On World Wetlands Day on February 2, De Berg Nature Reserve was officially declared South Africa’s 30th Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
At an elevation of just over 2 300m above sea level, the Ramsar site just north of Dullstroom contains the highest altitude wetlands in Mpumalanga, consisting of numerous valley bottom, seep wetlands and mountain streams, and represents some of the most pristine and habitat-diverse watercourses in the South African grassland biome.
Through the Working for Wetlands Programme, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has invested over R1.4 billion (€68.4m) in the rehabilitation of 1 873 wetlands and created 43 662 jobs. The Working for Wetlands Programme, which commenced in 2000, is being implemented in South Africa’s nine provinces by a dedicated team of experts working closely with communities.
“The conservation and restoration of wetlands is crucial to achieving many of our…
