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BirdLife South Africa’s Landscape Conservation Programme has developed guidelines to help land
managers maintain wetlands in an optimal state alongside primary land-use activities, for the benefit of downstream communities and the conservation of the natural environment.
29/05/2025, Johannesburg:
BirdLife South Africa, together with wetland ecologists from Wet Earth Eco Specs (Pty) Ltd, the University of the Free State Centre for Environmental
Management, the Centre for Wetland Research and Training (WetResT), and Ixhaphozi Enviro Services CC have developed
Best Practice Guidelines for High-Elevation Wetland and Peatland Management in Southern Africa
(hereafter referred to as “Guidelines”), a handbook designed to communicate the dynamic and complex nature of wetlands in a way that is accessible and does not require specialist knowledge. With the management of most wetlands residing with private
and traditional groups of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, the goal of the Guidelines is to communicate our understanding of wetlands more simply and concisely and, ultimately, empower individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools needed to manage
wetlands effectively and sustainably.
The Guidelines are written for people responsible for the management of wetlands, such as landowners, farmers, traditional authorities, protected area managers, and any other form of management authority. It also applies to people advising these management
groups, such as consultants, practitioners, environmental, agricultural, and engineering specialists, and governments. The Guidelines are targeted at areas in upper catchments from 1 400 metres above sea level in the mesic grasslands (areas averaging ≥700
mm of rainfall per annum) of southern Africa (Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The Guidelines will equip readers with the knowledge and tools needed to manage wetlands alongside primary land-use activities,
such as livestock and game farming, croplands and forestry, trout farming and recreational activities, and newer industries like renewable energy production, while also receiving optimal benefits from the natural environment. Adopting the principles and recommendations
of the Guidelines will help preserve and even improve the state of wetlands for the benefit of surrounding and downstream communities, future generations, and wildlife.
Wetlands are often viewed as a waste of space that could be more productive if altered for other land-use activities. Apart from being an essential habitat for many unique species, wetlands provide people with services that would require substantial financial
investment to replicate. However, wetlands have, and continue to be, destroyed and degraded across the globe. Despite covering only 4-6% of the Earth's land surface, inland wetlands have declined by up to 69-75% during the 20th century. This has severe implications
for southern Africa – a water-scarce region expected to become drier in some parts and wetter in others under climate change forecasts. Wetlands can mitigate the effects of climate change and other natural disasters if we conserve the provisioning, regulating,
supporting, and cultural ecosystem services they supply.
Water is transported by rivers originating in mountainous areas, often called 'water towers' because they supply a disproportionately high volume of surface runoff to downstream villages, towns, and cities relative to their size. If we are to better manage
our water resources under increasing water demands by society and climate change predictions, we need to start with the high-elevation wetlands in these water towers. Furthermore, because of their altitude and isolation, high-elevation wetlands are home to
many specialised, threatened, and endemic species. It is for the protection of this immense value provided by wetlands that the Guidelines have been created.
A free electronic copy of the Guidelines can be downloaded from the BirdLife South Africa website
at this link.
A limited number of hard copies will be distributed to landowners and protected area managers within the scope area of the Guidelines through BirdLife South Africa’s biodiversity stewardship projects and partner environmental NGOs. The Guidelines will be presented
and made available to delegates of the 15th
Ramsar Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (July 2025) and the
National Wetlands
Indaba in Gauteng, South Africa (October 2025).
We would like to thank and acknowledge our co-authors, guest authors, reviewers, funders, and other contributors for their assistance in developing the publication.
END
Authors: Dr Kyle J. Lloyd, Dr Marlize Muller, Anton Linström, Dr Piet-Louis Grundling, Dr Lulu Pretorius, Renée E. Grundling, and Dr Hanneline A. Smit-Robinson
Contact (English): Dr Kyle John Lloyd (Wetland Conservation Project Manager/Rockjumper Fellow of White-winged Flufftail Conservation, BirdLife South Africa), 071 103 4464,
kyle....@birdlife.org.za
Contact (Afrikaans): Dr Marlize Muller
(Steenkampsberg Conservation Officer), 073 435 5219, marlize...@birdlife.org.za
Photographs available on request.
About BirdLife South Africa:
BirdLife
South Africa is a registered non-profit, public benefit organisation dedicated to bird conservation in South Africa. BirdLife South Africa strives
to conserve birds, their habitats, and biodiversity through scientifically based programmes, supporting the sustainable and equitable use of natural resources.
