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Water is the source of life. All organisms contain water and depend on it for survival. Water is crucial for all biodiversity including mankind. In a wide range of ecosystems water is a dominant component.
The Ramsar definition of "wetlands" is a broad one, encompassing not just marshes and lakes, but also coral reefs, peat forests, temporary pools, even underground caves, and all sorts of other systems everywhere from the mountains to the sea, including man-made habitats.
Naturally-functioning wetlands provide a range of under-appreciated benefits and services for people's livelihoods and well-being, including food, fibre, flood protection, water purification and cultural values, as well as water supply. However, these wetlands are often extremely vulnerable. The use of water by people has strongly affected almost all wetlands on Earth. The construction of dams changes the course and ecology of rivers; pollution, water-extraction, development and tourism activities threaten the biodiversity of lakes; fens, mires and bogs are being exploited industrially or converted into agricultural land; and climate change has large implications for many wetland areas.
Wetlands and biodiversity
Wetlands are extremely important for many taxa e.g. fish, terrapins and dragonflies. Waterbirds such as herons, egrets, swans, ducks and geese, and waders, use wetlands during the majority of their lifetime.
At least 12% of all Globally Threatened Birds, (146 species) depend on wetlands. The most important types of wetlands for these birds are lakes and pools; rivers and streams; bogs, marshes and swamps; and coastal lagoons. Due mainly to their importance for large congregations of waterbirds, wetlands make up a high percentage of Important Bird Areas (IBA). 69% of all European IBAs contain wetlands. Of those, 57% include freshwater lakes or ponds, 44% rivers and streams, 19% fens or mires and 13% mudflats and sandflats.
The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention)
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, adopted in 1971, entered into force in 1975 and as of August 2006 has 152 Parties. The Convention provides a framework for international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Parties are to designate suitable wetlands for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, to formulate and implement their planning so as to promote the conservation of wetlands included in the List and the wise use of all wetlands in their territory. This also means that the Convention is concerned not just with isolated sites, but the management of the entire catchment of river-basins.
As of August 2006, 1,610 Wetlands of International Importance, totaling 145.2 million hectares, have been designated. For a comprehensive approach to the national implementation of the Convention, many countries have developed National Wetland Policies.
Nowadays the Convention's activities include everything from groundwater modelling to sustainable fisheries, climate change, disaster mitigation, economic incentives and indigenous culture. But these are not changes to its original scope - they were all in fact already implied by different parts of the original far-sighted text. Hence in recent years Ramsar has been active in a very broad range of policy and technical areas, and it's certainly no longer mainly focused on waterbirds. Nevertheless the bird dimension is still a crucial aspect of its work, partly because birds have huge public appeal, there is a long-established and strong science-base on birds, and they have high ecological indicator value.
BirdLife and the Ramsar Convention
BirdLife International has been working with the Ramsar Convention from its early days, and this is reflected in BirdLife's status as one of the Ramsar International Organisation Partners, with IUCN, Wetlands International, the International Water Management Institute, and WWF being the others. This status carries with it advantages and responsibilities, enabling as it does close contact with the decision-making bodies of the Convention. BirdLife has made many crucial contributions to the development of the Convention over the years and regularly attends and actively contributes to the Conferences of the Parties, the meetings of Ramsar's Standing Committee, as well as Ramsar regional meetings. BirdLife is a key member of the Ramsar Scientific & Technical Review Panel, and has led a number of areas of its work.
The Ramsar Convention has become perhaps the most important global mechanism for BirdLife Partners in their national work. Many Partners have contributed to the designation of IBAs as Wetlands of International Importance in their countries, and many help to monitor these sites. A wide range of birdwatching and awareness-raising activities of BirdLife Partners are centred on wetlands. A number of Partners assist Parties with their implementation of the Convention, for example through participation in National Wetland Committees and in the development of National Wetland Policies.
THE CONVENTION ON WETLANDS
(The Ramsar Convention)
1. The Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (or commonly known as the Ramsar Convention) is an international treaty signed on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The mission of the Ramsar Convention is the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands by national and international co-operation as a means of achieving sustainable development throughout the world.
The Convention came into force on 21 January 1975 and it provides a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. UNESCO serves as Depository for the Convention, but its administration is entrusted to a secretariat known as the Ramsar Bureau, which is housed in the headquarters of IUCN (the World Conservation Union in Gland, Switzerland), under the authority of the standing committee of the Convention and the conference of parties.
