Wetland Resources in South Africa: Threats and Metadata Study

Abstract

Wetlands are important ecosystems with physical and economic benefits. However, many reports confirm the drastic loss of wetlands due to urbanisation and anthropogenic activities in many parts of the world. This study focused on the present-day state of wetlands in the Republic of South Africa. A meta-analysis was performed to elucidate the distribution and level of protection of selected wetlands. The classification of existing wetlands and the threat against wetlands were reported. Wetlands in South Africa are grossly endangered by human pollution, developmental activities, and invasive plants. From data obtained, about 47.89% of reported wetlands have a low level of protection and are thus susceptible to threats. The South African Department of Environmental Affairs protects most of the wetlands (28.17%) in the country. Major weaknesses identified for wetland degradation are the ignorance of people about the benefits of wetlands and the weak implementation of frameworks and policies that currently exist. The impact of legislations and policies on the preservation of wetlands is presented as well as the need for community education on environmental degradation. Therefore, the current state of several wetlands calls for urgent attention, and there is need for a strengthening of existing laws and policies in order to prevent wetland damage and extinction.

Biodiversity and Economy but Not Social Factors Predict Human Population Dynamics in South Africa

“…South Africa is also rich in wetlands, which are natural fabrics providing a range of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, 35% to 60% of South Africa's wetlands is lost or severely degraded [42]. Also, there are prevalently high rates of atmospheric emissions from both household and industrial origins [43].…”

Assessment of Major Wetlands’ Current Situation and Their Contribution To Livelihood Improvement, South Wollo, Ethiopia

“…Te results of the present study were similar to most African countries such as South Africa that pollution and invasive plants are among the major threats to wetlands afecting ecosystem services. Tese threats often happen due to less emphasis given to wetland protection [67].…”

Preliminary biological data of Sahel wetland ecosystems in Burkina Faso: Implications for ecological health assessment

“…Therefore, with the ongoing human pressures and increasing climatic variability, the urgent need for tools (e.g., use of local organisms) for ecological health assessment is a priority in conservation efforts and efficient management of wetlands in developing countries (Kaboréet al, 2018). This is true for many tropical wetlands such as Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean where continually changes in quantity and quality of wetland areas are receiving considerable attention (Sarkar et al, 2020;Adeeyo et al, 2022).…”

“…In Africa, most of the endangered species (e.g., amphibians, birds, mammals, invertebrates, and fish) and highly diverse natural habitats are confined in protected wetlands, and most of them are under anthropogenic disturbances (Clarkson et al, 2004;Camacho-Valdez et al, 2014;Arowosafe et al, 2019;Stephenson et al, 2020). For example, in South Africa, Adeeyo et al (2022); Sinthumule and Netshisaulu (2022) address the ranges of threats affecting wetland ecosystems functioning and provide guidelines for long term management. According to Adeeyo et al (2022), the current state of several wetlands across African countries calls for urgent attention.…”

“…For example, in South Africa, Adeeyo et al (2022); Sinthumule and Netshisaulu (2022) address the ranges of threats affecting wetland ecosystems functioning and provide guidelines for long term management. According to Adeeyo et al (2022), the current state of several wetlands across African countries calls for urgent attention. The unclear management status linked to policy and legislation weaknesses and the scarcity of biological data and tools to monitor wetlands are central problems that need to be solved urgently by scientists and policy makers to avoid irreversible extinction of existing wetlands (Gumbricht et al, 2017;Kaboréet al, 2018;Stephenson et al, 2020;Adeeyo et al, 2022).…”