Uganda biodiversity and tropical forest assessment report. Centre for environment education, amnedabad, india. The society is governed by its constitution and codes of practice which can be found in our governance section. Local action for biodiversity lab wetlands south africa. Mapping small wetlands of kenya and tanzania using remote. A directory of african wetlands iucn library system iucn portals. Our efforts to promote their importance, loss and damage to wetlands and their biodiversity continue. Wetlands are areas where terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems come together. A team of environmentalists under the leadership of dr carin van ginkel of cripsis environment developed a field guide that will lead to easy identification of south african wetland plants. The programme was started with the aim to raise awareness of the strategic importance of wetlands to facilitate proper.
The study, titled easy identification of some south african wetland plants, offers a plethora of plants that people can find in the country. Auditorium 160 seater auditorium for conferences and seminars. Wetlands south africa has been customised to the south african context, where wetlands are the most threatened of all ecosystems and where poverty and the delivery of basic services are critical issues at the local government level. Development of wetland maps based on remote sensing requires a clearcut. This classification is based mainly on river and lake drainage systems. Intended to augment the list of wetlands of international importance under the ramsar convention, it was formerly published in report form, but is now essentially an online publication. The south african national biodiversity institute sanbi contributes to south africas sustainable development by facilitating access to biodiversity data, generating information and knowledge, building capacity, providing policy advice, showcasing and conserving biodiversity in its national botanical and zoological gardens. From south the ruhudji river winds eastward, losing height quite rapidly, to the head. Our vision is a world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide. Wetland centres are often based around tourism, but water conservation and access are.
Chapter 9 legal and moral aspects of joining the convention. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun meet to produce. There is a need to provide guidelines for their future protection or use, requiring their systematic classification and characterisation. Inland wetlands mainly distribute in africa 58% of the total area. Pdf definitions and mapping of east african wetlands. Yet, despite their importance and value, wetland areas are experiencing immense pressure across the continent. Caw center for african wetlands, university of ghana, legon. A directory of important wetlands in australia, third edition. The role of the convention on wetlands in the conservation and wise use of biodiversity. A directory of important wetlands in australia it is particularly auspicious that both the summary publication of the third edition of the directory and the online database are launched on 2 february 2001world wetlands day.
A directory of important wetlands in australia wikipedia. The book is the first directory, which provides a comprehensive description and overview of the ecosystem services of ethiopian wetlands as well as an analysis of the causes of wetlands degradation with feasible options for the protection, restoration and sustainable management of wetlands. In fact, some of the most important wetlands are only seasonally wet. A directory of wetlands in new zealand begins with an introduction which summarizes the general situation of the wetlands in new zealand, and provides information on the institutional and legal base for wetland conservation and research. In a wetland, the water table is at or near the surface of the ground. Biodiversity, and wetlands in particular, contribute to. Although wetlands constitute only around 1% of africas total surface area, excluding. We have, as members of the south african wetland society, a. These include the one used in the ramsar convention, and that in the south african national water act 36 of 1998 viz. If you have more than one pdf files with multiple pages and you need to merge all the files into a single pdf file. They include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, ricefields, and even coral reefs. Definition of the terms wetland function and value 3 the first set of wetland characteristics are the natural processes occurring within wetlands such as denitrification, biomass production, and flow retardation. Use the plant search at the top to search for a specific plant by title or keyword use the plant filters on the side or bottom to narrow down the plant list by flower colour, plant type, etc. The classification is not complete and will need revision.
Harare, mar 12 2015 ips african wetlands are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the continent, covering more than 1 million hectares, according to the senegalesebased wetlands international africa wia. Case studies on coastal wetlands and water resources in nigeria h. Understanding of these controls can help in the interpretation of environmental and climatic records from different wetland types. As indicated above, the 1995 hgm report referred to such natural processes as functions. Wetlands remove metals using a variety of processes including filtration of solids, sorption onto organic matter, oxidation and hydrolysis, formation of carbonates, formation of insoluble sulphides, binding to iron and manganese oxides, reduction to immobile forms by bacterial. It has all the same features as pdfsam basic, plus, it leaves no personal information behind on. Although wetlands are often wet, a wetland might not be wet yearround.
A directory of south african wetlands iucn library system. Highlights a total of 51 wetlands covering 5% of the total surveyed area were identified. Tropical high forests thf cover 924,208 ha, forest plantations cover 35,066 ha and woodlands cover 3,974,102 ha. We have an extensive database of indigenous plants to help you find the perfect addition to your garden. On behalf of the board of trustees i would like to welcome you to the south african wetland society our objectives are detailed, diverse and challenging and should give you an indication of what the society aims to achieve. South african biodiversity institute presented on the spatial planning and land use management act. It is also a migratory bird staging area, a feeding ground for flamingos, and a breeding area for crocodiles. The gamampa wetland is a palustrine wetland in a steepsided valley adjacent to the mohlapitsi river, a tributary of the olifants river in south africa figure 1. The use of multi spatial data and combination of techniques i. Fiftyone wetlands were inventoried in 2008 in four contrasting sites, covering a surveyed total area of 484 km2. Wetlands that appear in the directory are commonly referred to as diwa wetlands or. Classification, characterisation, and use of small. Working for water operates in all major catchments, which are too numerous to list. The inland valleys were intensively used as compared to the floodplains.
