Category talk:Wetlands of South Africa

National Wetlands Map South Africa

The National Wetland Inventory is a pioneering effort to map and characterise the wetlands of South Africa. Changes made during the year under review yielded a much improved National Wetlands Map offering users higher accuracy and better attribute data. The project is now in its fourth year within SANBI and has mapped over 114,000 wetlands. It is build on this baseline by including wetland-related datasets submitted by various government bodies, wetland forums and conservation organizations.

Following several reports of ‘shift errors’ an accuracy assessment was carried out by external experts, who measured the National Wetlands Map data against existing wetland reference datasets. Mapping accuracy, defined as the areas of mapped wetlands divided by the total wetland area contained in the reference datasets, ranged from 92% in Free State to 29 % in Limpopo, with four provinces recording an accuracy of greater than 70%. The accuracy assessment allowed the inventory team to fix the shifts in the data. The new map also provides limited additional attribute information, for example distinguishing between vegetated wetlands and open water bodies such as lakes and dams. Further development of a wetland classification system, and a participatory mapping initiative to encourage people to submit information on wetlands for inclusion in the inventory, are in the pipeline.

In the past year, new tools and information made it possible to plan rehabilitation so that the wetlands or catchments most in need are catered for, and that rehabilitation intervention is in keeping with South Africa’s larger water resource management, conservation and poverty alleviation objectives

The site for downloading data is http://bgis.sanbi.org/mapsearch.asp

By Mbona Namhla

Progress on South African wetland inventory
In 2010. The National Wetlands Inventory, a South African Wetland Classification System (SAWCS) (by which wetland habitat types with shared natural attributes can be grouped together) was completed through the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) project, of which SANBI is part of. The aim of the classification system was to enhance the value of the spatial data gathered through mapping by the inventory and provide wetland specialists, academics, government and other role players with a common language when distinguishing different types of wetlands for management and conservation purposes. Freshwater biodiversity experts from around the country generated draft maps outlining a national network of priority freshwater ecosystems and their supporting catchments. This was the first time that systematic conservation planning methods have been applied to the full range of freshwater ecosystems on a national scale in ! South Africa, resulting in the production of the maps.

Contact Mbona N —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.31.84.13 (talk) 09:27, 13 May 2011 (UTC)