World Wetlands Day
pic: Bruce Sutherland
February 2nd marks the celebration of World Wetlands Day, the date of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971. It is so named as it took place in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Wetlands are found all over the world, yet generally we do not understand or appreciate the value of wetlands which has resulted in their destruction through development, infrastructure and general human growth.
Wetlands not only contain vast amounts of life and increase biodiversity, they also help to maintain environments from a number of different perspectives - they provide flood control, provide a habitat for fish, wildlife, and plant species (many of which can not survive without the wetland as it is part of their life cycle), maintain water quality, and are active ground water discharge and recharge sites. By being a point for water to leave and enter a system they assist in regulating the water table. They also provide a beautiful space in which to fish, view wildlife, and educate ourselves about environmental issues.
South Africa has one of the most unique climates in the world, laying between the Indian and Atlantic oceans. We have many wetlands, however there are only a number of declared Ramsar sites around South Africa. These include Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Blesbokspruit, Barberspan, Seekoeivlei, Natal Drakensberg Park, Ndumo Game Reserve, Kosi Bay System , Lake Sibaya, St Lucia, Wilderness Lakes, De Hoop Vlei, De Mond State Forest, Langebaan, Verlorenvlei, and the Orange River Mouth wetland. To find out more visit here.
Ramsar wetlands are of huge environmental significance. They are crucial ecological areas, are under conservation, and join a list of similar wetlands around the world. Today this Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance includes over 1 869 sites, known as Ramsar Sites.
Negotiated through the 1960s by countries and non-governmental organizations concerned at the increasing loss and degradation of wetland habitat for migratory water birds, the Ramsar treaty was adopted in 1971, and came into force in 1975. It is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem, and the convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.
The definition of wetlands decided by the convention are broad. It include lakes and rivers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, near-shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans.
World Wetlands Day celebrates the signing of this convention, but has only been celebrated since 2 February 1997. It seeks to create awareness among the communities of the world. So that people may preserve these precious natural wonderlands, and in doing so, ensure a healthy future for all.
Where are Cape Town's Wetlands?
In the flat, low-laying areas of Cape Town there used to be many marsh and floodplain wetlands known as "vleis". In the past, most of these wetlands were seasonal – flooded in winter but dry in summer. Many small wetlands have been drained or filled in, while others have become permanent lakes because they receive large volumes of water from storm-water drains, e.g. Zeekoevlei and Princessvlei.
Today few seasonal wetlands remain in Cape Town. The Isoetes Vlei at Edith Stephens Wetland Park and seasonal salt marshes at Blouvlei near Century City are two examples. Cape Town’s major estuaries include Zandvlei and Rietvlei.
A number of the smaller rivers in the City also end in estuaries. These are vitally important to the fishing industry as estuaries act as "nurseries" for baby fish to grow before returning to the sea.
Use the Cape Town Green Map to find local wetlands like Zeekoevlei, Rondevlei, Rietvlei, Zandvlei, Edith Stephens Wetland Park, Uitkamp Wetlands, Lower Silvermine River Wetlands, Glencairn Wetland (GEESE)