There are presently 118 contracting parties (including South Africa, who became a member on 12 March 1975). The benefits derived from being a member to the Ramsar Convention includes:
- An endorsement of the principles that the Convention represents, facilitating the development at national level of policies and actions, including legislation, that helps nations to make the best possible use of their wetland resources in their quest for sustainable development;
- Presents an opportunity for a country to make its voice heard in the principal intergovernmental forum on the conservation and wise use of wetlands;
- Brings increased publicity and prestige for the wetlands designated for the List of Wetlands of International Importance, and hence increased possibility of support for conservation and wise-use measures;
- Brings access to the latest information and advice on application of the Convention's internationally-accepted standards, such as criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance, guidelines on application of the wise-use concept, and guidelines on management planning in wetlands;
- Brings access to expert advice on national and site-related problems of wetland conservation and management through contacts with Bureau personnel and consultants and through application of the Management Guidance Procedure when appropriate; and
- Encourages international co-operation on wetland issues and brings the possibility of support for wetland projects, either through the Convention's own Small Grants Fund or through the Convention's contacts with multilateral and bilateral external support agencies.
The obligations of the parties joining the Ramsar Convention are:
- to designate at least one wetland for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar List),
- to promote the wise use of all wetlands,
- to stem the loss of wetlands,
- to promote the training of personnel,
- to promote the implementation of parties obligations under the Ramsar Convention.
The 118 member countries to the Ramsar Convention have designated more than 1014 wetlands on the Ramsar List, covering a total of almost 80 million hectares. Criteria have been developed for determining which wetlands should be considered internationally important based upon their ecological and hydrological values, and their importance for conserving biological diversity. Member countries have an obligation to formulate and implement their planning so as to preserve the ecological character (the good health) of their listed sites. The benefits of a Ramsar status for a wetland include:
- recognition at a national level and by the international community as being of significant value not only for the country, or the countries, where they are located, but for humanity,
- better protection by government, through high level political commitment to maintain the sites ecological character,
- increased opportunities for tourism,
- greater access to expertise and training opportunities,
- implementation of management plans which include wise use of resources, and development of monitoring programmes
- and lastly the profile of the wetland raised through its promotion as a focal point or flagship for demonstrating conservation, good management and wise use of wetlands in the region.
There is also the Montreux Record, which is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part of the Ramsar Database. The Montreux Record is employed to identify priority sites for positive national and international conservation attention. Guidelines for the Montreux Record indicate the procedures for including Ramsar sites on the Montreux Record and removing sites from it. As of December 1999, 58 sites (of which two from South Africa: Blesbokspruit and Orange River Mouth) were registered in the Montreux Record.
Four non-government organisations work very closely with the Ramsar Convention and are recognised as the "partner organisations": they are BirdLife International, IUCN, Wetlands International and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
2. What are wetlands and why are they important to us?
Wetland loss is due to ignorance and misunderstanding of their role. Many wetland areas have been lost. Direct losses are due to their conversion to intensive agricultural, industrial and residential uses, while indirect losses are due to changes in their hydrological regime.
3. South Africa and the Ramsar Convention
They are: De Hoopvlei, Barberspan, de Mond State Forest, Blesbokspruit, Turtle beaches/Coral reefs of Tongaland, St Lucia System, Langebaan Lagoon, Wilderness Lake System, Verlorenvlei, Orange River Mouth Wetland, Kosi Bay System, Lake Sibiya, Natal Drakensberg Park, Ndumo Game Reserve, Seekoeivlei and Nylsvley Nature Reserve.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is responsible at the national level for implementing the Convention. More information about the South African Wetlands and related publications can be obtained from the website of South Wetlands accessible at http://www.ccwr.ac.za/wetlands/. Other websites addresses on wetlands related issues can be obtained from the above mentioned.
3.1 Baberspan (designated 12 March 1975) is located in the Barberspan Nature Reserve, which also houses one of the most important bird ringing stations in South Africa. Approximately 40 000 birds of 190 species are ringed annually in order to study their distribution and migration. Situated in the North-West Province, Barberspan is one of the few permanent water bodies on the western Highveld and provides food and shelter during the dry months for large numbers of waterbirds, with over 320 recorded species.
3.2 De Hoop Vlei (designated 12 March 1975) is situated within the De Hoop Nature Reserve, 65 km from Bredasdorp in the Western Cape. The wetland is highly productive, with 75 wetland-dependent bird species recorded in the area, many of which are found in large numbers. Significant populations of yellow-billed duck, representing 71% of the South African population, are found, along with 15% of the world population of Cape shoveller. Both of these species are known to breed in the vlei. The wetland is also well known as one of very few South African breeding sites of the greater flamingo. Other bird species such as the white pelican black stork, lesser flamingo, Caspian tern, little bittern and chestnut-banded plover also make use of the wetland habitats.
3.3 Blesbokspruit (designated 2 October 1986) is situated close to the town of Springs in Gauteng. Blesbokspruit is one of the larger wetlands in the Highveld and is a high conservation priority because it forms an important component of one of the tributaries of the Vaal River, which provides water to the highly industrialised and densely populated Gauteng.
