 |
|
|
|
Orange Estuary View Map The Orange estuary is one of 19 South African sites designated on the Ramsar Convention’s list of Wetlands of International Importance. It provides a habitat and rest-stop for some 60 sea bird and migratory bird species, and is also important for species such as the desert rainfrog and Namaqua rainfrog. Yet it is listed on the Montreux Record, a register of Ramsar sites where "changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference."
For about 80 years a range of human activities has impacted on the functioning of the estuary, including dams in the Orange catchment, adjacent mining activities and an impenetrable 1km long road embankment alongside the river that entirely cut off the salt marsh from freshwater. As a result, salinity in the salt marsh has been increasing dramatically, in the early 1990's reaching levels too toxic even for salt-loving plantlife.
Since July 2005, four Working for Wetlands teams have been breaking down the impenetrable barrier between the river and the marshes. This ambitious undertaking to breach the road in four places proved absolutely spot on when floodwaters poured through the breaches in 2006 to bring much-needed freshwater to the desertified 400 hectare salt marsh.
60% of the Working for Wetlands workers on site are women, and 55% are youth. In a region where 40% of the labourforce earns no monthly income, the 46 jobs provided through the rehabilitation work is a much-needed economic boost. The Working for Wetlands team is drawn from Alexander Bay and nearby towns such as Kuboes and Sanddrift and the project is funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
The estuary offers valuable tourism income opportunities for the Richtersvel Community. A semi-desert region with an annual rainfall of about 50mm (about the same as falls during a single thunderstorm in the east of the country), it is not an agriculturally productive area and there are few job opportunities outside of mining. Long-term economic viability of the region depends on tourism and the wetland is one of the biggest drawcards.
The Project was completed in 2007/8. Contacts
For more detailed information such as project implementation plans and progress reports, please visit www.thelapa.com, click on Working for Wetlands and enter view for both username and password.
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
