Since 2002, CapeNature has complied a State of Biodiversity report every five years, with the latest fifth edition covering the period between April 2017 and March 2023. The 2023 Western Cape State of Biodiversity Report builds on the 2017 edition, summarising information relating to the status of the terrestrial, freshwater, coastal ecosystems, and indigenous species in the Western Cape. The report highlights the status of primary threats to biodiversity, including habitat loss, biodiversity crime and invasive alien species and reviews the effect of fire in protected areas as a key ecological driver of the Fynbos biome.

Several products produced over these five years of review have been incorporated in this edition, including key findings of the 2018 National Biodiversity Assessment, land cover modification up to 2020, and the 2022 revised terrestrial IUCN Red Listed Ecosystem status list. This provides the most up-to-date understanding of the State of Biodiversity in the Western Cape.

A copy of the document can be downloaded here: 2023 State of Biodiversity Report – CapeNature