Humans, animals and plants all NEED WATER to survive
Would you like to know how to save water?
Cape Town has been experiencing a seriously tough time as there is a lack of water (rain). It is truly a difficult time for water globally, and even for South Africa.
The drought has affected precious water resources and this has caused people to wonder and leaves them with uncertainty, but March is dedicated to water and is celebrated as water month.
March is celebrated as the month of water when National Water Week and World Water Day are marked. This gives us reason to be hopeful and takes water seriously.
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Here are a few facts about what that you probably never knew, if you did here’s a reminder as to why water is important:
In Gauteng, the most common wetlands are rivers such as the Klip, Jukskei and Crocodile rivers. Wetlands are very important for livelihoods, as they supply many basic requirements such as food like fish and edible plants, medical plants, material for building and crafts, grazing, and fertile soil for food gardens.
They also provide a habitat for many species of birds, animals, and fish. Furthermore, wetlands provide clean water, prevent flooding and ensure a steady water flow in rivers. Wetlands act like filters, cleaning water that passes through them.
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They also act like sponges, absorbing water when it is raining and slowly releasing it during the dry season.
Given their importance, and the severe threat that they are under, it is crucial that communities work together to conserve and manage wetlands in order to ensure sustainable livelihoods now and in the future.
The main causes of wetland destruction are drainage of wetlands for crops, poorly-managed burning, and overgrazing that result in head cuts and donga erosion, planting of alien trees that use more water than indigenous ones, mining, pollution and urban development.
- Want to know how you can save these wetlands?
Do not litter. Stop illegal dumping. Clean your yard and pavements every day to prevent waste entering the stormwater drains.
- Why is water important?
Water is a resource that cannot be created by man. Water does not arrive in our homes by magic, it starts as run-off from the ocean into streams and rivers which is caught in dams, purified, pumped, stored, and finally, piped into homes. South Africa is a water scarce country.
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South Africa only receives half of the world’s average annual rainfall and only 9 percent of that ends up in our rivers, with the rest lost to evaporation.
- Would you like to know how to save water?
Instead of using the water that comes out of the tap, we should try to use rainwater as much as possible when watering lawns, plants and vegetable gardens. Use a cup to brush your teeth.
Don’t take long showers – five minutes maximum. Use a bucket to wash your car and not a hosepipe. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily.
Throw tissues, insects and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet. When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run. Fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water. Fix leaking taps and toilets as soon as possible.
