About the programme
The Sub-directorate Ecosystems of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is responsible for the South African Wetlands Conservation Programme. The programme has been developed to ensure South Africa's obligations are met in terms of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) and the aspects concerning aquatic ecology under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The programme is aimed at building on past efforts to protect wetlands in South Africa against degradation and destruction, whilst striving for the ideal of wise and sustainable use of our resources.
The goal of the programme is to ensure the conservation (protection, management and utilization)of South Africa's wetlands in such a way that the ecological and socio-economic functions of wetlands are sustained now and in the future. In order to meet this objective, the programme is developed along eight concurrently running subprogrammes. These are:
- Interdepartmental coordination
- Maintain and improve working relations with those departments whose activities have a direct bearing on wetland conservation
- Provide/support ecological requirements in all development planning and policy aspects
- Ramsar working groups
- Establish and run effective working groups subsidiary to the Committee for
Environmental Coordination to advise the Department on issues relating to the
implementation of the Ramsar Convention in South Africa.
- National inventory and monitoring of wetlands
- "..the Contracting Parties establish, as far as possible ... national scientific inventories of wetlands showing, in particular, those which are of intenational importance according to the criteria adopted by the Conference of Contracting Parties;"(Recommendation C.4.6 (Rev.))
- Classify, charaterize and map all wetland systems, and identify areas of highest prority;
- Determine a list of priority wetlands, based on existing knowledge for South Africa;
- Develop a full inventory of South Africa's wetlands, the database developed from this inventory will provide the foundation for the other actions;
- National wetland policy
- Determine a national policy on wetland conservation
- Implement the policy
- Develop and implement effective legislation for wetland conservation in terms of the policy
- Wetland protection
- Promulgate the Wetland Conservation Bill
- Provide appropriate protection for all sites designated by South Africa to the List of Wetlands of International Importance in terms of the Convention;
- Develop and implement management plans, for such listed sites;
- Establish a system of protected wetlands of national significance (exemplary and strategic) which represent the full range of wetland functions, values and attributes
- Develop and implement a system to monitor the status and trends of all wetland systems
- Research programme
- Establish a research programme aimed at promoting management of wetlands which is based on a predictive understanding of the ecology and behaviour of these systems and their components;
- Ensure adequate funding for the programme
- Publicise the results of such reseach
- Capacity building for wetland conservation
- Utilize a wide range of techniques to promote capacity for wetland conservation;
- Publish technical and research reports generated by the Department;
- Publish the newsletter South African Wetlands as the mouthpiece of the programme;
- Establish a wetland expertise network;
- Develop and implement a training programme in wetland conservation and management;
- Establish a wetlands awareness programme;
- Effect an wetland conservation extension cadre;
- International actions
- Establish and maintain a lead in activites which honour our international
obligations in terms of the Convention, Southern African Development Community, Valdivia, the IUCN and other international agreements;
- Participate actively in Wetlands International further development through the Regional Council and through contributing to the specialist groups;
- Develop cooperative programmes with international partners (eg training
programmes)
- Raise funds where necessary and possible for the programme
Wetland conservation can only be achieved through a co-ordinated, cooperative approach. There are a number of state departments whose legislation and activities have either direct or indirect effects on wetlands and their conservation. The obvious ones are the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Department of Agriculture. This part of the programme addresses such issues as catchment area planning and management, ecological water requirements of wetlands, rehabilitation and protection of wetlands and the issue of jurisdictional wetlands. It is essential that effective working relations be established and maintained between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and these departments if wetland conservation is to make any progress.
Objectives
South Africa, in common with a number of other Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) has a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies involved in wetlands conservation. Some member countries have found it beneficial to coordinate their national activities through a national Ramsar committee on which both governmental and non-governmental agencies are represented. After the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Convention, the South African delegation recommended that South Africa should also establish such a committee.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is the authority responsible for implementing the Convention in South Africa. As a result of this recommendation, a national committee was established by this Department . This committee served as a working group of the the Sub-committee for Nature Conservation of the statuatory Committee for Envronmental Management as established by the Environment Conservation Act (No 73 of 1989). Subsequently the committee was absorbed into the Sub-committee on Biodiversity, and ad-hoc working groups are to be established to advise on specific issues which will help South Africa meet its obligations in terms of the Convention.
