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NATURE
Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve
SILVER JUBILEE FOR ‘WASTELAND’
By James Clarke, Pictures by Mary Broadley
The United Nations Environmental Some fly, with their offspring, 15 000 have their favoured routes. Some end in
Programme is celebrating a 25-year- kilometres from their breeding grounds to the Middle East, many go all the way to the
summer in Southern Africa. The spectrum Cape.
old international campaign to
of the countries whose governments
encourage the importance of wetlands signed the agreement range from the The chain of wetlands - estuaries, lakes
as essential contributors to the health polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere and marshes - are the birds’ resting
to Cape Agulhas. The birds’ various routes places where some species congregate
of our environment and survival of our
form what is called the African-Eurasian in their tens of thousands to spend days
wildlife, especially the millions of birds Flyway. refuelling before continuing their flights.
that migrate annually. The geographical range covered by the
The treaty, known as Aewa - the African- transcontinental bird routes crosses 119
t’s a reason to celebrate. Twenty-five Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement countries.
years ago, several national governments – is dedicated to safeguarding the
Ithroughout Africa, Europe and the stopping-off places along the migration Many of the birds are annual visitors
Russian Federation signed an agreement routes. Eighty nations are now pledged to to South Africa and all are ecologically
to safeguard wetlands ranging from the protect these wetlands. dependent on the wetlands for at least
Arctic to South Africa. The main motive? part of their annual cycle. Some species,
To ensure migrating waterbirds have Tens of millions of migrating geese, when they arrive here, have little or no
somewhere to land on their journeys as grebes, pelicans, cormorants, spoonbills, need for wetlands in South Africa, yet all
they fly down to Africa and, roughly six ibises, herons, cranes, storks, gulls, terns depend on the chain of wetlands to get
months later, fly back. and other species – 255 species in all - here.
26 INTRA MUROS SEPTEMBER 2020