Cape Action for People and the Environment (C.A.P.E.) is a
partnership of government and civil society aimed at conserving and restoring the biodiversity of the
Cape Floristic Region and the adjacent marine environment, while delivering significant
benefits to the people of the region.
C.A.P.E. has 23
signatory partners - government departments, municipalities, non-governmental and community-based organisations and conservation agencies. All these organisations and a broader base of stakeholders are united in a
common strategy around
biodiversity conservation. The programme is coordinated through various
governance and co-ordination structures.
During the first phase of implementation (2001 – 2010), the C.A.P.E. programme enabled donor
funding to be channelled into new areas of work and exciting new approaches to conservation including
landscape initiatives,
conservation stewardship,
business and biodiversity,
fine-scale planning,
catchment management,
conservation education and
strengthening institutions. A number of
task teams co-ordinated work in these areas, and progress continues to be evaluated though a
monitoring and evaluation system. The programme is currently in the process of planning for phase two implementation.
The C.A.P.E. partnership programme is co-ordinated through the C.A.P.E. Coordination Unit which is hosted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its
fynbos biome programme. The C.A.P.E. Co-ordination Unit (CCU) is located at the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town.