Link to the Guidelines:
https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Wetland-Management-Guidelines-layout-pages.pdf
Afrikaans translation:
29/05/2025 Johannesburg:
BirdLife South Africa, saam met vleiland-ekoloë van
Wet Earth Eco Specs
(Pty) Ltd, die Universiteit van die Vrystaat se
Centre for Environmental Management, die
Centre for Wetland Research and Training
(WetResT), en
Ixhaphozi Enviro Services
CC het “Beste Praktyk Riglyne vir Hoë-Elevasie Vleiland en Veenland Bestuur in Suider-Afrika" (hierna verwys as "Riglyne") ontwikkel, 'n handleiding wat ontwerp is om die dinamiese en komplekse
aard van vleilande te kommunikeer op 'n manier wat toeganklik is en nie spesialiskennis vereis nie. Aangesien die meeste vleilande deur private en tradisionele groepe met diverse sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde bestuur word, is die doel van die Riglyne om ons
begrip van vleilande eenvoudig en bondig te kommunikeer en, uiteindelik, individue en gemeenskappe te bemagtig met die kennis en vaardighede wat nodig is om vleilande effektief en volhoubaar te bestuur.
Die Riglyne is geskryf vir mense wat vleilande bestuur, soos grondeienaars, boere, tradisionele owerhede, beskermde gebied-bestuurders, en enige ander bestuursowerhede. Dit sal ook van waarde wees vir mense wat hierdie bestuursgroepe adviseer, soos konsultante,
praktisyne, omgewings-, landbou-, en ingenieurskundiges, en regering amptenare. Die Riglyne is gerig op opvanggebiede hoër as 1 400 meter bo seevlak, in graslande met ≥700 mm gemiddelde reënval per jaar, in suidelike Afrika (Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mosambiek, Suid-Afrika, Zambië, en Zimbabwe). Die Riglyne sal lesers toerus met die kennis en vaardighede wat nodig is om vleilande te bestuur in samewerking met primêre grondgebruik-aktiwiteite, soos vee- en wildboerdery, landerye en bosbou, forel boerdery
en ontspanningsaktiwiteite, en nuwer industrieë soos hernubare energieproduksie, terwyl grondeienaars ook optimale voordele van die natuurlike omgewing ontvang. Die toepassing van die beginsels en aanbevelings van die Riglyne sal help om die toestand van vleilande
te verseker en selfs te verbeter tot voordeel van omliggende en stroomaf gemeenskappe, toekomstige generasies, en natuurlewe.
Vleilande is 'n noodsaaklike habitat vir baie unieke spesies en voorsien vleilande mense van dienste wat aansienlike finansiële belegging sou vereis om te repliseer. Vleilande is egter, en word steeds, vernietig en gedegradeer regoor die wêreld. Vleilande word
dikwels beskou as 'n vermorsing van ruimte wat meer produktief gebruik kan word vir ander doeleindes. Ten spyte daarvan dat hulle slegs 4-6% van die aarde se landoppervlakte bedek, het binnelandse vleilande met tot 69-75% afgeneem gedurende die 20ste eeu.
Dit het ernstige implikasies vir suidelike Afrika – 'n waterarm streek met klimaatsverandering-voorspellings dat sommige dele droër en ander natter gaan word. Vleilande kan die uitwerking van klimaatsverandering en ander natuurrampe versag indien ons die
voorsienende, regulerende, ondersteunende, en kulturele ekosisteemdienste wat hulle lewer, bewaar.
Water word vervoer deur riviere wat in bergagtige gebiede ontstaan, dikwels 'watertorings' genoem omdat hulle 'n buitengewoon hoë volume oppervlakafloop aan stroomaf dorpe en stede verskaf relatief tot hul grootte. As ons ons waterbronne beter wil bestuur onder
toenemende water eise deur die samelewing en klimaatsverandering-voorspellings, moet ons begin om die hoë-elevasie vleilande in hierdie watertorings te bewaar. Verder, as gevolg van hul hoogte en isolasie, is hoë-elevasie vleilande tuiste vir baie gespesialiseerde,
bedreigde, en endemiese spesies. Die Riglyne is geskryf om hierdie merkwaardige waarde wat deur vleilande verskaf word, te beskerm.
'n Gratis elektroniese kopie van die Riglyne kan afgelaai word van die BirdLife South Africa webtuiste
by hierdie skakel.
'n Beperkte aantal gedrukte kopieë sal versprei word aan grondeienaars en beskermde gebied-bestuurders binne die omvang gebied van die Riglyne deur
BirdLife South Africa se biodiversiteit-rentmeesterskap projekte en vennoot omgewings Nie-regerings Organisasies. Die Riglyne sal aangebied en beskikbaar gestel word aan afgevaardigdes van die
15th Ramsar
Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (Julie 2025) en die
National Wetlands
Indaba in Gauteng, Suid-Afrika (Oktober 2025).
Ons wil graag ons mede-outeurs, gasskrywers, resensente, befondsers, en ander bydraers bedank en erken vir hul hulp met die ontwikkeling van die publikasie.
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