Objective
The Fourth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention held at Montreux in 1990 recommended that:
This supplements recommendations made in 1980, 1984 and 1987 regarding national inventories to make up a "Shadow list of wetlands" and is aimed at providing a method of selecting further sites for the List of Wetlands of International Importance, as well as to meet one of the principle obligations of Contracting Parties to the Convention which is to "formulate and implement their planning so as to promote ....... as far as possible the wise use of wetlands in their territory" (Article 3.1).
One of the first tasks required of SA Ramsar Working Group is to determine a list of priority wetlands (as defined by the Convention), based on existing knowledge, for South Africa. This priority list will form the initial "Shadow list of important wetlands" for South Africa as recommended by the Convention.
This is to followed by a comprehensive national wetland inventory. The inventory and its database is the foundation on which the other themes will build.
Objectives
Beside the other state departments whose activities impinge on wetland conservation mentioned in the first theme, South Africa has numerous management agencies whose primary function is nature conservation. In order to support these agencies in their functions, the development of a national policy on wetland conservation is seen to be of paramount importance. A revision of the draft national wetland policy is to be presented for discussion at the Committee for Environmental Management after review by the working group. Once accepted the policy will be determined by the Minister in terms of Section 2 of the Environment Conservation Act (No 73 of 1989).
Objectives
Wetlands and wetland functions are often inextricably linked to surrounding ecosystems and, therefore, wetland conservation must be pursued in the context of an integrated systems approach to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
A system of protected wetlands is to be established as part of the protected area network. This is to be achieved in cooperation with the South African public, including landowners, non-government organizations and the private sector. Such a system would provide a comprehensive network of protected wetlands of national significance (exemplary and strategic) which together represent the full range of wetland functions.
The Ramsar Convention will be accepted into South African legislation through the Wetland Conservation Bill after ammendments. Regulations in terms of the bill will be determined based on the National Policy for Wetland Conservation by the Minister.
Objectives
The continued development of scientific knowledge and expertise in South Africa is fundamental to the achievement of wetland conservation. The research programme is aimed at promoting management of wetlands which is based on a predictive understanding of the ecology and behaviour of these systems and their components. The necessary research budget must be obtained and effectively used.
Objectives
South Africa's capacity in terms of wetland conservation is severely limited and every effort must be made to expand it at all levels. An integral part of the South Afican Wetland Conservation Programme is to keep those working in or interested in the wetland conservation field informed of what is happening at the national and international level.
The newsletter South African Wetlands is to be the mouthpiece of the wetland conservation programme. This newsletter will provide information on how South Africa is meeting its obligations in terms of the Ramsar Convention.
A number of other publications are being released by the Department. These include a review of the ecology and conservation of wetlands in South Africa (Wetlands of South Africa), Wetland Bibliography for South Africa, the National Policy on Wetland Conservation and the "shadow list of wetlands".
In order to help collaboration between those working in wetland conservation a database on wetland expertise has been compiled and is maintained by the Department. All departmental publications are forwarded to those on the list.
A document collection is to be collated and maintained by the Department's library for use by those working in wetlands.
An education and information programme will be developed on wetlands and their conservation.
Objectives
The programme will be used to strengthen South Africa's role in international wetland conservation by regular review of the country's progress on international conventions with relevance to wetlands and identify gaps or weaknesses in honouring international responsibilities. Wetland conservation will be promoted through a continued commitment to the Convention on Wetlands, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention on Migratory Species.
Participation by South Africa in activities such as the African Wetland Census run by Wetlands International is to be coordinated under this programme.
Other countries, particularly those whose wetlands are used by bird and wildlife populations shared with South Africa will be assisted in their wetland conservation efforts.
Objectives
| If you have any comments on this page, or need more information, please contact John Dini at nat_jd@ozone.pwv.gov.za. |
| This page is maintained by the South African Wetlands Conservation Programme and was last updated on 12 January 1999. |