Wetlands

Wetlands of South Africa. Photo: Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT).

Wetlands can be considered as sinks into which surface water or groundwater flows from a surrounding catchment. Within landscapes they are “natural harvesters” of rainwater and, by definition, sites where water occurs at or close to the ground surface.

However, wetlands are disappearing more and more. For instance, about 50% of South Africa’s wetlands have already been destroyed or converted through draining, the building of dams, incorrect burning and overgrazing, invasive alien species, waste disposal, water abstraction, agricultural, urban development and inappropriate land management. These losses are expected to increase as the human population grows and demand for water resources and land expands.

Reference manuals, videos, and link

• Drought in eastern Africa worsened by wetland loss. Wetlands International, 2009.

Acknowledgements

Wetlands, Agriculture and Poverty Reduction. IWMI, 2010.