The value of the system lies in its ability to purify industrial and domestic effluent discharged into the Blesbokspruit River from local industries, sewage works and mines, thereby reducing pollutant loads entering the Vaal River. In addition, the wetland acts as an important refuge for many waterbird species, particularly in the context of the highly industrialized urban environment of the Far East Rand where most of the wetland habitats have been lost .
Blesbokspruit was listed on the Montreux Record of the Convention in 1996 in response to a decline in the ecological character of the site, brought about primarily by the discharge of large volumes of polluted water from an adjacent gold mine. As a result of this and other impacts, the Ramsar site does not at present meet all of the criteria under which it was designated to the List of Wetlands of International Importance. Processes are underway to restore the site and manage it towards a desired future state.
3.4 De Mond State Forest (designated 2 October 1986) is situated within the De Mond State Forest in the Western Cape, at the estuary of the Heuningnes River that extends approximately 12 km across the flat coastal plain of the Zoetendals Vallei farm area before breaking out to sea through a double dune ridge.
It was designated a Ramsar site primarily for its importance as one of the few confirmed South African breeding sites of the Damara tern. This species is endemic to southern Africa, is listed as rare and vulnerable and is possibly the rarest resident sea bird in South Africa. Other breeding birds include African black oystercatcher, blue crane, Kittlitz's plover and Egyptian goose. As the most southerly estuary in Africa, the site is scientifically important for species distribution extremities, including the southernmost records of tropical species like the ginger prawn, giant mud crab and a gastropod. The seahorse Hippocampus sp. also occurs here.
3.5 St Lucia System (designated 2 October 1986) forms a large part of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. Situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal, the St Lucia System is the largest estuarine system on the African continent, and forms a critical habitat for a large number of species and several communities.The St Lucia Wetland Park was inscribed in December 1999 as a World Heritage Site. The area is home to the largest, southern-most population of hippos and 1 000 crocodiles, a wealth of plant and animal life including a great richness in bird life. The Park is already a fast-growing premier tourism destination and offers a wide range of tourist activities that range from fishing, boating and bird-watching, to scuba-diving, hiking and camping as well as offering outstanding photographic opportunities to the amateur and professional alike. Through tourism the park offers growing employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to business and local rural communities alike.
3.6 Turtle Beaches and Coral Reefs of Tongaland (designated 2 October 1986) stretches from south of Cape Vidal on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal to the Mozambique border. The Ramsar site comprises two contiguous protected areas, the St Lucia Marine Reserve and Maputaland Marine Reserve. This section of coastline is the only true subtropical part of South Africa's coastal waters, and with its associated coral reefs, intertidal zone and turtle breeding areas in a natural and undisturbed state, making it of particular conservation significance. Conditions favour the growth of corals, reef fish and a variety of Indo-Pacific fauna and flora, but true coral reef formation does not occur to a marked degree at this latitude.
3.7 Langebaan (designated 25 April 1988) is situated approximately 100 km northwest of Cape Town and includes the islands Schaapen (29 ha), Marcus (17 ha), Malgas (18 ha) and Jutten (43 ha), the Langebaan Lagoon (15 km long and 12.5 km wide), and a section of Atlantic coastline. The lagoon is entirely marine with a relatively stable salinity and supports dense populations of molluscs and crustaceans as well as 71 species of different marine algae. The lagoon also serves as a nursery for the development of juvenile fish, and gobies (Gobiidae), klipfish (Clinidae); pipefish (Syngnathidae) skates, rays and small sharks are common. The extensive intertidal area of the lagoon supports up to 55 000 waterbirds in summer, most of which are waders (23 species), including 15 regular Palaearctic migrants.
3.8 Kosi Bay System (designated 28 June 1991) is a complex of six large lakes, two lesser lakes and an estuary, is undoubtedly the best preserved large estuary along South Africa's Indian Ocean coastline. It is little degraded and supports a great diversity of fish and other aquatic fauna. The system is characterised by undulating grassland interspersed with lakes, pans, streams, marshes and swamps.As well as being largely dependent on the surrounding flora, the rural people in the area use traditional fishing methods to harvest the numerous fish species in the estuary. This provides an important protein source to local families and a tourist attraction to Kosi Bay's many visitors. The utilisation of resources from the system, and its regulation by the authorities, provides an excellent example of the concept of wise use in action.
