The Ingula Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal has been declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Conventions on Wetlands of International Importance.
Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, has welcomed the declaration.
The reserve falls part of the Northern Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area and contains hillslope wetlands, pans, and floodplains. The addition of the reserve brings the number of South Africa’s Ramsar Sites to 27, covering a surface area of 571.089 hectares.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment put to light that wetlands are under major threat both nationally and globally despite their significance to human life. Some of the threats to wetlands are pollution, invasive alien species, habitat loss, climate change, and land-use change. In the statement, the department highlights the crucial importance of rivers and wetlands as ecological infrastructure for water security and often complementing built infrastructure.
R38 million has been invested in the rehabilitation and maintenance of about 75 wetlands to try and conserve the wetlands ecosystems. The Working for Wetlands Programme focuses on restorative interventions for maintaining healthy wetlands.
‘Since its inception in 2004, the Working for Wetlands Programme has rehabilitated over 1749 wetlands countrywide, thereby contributing to increased healthier water supplies improving the economic benefits of natural and agricultural habitat. This has created more than 40 274 jobs and skills development opportunities for South Africans,’ reported Good Things Guy.
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