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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
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