SA water resources compromised
THE SHOCKING revelations that the country has lost an estimated 50% of its wetlands due to industrial development and urbanisation is a serious indictment of how we have put economic interests ahead of efforts to protect our depleting water resources.
Wetlands play a singularly important role in stabilising our water resources. Their destruction at this alarming rate could only mean further compromising the supply of water for household consumption and putting at risk the health of the public.
Without downplaying the impact of industrial development as a core economic driver, we must also realise economic development can never trump the imperative to provide water to the public. Equally true, we must begin to realise that our industries are dependent on the protection of the wetlands for them to thrive.
According to the Water Research Commission the 50% loss of our wetlands is attributable to, among others, mining, agriculture and industrial development and urbanisation.
This provides irrefutable proof that we are prioritising business interests at the expense of ecosystems such as the wetlands that have an indispensable role in the well-being of our country.
The recent flash floods that we have witnessed in Gauteng and some other parts of the country bear testimony to the fact that by destroying the wetlands we are surely moving towards a calamitous situation. Thus, flash floods are occurrences for which we should always brace ourselves.
Accordingly, the World Wetland Day this month opened my eyes and made me realise the disaster that is staring us in our faces if we continue to regard and use our wetlands as dumping areas.
South Africa is a waterscarce country and this on its own should motivate us to do whatever we can to protect the wetlands and thus help to manage our water resources.
The protection of wetlands can go a long away to ensuring that our water is purified and that unfortunate occurrences such as flash floods are prevented and the ground water is recharged.
Until such time that we change our attitudes and begin to realise the vital contribution the wetlands make towards our well-being and economic growth, we will continue to suffer from natural disasters such as droughts and floods.
The continued wetlands’ destruction would mean that in times where the rainfall is below normal, the country will have lesser reliable water supply and thus affecting the productivity of agriculture and other key industries.
Failure on our part to manage and protect our wetlands means a negative impact and a change to life as we know it. Principal Communications Officer, Department of Water and Sanitation-Gauteng Provincial Office