Calls for wetland conservation to protect livelihoods on World Wetlands Day

AS World Wetlands Day was observed on Monday, a senior lecturer at the International University of Management (IUM) has called for the conservation and sustainable use of Namibian wetland resources.

Sion Iikela said wetlands provide a number of goods and services, such as water and fish, and that many rural communities depend on them for their livelihoods.

He highlighted wetlands as the homes of wild animals and their use for tourist and recreational activities.

“The most important thing is that they provide water as well as food to the people,” said Iikela.

This year’s World Wetlands Day theme is ‘Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage’.

Namibia is a party to the 1975 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and has thus far designated five wetlands sites for inclusion in the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance, including the Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour, Etosha Pan, Walvis Bay Lagoon and the Lower Okavango River.

Kenneth //Uiseb, the deputy director for wildlife monitoring and research and the national representative for the Ramsar Convention in the Ministry of Environment and Toursim, says the Southern Africa Regional Ramsar Initiative (Sarri) will further promote sharing of lessons and best practices among Southern African Development Community member states.

He said Namibia has welcomed the establishment of Sarri, and that it will attract needed financial and technical resources for wetland management in the region.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.