BioRegional South Africa

Overview

At the World Summit on Sustainable Development In 2002, BioRegional supported Johannesburg EcoCity Trust to create a demonstration of eco-houses and community centre at Ivory Park Township. In 2005, BioRegional held the first One Planet workshop in Johannesburg, and a number of subsequent workshops were held for the City of Cape Town, Tongaat Hulett Developments in Durban, The Natural Step, South African Cities Network and Joburg Property Company.

BioRegional South Africa has more recently been working with Tongaat Hulett Developments, their consultants and eThekwini municipality to apply the 10 One Planet Principles to the proposed Sibaya development north of Umhlanga in Durban, creating an overarching ‘one planet’ strategy for the entire 850 hectare site including 6000 residential units, 6 hotels and commercial space by 2027.

Contact

Mailing address:
BioRegional South Africa,
152 Ridge Road,
Umhlanga 4319,
Durban,
KwaZuluNatal,
South Africa

telephone +27 (0)31 561 5708 

email sarah.alsen@bioregional.com

Registered SA Trust no: IT 1413/2008/PMB

Trustees

Michele Bovet
Michele Bovet has a background in marketing, and is currently Marketing Manager at SA Home Loans. She has a strong interest in environmental issues, and has previous work experience with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, private consulting to the conservation sector, and fundraising for WWF where she worked with BioRegional on OPL developments in the KwaZulu-Natal region.

John Cook
John is an architect by profession having practiced in UK, Malawi and SA and has spent the bulk of his working life in development with both Anglo American and Tongaat Hulett Developments (THDev).

At end of 2008, he retired from THDev as Development Executive responsible for Sibaya, which will be the flagship sustainable initiative for Tongaat Hulett Developments. One project over more recent years includes the Zimbali Coastal Resort - an internationally recognized resort development that established development and preservation of critical coastal dune forest adjacent to the Indian Ocean.

His passion has been to see the One Planet Living principles being incorporated into every aspect of a major development in KZN South Africa, in particular Sibaya.

Michelle Wilson
Michele Wilson is an American citizen who moved to South Africa in 1991. Prior to this, Michelle obtained her law degree in America, and was a partner at the law firm of Shearman and Waters in Danbury, Connecticut. In 1990  She changed careers and joined Dick Young Productions (New York City) to make documentary films covering a broad range of international social issues, filming from Japan to Timbuktu. 
 
Michelle is married to Rick Wilson and they have one child.   She served as an ambassador to WWF South Africa from 2005 and was elected to the board of directors of the same in 2007.  Michelle is also bee keeper.

Pooran Desai OBE
Pooran studied physiological sciences at Oxford University. He founded the BioRegional Charcoal Company and has worked to revive London’s lavender industry. With architect Bill Dunster he initiated the BedZED eco-village. Pooran has been a sustainability consultant to government and industry, in the UK and overseas and chaired the Homes and Environment group of the UK Defra Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment. In 2005, Pooran helped found sustainable community development company BioRegional Quintain Ltd (BQL), where he is Sustainability Director. He is Technical Director of the international “One Planet Living” initiative. In 2004, Pooran was awarded an OBE for services to sustainable development.