Spatial information on east african wetlands is currently insufficient for. Wetlands with peat soils are referred to as bogs or fens. In cold areas such as ireland and canada many of the wetlands have peat soils. The main wetland types were inland valleys and flood plains. South africa has lost approximately 50% of the original wetland area. A directory of afrotropical wetlands of international importance. Safeguarding africas wetlands a daunting task inter. The st lucia estuarine system, part of the isimangaliso wetland park, is the largest of the three estuarine coastal lake systems in the country. Working for wetlands, south africa 1 managing rivers wisely basin countries south africa the two programmes described cover many south african river basins. It is coordinated by the australian government department of the environment and water resources dew and was first published in 1993. In particular the presentation of the national wetlands policy for uganda was well received at this seminar. Department of environmental affairs and tourism, 1998.
The forum recognizes that a range of definitions are valid for a range of contexts. A nongovernmental wetland conservation programme established in 1991 a partnership between two of sas largest conservation ngos wessa and wwf together with the funding from two corporates mazda wildlife fund and mondi ltd. The directory not only identifies important wetlands, it provides a substantial knowledge base of what defines wetlands, their variety and the dependence on them of many flora and fauna species. Various wetland types characterize the diverse and panoramic african. Wetlands, biodiversity and the ramsar convention informea. Wetlands are the source of water that supports all forms of life. The south african wetlands conservation pr ogram of the department of environm ental affairs and tour ism has undertak en the task of developing and co ordinating an inventory program. All presentation given at the workshop will be made available in pdf and disseminated along with the final report. It is sad to observe that the country is fast losing her wetlands, as the rich wetlands are being seriously threatened by a number of. Wetlands underpin the livelihoods of people and their integrity is fundamental to national development. Under the warmer conditions of africa, peat is much less common but is still found in many permanently wet areas. About the directory to develop a directory of important wetlands in australia the directory is an ambitious undertaking that encompasses a number of important elements. A directory of important wetlands in australia introduction a directory of important wetlands in australia is a cooperative project involving the australian and state and territory governments.
A version of the full text is available online in html format. The west african sitatunga tragelaphus spekei, thought to be extinct in west africa, has been discovered recently in the volta delta. Small wetlands in kenya and tanzania cover about 12 million ha and are increasingly converted for agricultural production. The directory is the product of the climate resilient site network in the africaneurasian fly way crf project being funded by the international climate initiative iki. Inland wetlands mainly distribute in africa 58% of the. Then follows a series of accounts of those wetlands, grouped according to department of conservation. To develop a directory of important wetlands in australia the directory is an ambitious undertaking that encompasses a number of important elements. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from high altitudes to dry regions. The uganda wetlands atlas, volume ii presents a comprehensive overview of the state and pressures on the wetlands in various parts of the country. The continents wetlands vary from the oases of the sahara, the rich coastal wetlands of west africa, the lakes of the rift valley and the seasonal wetlands of the okavango delta. In southern africa, wetlands of different types are an integral part of the drainage network, yet evolve and are sensitive to different combinations of geologic, climatic, geomorphic, edaphic and hydrologic controls. The ulanga river is formed by the convergence of major rivers coming the south, that flow north from the mountain ranges of the njombe and iringa regions on the eastern slope of the east african rift and south from the udzungwa mountains and mahenge mountains. Hughes r, hughes j 1992 a directory of african wetlands.
Case studies on coastal wetlands and water resources in. Wetlands are the link between the land and the water. Pdf african wetlands include dambos or headwater valley grasslands in the. Using the directory of african wetlands as a basis, ethiopian wetlands are classified into ten major groups, lakes being included hughs and hughs, 1992. The ecosystemtype of primary concern of the forum is wetlands. The land is either temporarily or permanently covered with shallow water. The depth of the water table changes from year to year and season to season, depending on the amount of rainfall and how much. A directory of important wetlands in australia diwa is a list of wetlands of national importance to australia. Throughout the world, wetlands produce a range of animals of commercial importance, particularly as food, skins and for sport and the ecotourism business. A directory of african wetlands iucn library system. Pdf assessment of policies and legislation that affect. Local action for biodiversity lab wetlands south africa west rand district municipality. Spatiallyexplicit information is required for sustainable wetland management.
Pdfsam basic portable, a free, open source, multiplatform software designed to split, merge, extract pages, mix and rotate pdf files packed as a portable app so you can do your pdf split and merge on the go. It consists predominantly of reed beds phragmites mauritanus and scattered open water, and covers an. In nigeria, africa s most populous nation, wetlands both coastal and inland are a key aquatic ecosystem covering about 2. A directory of important wetlands in australia third edition. Pdf african wetlands and their seasonal use by wild and domestic. Which of the soil forms in the south african soil classification system are wetland soils. O nwankwoala1 abstract wetlands play a very important role in the sustenance of both the surface and groundwater resources of the country. A summary of the manual was presented to the first meeting of the conference of. This directory represents the culmination of a twoyear project, the middle east wetland inventory, sponsored jointly by iucn, wwf, iwrb, birdlife international and ramsar. Wetlands originally occupied about % of the land surface area of uganda. Pdf wetlands provide invaluable ecosystem services and contribute. In general, the area of a ramsar site will not change unless it is expanded, adjusted, or merged with other protected areas 38. It consists of a series of national chapters describing the principal wetlands in countries from syria and lebanon in the west, to afghanistan in the east, and the.
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