CHAPTER 4 Working for Wetlands
The Working for Wetlands programme was established in 2002 and co-managed by the then De- partment of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), the then Department of Agriculture (DoA) and the then Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). In 2004 responsibility for project management was delegated to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). The pro- gramme advocates the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable use of the country’s wetlands by promoting cooperative governance and partnerships.
Wetlands are essential in providing and storing freshwater, but today more than half of South Africa’s wetlands have been destroyed or degraded and it is estimated that by 2025 South Africa will suffer from water scarcity.1
What is a wetland?
“Land which is transitional be- tween terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances supports or would support vege- tation typically adapted to life in saturated soil”
– South Africa’s National Water Act, Act No 36 of 1998
What is threatening South Africa’s wetlands?
Because wetlands are so sen sitive to water fluctuation, drought and water abstraction can be highly critical to wetland ecosystems. Unsustainable ag riculture, with grazing and re moval of vegetation, can lead to erosion and land degradation. Urban development, pollution and dam constructions add fur ther stress to wetlands.
Working for Wetlands
Te goal of the Working for Wetlands programme is to protect and improve the environ- ment, whilst at the same time providing job opportunities for the poor. Tis is made pos- sible by training unemployed people to work on improving wetlands. Rural communities are involved through the provision of jobs, education and skills development, and currently the programme is active in all of South Africa’s nine provinces.
Making a difference, one wetland at a time
Since 2004, 427 wetlands have been rehabilitated or restored through the Working for Wet- lands programme, with a total re-vegetated land area of more than 50 hectares. We believe that a change in the behaviour of people rather than engineering solutions is the key to healthy, sustainable wetlands in the long run.
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How do we rehabilitate wetlands?
Workers place rockfilled wire baskets, called gabions, at the bottom of the wetland. This allows water to back up and overflow into the dried out area. The water will spread out across the wetland and push back up towards the headcut above to ensure that the peat is kept permanently wet. Workers also remove alien invasive plant species that take up large amounts of water from the wet land and suppress other plants. The area is then revegetated with indigenous plant species.
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