Wetlands: water that works for us

THE recent floods in Windhoek and elsewhere in Namibia were no cause for celebration for many people.

The events did however ensure that water, as an issue, made headlines on more than one occasion, providing a notable prelude to this year’s celebration of World Wetland Day on February 2. Whether reports covered raging rivers, devastation caused by flooding, impressive flows over the Ruacana falls or children playing in the water, they underlined the importance of water, as well as freshwater habitats or wetlands.Rivers, be they perennial like the Zambezi, or ephemeral like the Ugab; floodplains alongside rivers such as the Okavango; waterfalls; and even man-made dams are all wetlands, note Shirley Bethune and Uatjavi Uanivi of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).”These important ecosystems are what we celebrate on World Wetland Day,” they say in a just-released report.While the good rains have been early this year and the rising northern rivers are causing concern as they surge into the floodplains earlier than normal, it is a natural occurrence.”The flooded areas play an important role both in ecological and economic terms,” say Bethune and Uanivi.Ecologically, floodplains provide safe, sheltered breeding areas for fish; they retain essential nutrients (fertilisers) for the next seasons’ grazing and gardens alongside the rivers; and they prevent erosion and severe flooding downstream.Economically, they provide building material such as reeds and thatching grasses; they supply fish; help to purify water; and recharge groundwater supplies.World Wetland Day marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention) in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.The day is a chance to make Namibians aware of the importance of wetlands, to promote the wise use of wetlands and to draw attention to the values and benefits of wetlands.”We all share the responsibility of taking care of our precious wetland areas,” say Bethune and Uanivi.Namibia signed and acceded to the convention on December 23 1995 and designated four of the most important wetland areas in the country: the Orange River mouth, Sandwich Harbour, the Walvis Bay wetlands and the Etosha Pan, as Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar Sites.Designation is based on the diversity and number of water birds a wetland supports.Emphasis was placed on water birds because the full title of the Ramsar Convention is the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat.The convention was originally aimed at protecting water bird habitats, but was later expanded to include plants and animals, as well as the many ways in which wetlands work for people.These include: storing and purifying fresh water, controlling floods, replenishing groundwater supplies, stabilising shorelines, acting as nurseries, providing food, water, building material, transport and a place for recreation and education.All these functions can be see in action in the floodplain areas alongside the Okavango and Zambezi Rivers.The theme this year is: ‘From the Mountains to the Sea – Wetlands at Work for Us’, and highlights the important role wetlands play in many parts of the country.All Namibia’s perennial rivers originate in highland catchment areas in neighbouring countries: the Cunene, Cuvelai and Okavango in Angola, the Zambezi in Zambia and the Orange in the mountains of Lesotho and South Africa.Mountain wetlands capture, store and slowly release rainwater as base flow.In Lesotho, snow and ice on the Maluti Mountains melt and release freshwater into the headwaters of the Orange River.”We can say that mountain wetlands are the “world’s water towers” that supply and regulate water for entire river basins”, say Bethune and Uanivi.This means “we depend on our neighbours to protect these important headwater wetlands to ensure good and safe water supplies and a healthy river in our country.We in turn have a responsibility to protect the river sections in Namibia to ensure a healthy river system for our downstream neighbours.Thus the condition of the world famous Okavango Delta, the largest freshwater Ramsar site in the world, depends on how we in Namibia care for the Okavango River”.The Zambezi, for instance, flows a relatively short distance along the north-eastern border and is shared with eight other countries.It is essential that shared wetlands are protected and managed through collaboration between the countries within those river basins.Whether reports covered raging rivers, devastation caused by flooding, impressive flows over the Ruacana falls or children playing in the water, they underlined the importance of water, as well as freshwater habitats or wetlands. Rivers, be they perennial like the Zambezi, or ephemeral like the Ugab; floodplains alongside rivers such as the Okavango; waterfalls; and even man-made dams are all wetlands, note Shirley Bethune and Uatjavi Uanivi of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). “These important ecosystems are what we celebrate on World Wetland Day,” they say in a just-released report. While the good rains have been early this year and the rising northern rivers are causing concern as they surge into the floodplains earlier than normal, it is a natural occurrence. “The flooded areas play an important role both in ecological and economic terms,” say Bethune and Uanivi. Ecologically, floodplains provide safe, sheltered breeding areas for fish; they retain essential nutrients (fertilisers) for the next seasons’ grazing and gardens alongside the rivers; and they prevent erosion and severe flooding downstream. Economically, they provide building material such as reeds and thatching grasses; they supply fish; help to purify water; and recharge groundwater supplies. World Wetland Day marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention) in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The day is a chance to make Namibians aware of the importance of wetlands, to promote the wise use of wetlands and to draw attention to the values and benefits of wetlands. “We all share the responsibility of taking care of our precious wetland areas,” say Bethune and Uanivi. Namibia signed and acceded to the convention on December 23 1995 and designated four of the most important wetland areas in the country: the Orange River mouth, Sandwich Harbour, the Walvis Bay wetlands and the Etosha Pan, as Wetlands of International Importance or Ramsar Sites. Designation is based on the diversity and number of water birds a wetland supports. Emphasis was placed on water birds because the full title of the Ramsar Convention is the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. The convention was originally aimed at protecting water bird habitats, but was later expanded to include plants and animals, as well as the many ways in which wetlands work for people. These include: storing and purifying fresh water, controlling floods, replenishing groundwater supplies, stabilising shorelines, acting as nurseries, providing food, water, building material, transport and a place for recreation and education. All these functions can be see in action in the floodplain areas alongside the Okavango and Zambezi Rivers. The theme this year is: ‘From the Mountains to the Sea – Wetlands at Work for Us’, and highlights the important role wetlands play in many parts of the country. All Namibia’s perennial rivers originate in highland catchment areas in neighbouring countries: the Cunene, Cuvelai and Okavango in Angola, the Zambezi in Zambia and the Orange in the mountains of Lesotho and South Africa. Mountain wetlands capture, store and slowly release rainwater as base flow. In Lesotho, snow and ice on the Maluti Mountains melt and release freshwater into the headwaters of the Orange River. “We can say that mountain wetlands are the “world’s water towers” that supply and regulate water for entire river basins”, say Bethune and Uanivi. This means “we depend on our neighbours to protect these import
ant headwater wetlands to ensure good and safe water supplies and a healthy river in our country. We in turn have a responsibility to protect the river sections in Namibia to ensure a healthy river system for our downstream neighbours. Thus the condition of the world famous Okavango Delta, the largest freshwater Ramsar site in the world, depends on how we in Namibia care for the Okavango River”. The Zambezi, for instance, flows a relatively short distance along the north-eastern border and is shared with eight other countries. It is essential that shared wetlands are protected and managed through collaboration between the countries within those river basins.