Abstract
The gap between scientific knowledge and implementation of such knowledge in the fields of
biodiversity conservation, environmental management and climate change adaptation, is widely
recognized. The state of knowledge of urban ecosystems is generally quite poor, and there is a
shortage of human capacity to implement scientifically-sound management practices at the local
level, especially within institutions having the mandate of regulating land use planning. The need to
bridge the science-action gap to improve decision-making for local land use planning and
management, and thereby reduce the impacts of urbanization on ecosystems, has been recognized
by eThekwini Municipality in the city of Durban, South Africa...