As part of World Wetlands Day, AfriForum cleaned up the wetlands in the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve on 2 February 2019. The recent heavy rain showers washed down heaps of rubbish in the stormwater channels, which was subsequently carried off by the influent right into the wetlands. Approximately ten bags of litter were picked up during the action.
“Wetlands are of the utmost importance, seeing as they function like natural dams. During heavy rainfall and thunderstorms wetlands absorb the water and then slowly release it again during the course of the year. Without wetlands this waste water is thus washed away immediately and goes lost. Wetlands also have the ability to decrease the intension of floods and droughts via the regulation of stormflow,” says Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s Project Coordinator for Environmental Affairs.
AfriForum would like to encourage the community to become involved at the organisation’s initiatives that are aimed at looking after the environment in the area and also keeping it clean. “More than 50% of South Africa’s wetlands have already been destroyed or show signs of decline. We as people are responsible for preserving our wetlands and to subsequently ensure that our essential ecosystems function optimally,” concludes De Klerk.
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