Cape Town - Cape Town has become the first South African city to be accredited as a Ramsar Wetland City.
The announcement was made at the 14th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, held in Geneva, Switzerland from November 5 to 13.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said cities that have taken exceptional measures to protect their urban wetlands, or a wetland of international importance, known as a Ramsar Site, within their city may apply to be accredited as a Ramsar Wetland City.
“The Wetland City Accreditation programme provides international recognition for cities that uphold a solid and favourable relationship with wetlands through creating public awareness on wetland benefits, incorporating wetland protection into municipal planning and decision-making, and promoting wetland benefits for local people,” the department said.
The City of Cape Town is home to over 11 000 hectares of wetlands which provide essential services such as disaster risk reduction and contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The city is recognised as a global hotspot of biodiversity and has a number of rare and threatened wetlands supporting many endemic fauna and flora species. These include the Rietvlei and Milnerton Lagoon, the Zandvlei Estuary, Edith Stephens Wetlands and False Bay Nature Reserve, a wetland of international importance.
“Over the past 20 years, the City has implemented several initiatives, both inside and outside of protected areas, with the aim of rehabilitating wetlands and conserving these natural assets,” the department said.
Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews said the City’s application went through a rigorous review process and was approved, alongside 24 other cities.
“We are truly honoured to be bestowed with this new status, and are committed to keep on carrying out the responsibilities this requires in protecting our precious wetlands. The preservation of our natural assets is a key priority for the City... also because our natural environment protects us from natural disasters and ensure our future resilience to climate change.
“I firmly believe that preservation programmes can only succeed in the long-term when we maintain the delicate balance between protecting our natural heritage and biodiversity assets, while also ensuring economic growth and equitable social development. This is a daunting task and one every large city in the world is faced with today,” Andrews said.
“We are also working with our surrounding communities to ensure that local jobseekers benefit from the restoration and conservation programmes through skills development initiatives and temporary job opportunities,” he added. Other cities that received accreditation as Ramsar Wetland City’s include Sackville, Canada; Wuhan, China; Seltz, France; Valencia, Spain; Sri Songkhram District, Thailand and Kigali in Rwanda.
Cape Times