Cape Town - World Wetlands Day celebrated today also marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty to conserve wetlands.
CapeNature’s commemoration of the day will be in anticipation of the Berg River estuary being declared a Ramsar site.
Local Government MEC Anton Bredell said the Western Cape had lost almost 50% of its wetland areas.
“It is imperative that we take a whole-of-society approach to restore and protect these areas,” Bredell said.
This was the first year the day was observed as a UN International Day, under the theme, “Action for People and Nature”, to highlight the importance of ensuring wetlands were conserved and sustainably used.
The Berg River Estuary’s anticipated status as a Ramsar site will give the wetland national and international recognition as a site of ecological importance that supports conservation.
CapeNature chief executive Razeena Omar said: “The conservation of ecosystems and species are dependent on the balance between freshwater and marine water from the ocean entering the estuary. To date, this balance has been maintained, so much so that the overall site has been recognised for its exceptional value in terms of ecosystem and species diversity.”
She said the Ramsar site declaration was effectively a global recognition of this.
CapeNature general manager Petro van Rhyn said ways in which members the public could contribute to the protection of wetlands included planting appropriate indigenous plants in natural areas, refraining from littering, using recycled products, using water sparingly, and acting as ambassadors for wetlands within its communities.
Convention on Wetlands secretary-general Martha Urrego said: “The wise and sustainable use of wetlands is not only possible, it’s critical to the future of humanity and the planet. Continued harm to these life-sustaining ecosystems will have dire consequences if we don’t act now.”
To celebrate World Wetlands Day, the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning launched an interactive map aimed at pupils and students showcasing the value of the Papenkuils wetland along the Breede River.
“This story map aims to help create an understanding of how human impacts have reduced the ecosystem services of this wetland while helping to create awareness about the value of our wetlands,” Bredell said.