3.9 Lake Sibiya (designated 28 June 1991) is one of the most complex of Ramsar sites situated on the coastal plain that makes up north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal and is the largest natural fresh water lake in the country, with an area of 60 to 70 km2. Surface water in the surrounding coastal plain often disappears completely during dry years, making the lake the only source of permanent water for birds and mammals.The wetland also supports rural people of the region, who in many cases are totally dependent on the water resource and its associated flora and fauna. Sibaya is also an important link between Kosi Bay and St Lucia, providing a stepping stone for the extension of tropical elements down the East Coast.
3.10 Orange River Mouth Wetland (designated 28 June 1991) is the mouth of South Africa's largest river and is located on the Atlantic coast and forms the border with Namibia. As a result of its transborder position, and the fact that Namibia has also designated its part of the mouth a Ramsar site, processes are underway to declare a jointly managed transboundary Ramsar site.The wetland plays an important role as one of a limited number of wetlands along the arid Atlantic coastline of southern Africa. The river mouth, mudflats, intrafluvial marshlands, islets near the mouth and adjacent pans provides a sizeable area of sheltered shallow water suitable for concentrations of wetland birds, which use these habitats for breeding purposes or as a stopover on migration routes. In 1995 the site was placed on the Montreux Record of the Ramsar Convention following the collapse of the salt marsh component of the system, which was the result of a combination of impacts, both at and upstream of the wetland. As a result of the decline in ecological character of the wetland, there has been a significant decrease in the number of waterfowl utilizing the system
3.11 Verlorenvlei (designated 28 June 1991) is one of the most important estuarine systems in the Western Cape and one of the largest natural wetlands along the West Coast. It is also one of the few coastal fresh water lakes in the country. The wetland is regarded as one of the 10 most important wetlands for wading birds in the south-western Cape, being a particularly important feeding area for the white pelican and supporting a number of threatened bird species.
3.13 Natal Drakensberg Park (designated 21 January 1997) on the border between western KwaZulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho, is regarded as the most important mountain catchment in South Africa because of the high yield and quality of water it produces. The three largest rivers in KwaZulu-Natal, the Tugela, uMkhomazi and uMzimkulu, originate in the Drakensberg and support rural, agricultural, urban and industrial consumers in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. The value of water produced is estimated at over Rl50 million per annum. The wetlands are also of major importance for nature conservation because of the diversity of endemic and Red Data plants and animals they sustain.
3.14 Ndumo Game Reserve (designated 21 January 1997) is situated at the junction of the Usuthu and Pongola flood plain systems. Ndumo is a good example of a flood plain ecosystem relatively unaffected by human activities. The reserve is characterised by a diversity of animal and bird species, many of which are classified as rare or vulnerable.The reserve provides a relatively safe haven for thousands of migrating waterbirds as it sits astride an important north-south migration route. The Pongola flood plain is of great importance to the local subsistence economy in the region, providing an estimated annual yield of up to 55 tons of fish in the early 1980s. Overfishing in the area outside the reserve has resulted in breeding stocks being greatly reduced while those in the reserve have remained relatively stable. The wetland areas in the reserve provide refuge for fish, some of which migrate upstream during flooding. The reserve thus plays a valuable social role by acting as a reservoir to replenish fish stocks and securing the breeding stock for the entire flood plain.
3.15. Seekoeivlei (designated 21 January 1997) bears the Afrikaans name for hippopotamus, the last of which was shot in the area in 1894, and consists of a flood plain ecosystem containing numerous small seasonally-flooded oxbow lakes. The wetland stretches northwards for approximately 20km, of which about two thirds is protected in the Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve. Seekoeivlei is of particular importance because it is one of the largest wetlands on the Highveld. The wetland is valued for its ability to regulate streamflow and enhance water quality. The Klip River, which drains the system, is a tributary of the Vaal River, upon which the highly industrialised and densely populated Gauteng depends for its water supply. The wetland supports a large number of resident and migratory waterbirds. The wetland has recently been the focus of a large-scale rehabilitation project which aimed to restore the hydrological functioning of part of the system which had been drained in previous decades for agriculture.
3.16 Nysvley Nature Reserve (designated 7 July 1998) is South Africa's last Ramsar site. Situated in the upper reaches of the Nyl River near the town of Naboomspruit in the Northern Province, it includes part of the largest flood plain vlei in the country. The reserve is well known for its exceptional avifaunal diversity, with 370 species recorded, of which 102 are waterfowl. During good rainy seasons the flood plain becomes a hype of activity, with the best estimate for water bird numbers being approximately 80 000. The system also plays an important role for frogs and fish, which gather in large numbers to breed when the flood plain becomes flooded. Nylsvley is regarded as one of the premier birdwatching localities in the country. Most of the 10 000 visitors who visit the reserve each year are birdwatchers. Scientific research is also an important component of the reserve, making it one of the most intensively studied sites in the world. Various international scientists still conduct scientific research in the reserve and surrounding areas of the flood plain.
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