Rudzani Matshili
To commemorate World Wetlands Day, the City of Tshwane in partnership with Rand Water and the Water Research Commission (WRC) toured the Rietvlei Nature Reserve where they learnt more about peat wetlands.
Under the theme, “Wetlands for a sustainable urban future”, the commemoration was aimed at increasing public awareness about the importance of wetlands, threats to wetlands and the ecosystem services provided by wetlands.
As part of the commemoration programme, Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS) was launched, which was compiled by the WRC.
The document serves as a guideline report to consolidate the biodiversity and value of Ramsar wetland information to better understand and address challenges faced by other wetlands.
City MMC Mike Mkhari who addressed the crowd before the tour encouraged people to take care of wetlands as, for many years, they have been regarded as wastelands, with their vital importance and functions not being fully understood.
Wetlands are important as they provide a number of benefits, not only to the natural environment, but also to our livelihoods.
In urban areas, wetlands improve water quality and serve as reservoirs, containing run-offs from roads, drains, roofs and storm water drains.
They also help to reduce and prevent urban flooding.
They also act as crucial “green lungs” for the cities.