World Wetlands Day 2010 focused on wetlands, biodiversity and climate change and the 2010 World Wetlands Day slogan is Caring for wetlands – an answer to climate change.
At the end of 2009 a critical climate change meeting of the world’s leaders took place in Copenhagen focusing attention on the need for an active response to this global threat. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and biodiversity and climate change are intertwined and there is much work to be done at global and national levels. This includes wetland species and ecosystems under continuing threat from unsustainable human practices, the likely impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems, and importantly, the role of wetlands in climate change mitigation and adaptation..
Food & Trees for Africa celebrated World Wetlands Day at Ekukhanyisweni Primary School in Alexandra on the 2nd February 2010.
The school was initially an informal structure built of asbestos sheets before the Provincial Government provided funds to build a modern school in 2006. The official opening of the new school was done by then the MEC of Housing now the Premier of Gauteng Ms Nomvula Mokhonyane on the 20th July 2007. The school has 1073 learners from grade one to grade seven who do not pay any school fees due to the high rate of unemployment (60%) in the area. A feeding scheme provides the only meal some of these children receive daily. Despite these hardships and the densely populated urban environment they are in, this school won an Ambassador of Global Warming Climate Change Campaign Provincial Award for three years in succession from 2003 to 2005.
The FTFA World Wetlands Day event highlighted the need for biodiversity and drew attention to importance of wetlands, such as those damaged and much degraded wetlands of Alexandra, encouraging the learners and educators to look after this very valuable resource.
In every country and climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, wetlands provide the basis for human survival and development. Wetlands include inland rivers, lakes and peatswamps, coastal lagoons, estuaries and reefs and human-made wetlands such as rice-fields. People and wetlands are interdependent: wetlands provide food and water, control floods, stabilise shorelines, mitigate climate change and are home to a wide range of biodiversity.
Wetlands function as sponges, as buffers against storms, as sources of fresh water and food. Protecting and restoring mangroves, reefs, peatswamps, mountain lakes and floodplains should therefore get recognised as effective climate adaptation strategies. No other type of ecosystem is as important to millions of migratory birds, fish, amphibians, insects, plants and trees. The loss of these wetlands will however magnify the impacts of climate change and be disastrous for our safety and water security. Protecting wetlands is of utmost importance if we want to mantain balance..
Despite their overwhelming values, wetlands are the most highly threatened ecosystems on the planet. Demand for their services is likely to intensify as human populations increase and development accelerates.
The FTFA Team and the representatives from the school were joined by two special guests, Ms Lisa Suzuki and Ms Chika Saito who were members of a group of over 100 Japanese volunteers who came to South Africa in September 2009 on a tree planting and food gardening goodwill mission. During their trip, they visited Ekukhanyisweni Primary School for an afternoon of music and cultural exchange provided by Japanese band, Funkist, and many local acts.
The volunteers so enjoyed their time with the learners of the school that they went back to Japan and collected clothes for the children. These they sent back to South Africa with Ms Chika Saito, who handed them over to the school at the World Wetlands Day event on the 2nd February 2010.
Thanks to Sipho and Solomon of FTFA for a great event and Solomon for getting the pics up on his blog so quickly. Have a look at Solomon`s blog : http://www.mondlaneministries.blogspot.com/