisely because of this diversity making it at best difficult and at worst impossible to achieve consensus on all issues. Thus, the papers reflect the research undertaken by eminent people in their particular fields, their interpretation of comments received and discussions held with stakeholders. But in the end the views expressed are those of the researchers and are not necessarily shared by the DBSA or any other stakeholder. DBSA, as the project secretariat, thanks all those involved – the NAC members and in particular the Executive – and sincerely hopes that this report together with the individual research reports will add substance to the debates in environmental economics and extend understanding particularly around the dynamic of macro economics and the environment.