The Local Action for Biodiversity: Wetlands South Africa (LAB: Wetlands SA) Project has been nominated for the prestigious Eco-Logic Biodiversity Award, for the second time in two years.
“The Eco-Logic Awards promote the best South Africa eco-champions” says David Parry-Davies, publisher of Enviropaedia and founder of the Eco-Logic Awards.
The LAB: Wetlands SA project works with 11 municipalities across South Africa and aims to protect wetlands in the country. The project ensures these valuable assets can provide critical services such as flood attenuation, water storage and water purification whilst increasing municipalities’ resilience to the impacts of climate change and preserving vital habitat for local flora and fauna.
The achievements of the project in 2017 included the development of ‘State of Wetland Reports’ for each participating municipality, a wetland awareness raising video and the undertaking of wetland awareness raising workshops with over 800 technical municipal planners and water services officials across the country. The efforts of the LAB: Wetlands SA Project team resulted in the project winning the Eco-Logic Biodiversity Gold Award in 2017.
Since then, the project has gained momentum and additional wetland awareness raising workshops have been undertaken with over 200 political leaders. The project has also assisted the participating municipalities with developing Wetland Strategy and Action Plans which will support with holistic and effective planning around their wetlands. Additionally, the project has funded the implementation of three highly successful pilot wetland projects and developed the ‘South Africa Wetland Management Guidelines’ which will directly support not only municipalities, but also town planners and developers, with making wetland and biodiversity sensitive decisions when planning around wetlands.
Other nominated finalists for the coveted Biodiversity Award include the ‘Bearded Vulture Breeding Programme’, ‘Buffelsdraai Landfill Site Community Reforestation Project’, ‘Cape Town Environmental Education Trust- Nature Care Fund’ and ‘Lifescanner Lab-In-A-Box’.
The award ceremony will take place on 5th June 2018, World Environment Day, in Tshwane.
