The Kim Helfrich Column Courtesy of The Pretoria News . Last Friday was World Wetlands Day and the Mr Kasrils announced an allocation of R50-million to rehabilitating wetlands for the current and next financial year. Wetlands hold water during floods and release it during dry periods. This lessens flood and drought devastation.
Wetlands also help to prevent soil erosion and are treasure troves of biodiversity.
For these reasons RWP had dedicated itself to rehabilitating damaged wetlands and conserving those still intact. Using rehabilitation as a vehicle to promote wetland conservation, RWP has made improvement in 21 core wetland areas nationally. Now government is taking a leaf out of the RWP book. It has launched what amounts to a R50-million wetlands rehabilitation initiative in a partnership between the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's Working for Water project and Minister Valli Moosa's Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Government has been keen to become involved in wetland rehabilitation for the benefits wetlands provide in terms of water management, biodiversity and job creation, Mr Lindley said.