A lack of awareness of our wetlands can have catastrophic consequences for South Africa’s biodiversity. Wetlands play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, water management and community livelihoods, but extensive agricultural expansion, urban development and industrial activities mean that these vital ecosystems are increasingly under threat.
According to Prof Wynand Malherbe from the Water Research Group at the North-West University (NWU), urgent interventions are required to stem this destructive tide.
To raise awareness, t is important to look at the role that wetlands play.
“Wetlands are host to many organisms as a result of the habitat complexity and variety that often exist in these systems. We find so many plants, animals and microorganisms in the different wetland types. In addition to the role that wetlands play with regard to biodiversity, they also have water filtration functions. As wetlands slow water down, they act as a good filtration system that can trap sediment and many types of pollutants. Therefore, wetlands help to release cleaner water into downstream systems such as rivers and oceans. As a natural buffer against the influx of water, wetlands help to mitigate floods, as they can absorb and store water, thereby decreasing the impact of floods on downstream users. The dissipation of energy also allows wetlands to reduce erosion by stabilising the soils and vegetation.
“Wetlands are important for their role in the economy. Many people and communities rely on wetlands to sustain their livelihoods, for example, through fishing or agriculture. The tourism industry also relies on these beautiful spaces in the landscape for ecotourism such as birding, fishing or photography. Furthermore, wetlands play a vital role in carbon sequestration, which helps to mitigate climate change, and they can replenish the groundwater aquifers by storing and then slowly releasing water back into the environment,” says Malherbe.
There are a myriad of important roles that wetlands play, and it is imperative that they must be safeguarded.
“Protecting and conserving wetlands is crucial for maintaining biodiversity, sustaining ecosystem services and ensuring the well-being of future generations. There are a number of actions we can take to achieve this, and one of the most important is to educate and raise awareness in communities about wetlands and the services that they provide to the ecosystem. Public awareness campaigns are often very successful in affecting positive change in wetlands management,” Malherbe explains.
“Coupled with awareness and education, research on wetlands and wetland inventories and monitoring programmes need to be introduced. Detailed inventories of where wetlands are and how they function are an important step in wetlands management. These wetland inventories then provide the basis for monitoring changes in the health and functionality of wetlands. Worldwide the observation of wetlands is shifting towards communities, empowering them to take ownership of their wetlands to monitor and protect them for future generations.”
Malherbe further emphasises the importance of implementing sustainable land-use management that minimises the destruction of wetlands for agriculture, urban development and infrastructure projects.
“There is also a need for legislation and policy development at local, national and international level to improve the legal protection of wetlands. Internationally, the implementation conventions such as the Ramsar Convention promote the wise use of wetlands globally. The reality is that many of our wetlands are already disturbed and degraded, and the restoration of wetlands is therefore important in our management of wetlands and their ecosystem services for future generations.”
Malherbe says that by using a combination of strategies, it is possible to protect and conserve wetlands, ensuring that these vital ecosystems continue to provide essential services for biodiversity and human well-being.
There is no denying the critical importance of wetlands, not only for biodiversity and environmental health, but also for economic development and the well-being of people. The ongoing threats to these ecosystems mean it is vital to prioritise their protection and sustainable management. The fates of our wetlands are not set in stone … yet.
