Media Release: Garden Route’s Environmental Crisis: ‘Among the Worst’ in the Country

For Immediate Release
17 August 2026

The Garden Route is facing an environmental crisis of alarming proportions, according to veteran environmental manager Dr Guy Preston who recently visited the region following the recent extreme weather events.

“After seeing conditions on the ground, Preston expressed deep concern at the extent of invasive alien plants (IAPs), describing their prevalence in the Garden Route as among the worst in the country,” says Cobus Meiring of the Garden Route Environmnetal Forum (GREF).

His warning carries particular weight. Dr Preston is renowned for spearheading South Africa’s ambitious invasive alien plant control programme. As former Director of Natural Resource Management Programmes in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, he was instrumental in establishing and driving the Working for Water, Working for Wetlands and Working on Fire Programmes.

These programmes became internationally recognised for combining environmental restoration with job creation and skills development. At its peak the combined budget for these initiatives ran into billions of rand and created thousands of jobs across South Africa.

During his Garden Route tour, Preston highlighted the enormous risks posed by the unchecked spread of invasive vegetation. The problem, he stressed, extends far beyond the loss of indigenous plants and biodiversity.

Dense stands of invasive alien vegetation create large quantities of combustible biomass, significantly increasing the risk of severe and destructive wildfires. At the same time, invasive plants threaten biodiversity by displacing indigenous species and disrupting natural ecosystems.

Water resources are also under pressure. Invasive alien plants can consume substantial amounts of water, particularly in catchments, while their spread can affect streamflow and reduce the availability of water for ecosystems and communities.

Preston also warned of damage to rivers and degradation of natural infrastructure. Healthy catchments, wetlands and river systems are essential to the functioning and resilience of the Garden Route, yet their condition is being compromised by widespread invasions.

For the region, Preston’s assessment is a stark wake-up call. The Garden Route’s forests, rivers, wetlands, mountains and coastal ecosystems represent an invaluable natural asset, but their resilience cannot be taken for granted.

His visit underlined the need for urgent, coordinated and sustained action involving government, municipalities, landowners, conservation organisations and communities.

The success of Working for Water demonstrated what can be achieved when invasive alien plants are treated as a major environmental and economic priority. GREF believes these lessons should inform a renewed effort to protect and restore the Garden Route before the costs of inaction become even greater.

The Garden Route Environmnetal Forum (GREF) is a public platform for environmental managers and serves as a climate change think- tank. (www.grefecsf.co.za)

Feature image: Cobus Mering, Chairperson of the Garden Route Environmental Forum with Dr Guy Preston.

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