Wetlands vital to everyone
Monday was World Wetlands Day, an event which marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands which took place on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
MBOMBELA – Monday was World Wetlands Day, an event which marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands which took place on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Each year since 1997, the Ramsar Secretariat has provided materials so that government agencies, non-governmental organisations, conservation organisations, and groups of citizens can help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands.
“Wetlands are guaranteed to help recharge the ground-water levels in any country, thus ensuring better food security and increased water availability,” explained a local environmentalist, Ms Nomcebo Kunene.
Kunene said, “Classifying wetlands as wastelands should be avoided as wetlands play an important biological, cultural, economic, aesthetic and spiritual role.”
She added that one of the country’s well-known wetlands is the Wakkerstroom Wetlands, internationally renowned for its natural splendour.
“It has been recognised as one of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga’s priority wetlands and is home to a great variety of birds. Wetlands also have high water purification and stream-flow regulation values. A variety of water users’ downstream depend on it for assured yields of good quality water,” she said.
Threats to wetlands include human activities, such as channelisation, drainage, crop production, effluent disposal and water abstraction. Studies also show that the loss of wetlands may lead to a reduction or loss in biodiversity, as plants and animals that are adapted to wetland habitats are often unable to adapt to new environmental conditions, or to move to more suitable ones.
Loss of wetlands may result in loss of harvestable resources such as reeds and grasses which are important materials in traditional construction as well as cultural practices.
The Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (Dardlea) will hold a celebration on Grassland Week and National Wetlands Day today at Chrissiesmeer in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality.
“The province is the first and only province in the country to declare and celebrate a Provincial Grassland Week in combination with National Wetlands Day, which is celebrated internationally on February 2 each year,” explained the department’s media liaison, Mr Bhekumuzi Nyathikazi in a media statement.
He added that this year’s theme was “Mpumalanga Twin Treasures Wings over Mpumalanga. With this theme, the department aims to raise awareness and build capacity on the grassland and wetlands, including the avifaunal or bird richness of the province as they are.”
