Namibia moves to protect its wetlands

Namibia has designated its fifth Ramsar Site, 'Bwabwata–Okavango' in Bwabwata National Park. The site covers the lower Okavango River, part of the Okavango Delta Panhandle and permanently or temporarily flooded marshes and floodplains bordered by riparian forest and open woodland. It supports IUCN Red-Listed species, including elephant, hippopotamus, lion, slaty egret (all listed as vulnerable) and the endangered grey crowned crane and the critically endangered Eurasian bittern and Pel’s fishing owl. The site supports one of the highest diversities of species in the Zambezian Flooded Savannas ecoregion. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded, the highest number of any site in Namibia.

During the recent official launch of the Bwabwata-Okavango Ramsar Site, the Namibian Minister of Environment and Tourism Uahekua Herunga, announced that plans are underway to establish a draft national policy on wetlands and a National Committee on Wetlands.

Herunga said that the draft policy on wetlands will provide the policy framework and guidance to the management of wetlands. In addition, the Wetlands committee will act under the Ramsar Convention and spearhead the national wetland programme of the government.

The Ramsar Convention is one of the oldest international conventions, signed in 1971 in the City of Ramsar in Iran. The main focus of the convention then was to protect wetlands as habitats for birds. Since then, the scope and focus of the convention has expanded to include all aspects of wetland conservation and sustainable use.

Namibia became party to the convention in 1995 and listed four wetlands as wetlands of international importance. The newly-launched Ramsar is Namibia’s fifth site following other wetlands such the Orange River Mouth, Walvis Bay Lagoon, Sandwich Harbour and the Etosha Pan.

Herunga said other wetlands such as the Nyae-Nyae Pans, Kunene River Mouth, and the Kwando-Linyanti-Chobe-Zambezi systems are also good candidates for Ramsar listing. “In future we will focus our efforts in getting these wetland systems designated. Very soon I will direct my directors to identify other Ramsar sites countrywide,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of wetlands saying they are valuable for all humanity but it seems as if most people do not recognise their value. “I say this because wetlands are being degraded on a daily basis mainly by human activities. It further seems to me that our communities do not appreciate the services provided by these ecosystems. We need to communicate the value of wetlands and the need for their conservation to the public. That is the responsibility of all of us and not only that of the government,” Herunga explained.

More from the Zambezi Traveller:
Wetlands and RAMSAR

Source:
Namibian wetlands policy gets rolling (Travel News Namibia, 18 Feb 2014)