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West Rand District Municipality WETLAND REPORT | 2017

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West Rand District Municipality WETLAND REPORT | 2017 WEST RAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY WETLAND REPORT | 2017 LOCAL ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY (LAB): WETLANDS SOUTH AFRICA Biodiversity for Life South African National Biodiversity Institute Full Program Title: Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetland Management in a Changing Climate Sponsoring USAID Office: USAID/Southern Africa Cooperative Agreement Number: AID-674-A-14-00014 Contractor: ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability – Africa Secretariat Date of Publication: May 2017 DISCLAIMER: The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. FOREWORD The world today is faced with changing climate largely as a result of wetland areas being ‘reclaimed’ conditions which in most instances results in natural for expanding urban development or agricultural disasters. These disasters also erode our natural expansion as well as encroachment of invasive resources, like wetlands and catchments. alien vegetation. As a result, species which once Wetlands are one of the most valuable and populated these areas in vast numbers are seeing a diverse ecosystems on the planet and are essential rapid decline and countless animals and plants have for human existence. Wetlands clean the water we been brought to the verge of extinction. Wetlands are drink as well as provide nutritious food in the form also increasingly unable to perform the ecosystem of plants and fish. Wetlands also provide organic services so vital for human life. materials which can be used for medicinal purposes. In the 21st century we need wetlands more than They help protect us from flooding and storm surges ever before. The conservation and the management and also have the ability to store water which is of wetlands in a holistic, collaborating and effective then released in times of drought. They provide key manner is therefore essential to sustain human habitat for a significant array of critically endangered livelihoods and local economies, protect our valuable flora and fauna. Wetlands also play a key role in the biodiversity and buffer the impacts of climate change. mitigation of climate change, which is predicted to have a major impact on human livelihoods, as they can store large amounts of carbon and thus can help with the regulation of greenhouse gases, thereby assisting in slowing down climate change. Despite the essential role wetlands play in ALDERMAN BOYCE maintaining the delicate balance of life on Earth, they MAKHOSONKE MANELI are being lost and degraded at an unprecedented Executive Mayor: rate, faster than any other ecosystem in the world. West Rand District Since the 1900s, it is estimated that 64% of the world’s Municipality wetlands have been destroyed. In South Africa, 50% of the country’s’ wetlands has been lost and 48% of the remaining wetlands are critically endangered. The astounding loss of the wetlands systems worldwide is WEST RAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: WETLAND REPORT I 2017 1 ICLEI – LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY [email protected] +27 21 202 0381 www.africa.iclei.org www.twitter.com/ICLEIAfrica ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is the In order to strengthen the role cities and local leading global network of over 1,500 cities, towns and governments play in the pursuit of greater regions committed to building a sustainable future. sustainability through the collaborative design and By helping the ICLEI Network to become sustainable, implementation of integrated urban development low-carbon, ecomobile, resilient, biodiverse, resource- and effective biodiversity management, the ICLEI efficient, healthy and happy, with a green economy Cities Biodiversity Center (ICLEI CBC) was created and smart infrastructure, we impact over 25% of the in 2009. The ICLEI CBC is located in Cape Town, global urban population. South Africa, embedded in the Africa Regional Office of ICLEI. We offer cities a broad portfolio of ICLEI Africa’s work is conducted by a dynamic and supportive services through our dedicated team of passionate team of professionals that seek to work passionate, skilled and dynamic biodiversity and with cities to ensure a more sustainable future, with a urban development experts. specific focus on urban biodiversity matters. 2 2017 I WEST RAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: WETLAND REPORT ICLEI CITIES BIODIVERSITY CENTER LOCAL ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY PROGRAMME [email protected] +27 21 202 0381 www.africa.iclei.org www.twitter.com/ICLEIAfrica The ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center aims to create buffers further biodiversity loss, improves the urban BiodiverCities, which promote urban biodiversity for standard of living, and provides local opportunities the many benefits they offer, including human well- for global education and awareness. being, poverty alleviation, habitat conservation, air and water quality, climate change adaptation and ICLEI’s Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) programme mitigation, food provision, fortified infrastructure is a unique global biodiversity programme run by resilience, and happiness of citizens. The ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center. The LAB Program is aimed at improving and enhancing ecosystem BiodiverCities are aware that ecosystem services management at the local level, and is recognized contribute towards many essential municipal globally as the leading results-driven local government services, as well as towards the local economy, biodiversity initiative. Currently, LAB is working on sustainability and social well-being of their cities. wetland restoration in South Africa under the Local Biodiversity in cities provides a critical contribution Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa (LAB towards achieving the global biodiversity targets. It Wetlands SA) project. WEST RAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: WETLAND REPORT I 2017 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1 ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 Local Action for Biodiversity Programme ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3 List of Acronyms ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 List of Tables ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 List of Figures ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7 Executive Summary ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 Introduction �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9 1 i What is a Wetland? ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 2 | What is Biodiversity? �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 3 | WETLANDS AND BIODIVERSITY IN WEST RAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY ��������������������������������������������������13 3�1 Mapping Wetlands in West Rand District Municipality ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������14 3�2 Key Wetlands in West Rand District Municipality �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 3.2.1 The Abe Bailey Nature Reserve ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 3.2.2 Urban Wetlands within Merafong City Local Municipality �������������������������������������������������������������������15 3�3 Key Flora and Fauna of West Rand Wetlands ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������16 3.3.1 Flora ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������17 3.3.2 Fauna ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������17 3�4 Changes of Freshwater Ecosystems Over Time ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������18 1938 – 1964: Development of the “dewatering policy” �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19 3�5 The Value of Wetlands in West Rand District
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