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Wetlands InventoryLaunch of Wetlands Inventory
Several groundbreaking wetlands statistics have emerged from the first phase of the National Wetlands Inventory, which offers the most solid South African wetlands information base to date and can aid in management, planning and law enforcement.
Removing a fair amount of uncertainty about the identification and occurrence of wetlands, the inventory will ultimately present a clear picture of the extent, distribution and diversity of wetlands systems in the form of digital coverage and printed maps, and this spatial data will be linked to a national database containing the attributes, functions and values of individual wetlands. Its uses are unlimited, ranging from aiding in water resource management to freshwater conservation planning and environmental impact assessments.
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Over time it will be possible to use the inventory for monitoring wetland loss, through trends and status analyses.
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Project leader Mbavhi Mukhoro says that although he has confidence in the data in the inventory, "due to limitations of scale and availability of data, certain isolated or smaller wetlands could not be mapped. However, every attempt has been made to capture major wetland areas as accurately as possible" For now the National Wetland Map is a presentation of the spatial distribution of wetland systems around the country. More details and attribute data will be added as the project continues. |
Mukhoro intends deepening the knowledge base about each wetland, relying not only on his own ground-truthing but also on information submitted by wetlands specialists around the country. "In addition," says Mukhoro, "Significant value will be added to the data by application of a national wetland classification system developed specifically for the inventory." This was funded and published by the Water Research Commission.
While the Wetlands Inventory will by no means on its own prevent illegal or destructive development or encroachment of wetlands, it will allow for a quick reference of wetlands sites by developers, municipal managers, officials and environmental consultants to help determine whether further investigation of particular sites should be conducted. Used in conjunction with other tools such as the Water Affairs and Forestry Wetlands Delineation Manual, the WET-Health and WET-EcoServices assessment tools, and systematic conservation planning tools, the Wetlands Inventory will facilitate the inclusion of wetlands in planning and decision-making processes to an extent that was not previously possible.
The National Wetlands Inventory is funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the Water Research Commission, the Norwegian government, and WWF Green Trust.
Please download the Wetlands Inventory.
For more information contact Mbavhi Mukhoro on 012-8435248.
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