Wetlands, Water and Livelihoods

The global NGO Wetlands International will host an international workshop in South Africa on the role of wetland management in poverty reduction. The goal of the workshop is to bring the nature conservation and development aid sectors together to develop a common agenda for how wetlands protection and poverty reduction can complement one another.

"South Africa is a very interesting country to look at," says Trevor Wickham, the Project Manager of the Dutch-funded project, "with water shortage in many areas and numerous communities dependent on fresh water ecosystems, South Africa has needed to be innovative in finding solutions that work for nature and people. Their working-for-wetlands program, where the poor can earn a living and develop new skills through restoring wetlands is one such example.”