JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (ADV) – The Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Barbara Thomson, has urged South Africans to take a step towards protection and conservation of wetlands.
The Minister made this plea ahead of the World Wetlands Day which is celebrated by the global community tomorrow.
Thomson said activities in commemoration of this important day will focus on awareness raising campaigns in schools around the North West and Mpumalanga provinces.
“However, we call on every citizen throughout the country to desist from activities that would compromise the integrity of our wetlands. It is all our responsibility to preserve our natural environment for the benefit of current and future generations,” she said.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually on 2 February, with an aim to heighten education and raise public awareness on the value of wetlands and their vital contribution to human wellness.
This year’s celebrations are set to take place under the theme ‘Wetlands and Climate Change’. The theme demonstrates the importance of wetlands as the planet’s most effective carbon sinks or storage that signify unrealised potential for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The ultimate objective is attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically Goal 13 which urges parties to take urgent action to combat climate change, and its impacts through strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
“Wetlands are an important part of the ecosystem, as they provide a number of benefits, not only to the natural environment, but also to the people’s livelihoods,
“Such benefits include reduction of flooding, replenish drinking water, filter waste, and provision of urban green spaces. These benefits become more crucial as the number of people living in cities continues to increase,” said Deputy Minister Thomson.
In an efforts to address wetland loss and degradation, the Department of Environmental Affairs runs the Working for Wetlands programme implemented through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
The initiative has since 2004 rehabilitated 1 400 wetlands, about 68 000 hectares, while providing 27 000 job and skills development opportunities.
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