Let’s preserve our wetlands

ON February 2, nations around the world will commemorate World Wetlands Day under the theme ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People’.

The theme emphasises the connection between well-managed wetlands and human health, as mismanaged wetlands can lead to waterborne diseases. Namibia is party to the UN Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also known as the Ramsar Convention, which it acceded to on in December 1995.Ramsar countries are required to come up with programmes and plans aimed at the conservation of wetlands.So far, Namibia has designated the Walvis Bay Lagoon, Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour and Etosha Pan as its first Ramsar sites.World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention on February 2 1971.The convention was was negotiated in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea and came into force in 1975.Cynthia Ortmann of the Department of Water Affairs in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry said this year Namibia will have a combined commemoration of World Wetlands Day and World Water Day, which is commemorated globally on March 22.The joint commemoration will be held during the first week of April in the Okavango River Basin.This year, the theme for World Water Day is ‘Sanitation’,’ highlighting the importance of efficient and sustainable management of shared water resources such as Okavango River.Ortmann said this theme will be combined with the one of World Wetlands Day into ‘Healthy River Basins’.The Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia is organising a quiz for high school pupils, to take place on February 1.The quiz will test their knowledge about salt refinery and its contribution to local ecology, the Walvis Bay Ramsar Site, the Walvis Bay Municipality’s Agenda 21 Programme and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.Wetlands have to be preserved because they provide habitats for countless birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and plants threatened by extinction.Current pressures on wetlands are caused by over-exploitation due to human population growth and by pesticides, fertilisers and industrial effluent.There are 1 678 wetland sites in the world, totalling 150 million hectares, included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.Namibia is party to the UN Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also known as the Ramsar Convention, which it acceded to on in December 1995.Ramsar countries are required to come up with programmes and plans aimed at the conservation of wetlands.So far, Namibia has designated the Walvis Bay Lagoon, Orange River Mouth, Sandwich Harbour and Etosha Pan as its first Ramsar sites.World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention on February 2 1971.The convention was was negotiated in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea and came into force in 1975.Cynthia Ortmann of the Department of Water Affairs in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry said this year Namibia will have a combined commemoration of World Wetlands Day and World Water Day, which is commemorated globally on March 22.The joint commemoration will be held during the first week of April in the Okavango River Basin.This year, the theme for World Water Day is ‘Sanitation’,’ highlighting the importance of efficient and sustainable management of shared water resources such as Okavango River.Ortmann said this theme will be combined with the one of World Wetlands Day into ‘Healthy River Basins’.The Coastal Environmental Trust of Namibia is organising a quiz for high school pupils, to take place on February 1.The quiz will test their knowledge about salt refinery and its contribution to local ecology, the Walvis Bay Ramsar Site, the Walvis Bay Municipality’s Agenda 21 Programme and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.Wetlands have to be preserved because they provide habitats for countless birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and plants threatened by extinction.Current pressures on wetlands are caused by over-exploitation due to human population growth and by pesticides, fertilisers and industrial effluent.There are 1 678 wetland sites in the world, totalling 150 million hectares, included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

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