Overuse dries vlei; together we can fix it
With World Wetlands Day on February 2 in mind, I was recently taken to visit Verlorenvlei, near the West Coast, to see for myself the unfolding tragedy that is taking place in this Ramsar site.
Ramsar is the “intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources”, and South Africa is a signatory. Despite this commitment, extensive new farming has been established in the area, some of it during the worst drought in living memory. It’s no longer only potatoes but now largely vines, vegetables and citrus, all requiring vast quantities of water.
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Swaths of land are now under irrigation with sprinklers spraying huge amounts of water daily, numerous boreholes having been sunk into the aquifer below. These finite resources are being plundered, seemingly without restriction or effective monitoring, to the detriment of an entire ecosystem.
With the drop in the water table, large parts of the vlei are now dry, reeds have taken over, thriving on nutrients from fertilizers, growing to four or five metres and extending into the bank. The catastrophic effect on the local wildlife can only be guessed at and where there was previously a pristine haven it is now silent and arid.
We cannot turn back the clock, but with the will to succeed, with co-operation between farmers and other locals, conservationists and those who care, with governmental appreciation of the necessity for intervention, it should be possible to undo some of the damage done and prevent further harm to this rare ecosystem. If we don’t act now it will be too late.
How will we answer our children and grandchildren when they ask: “Why is this called a vlei when there’s no water here?” — Carol Beech