Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, will lead the 2013 World Wetlands Day celebrations on Friday, 1 February 2013, in Kareedouw, KouKamma Local Municipality, Eastern Cape.
World Wetlands Day (WWD) is an annual event that commemorates the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian City of Ramsar. Each year during this period, people around the world, including government departments, non-governmental organisations and groups of citizens at all levels of the community take advantage of the opportunity to come together to celebrate and raise public awareness of the value of wetlands and their vital link to human well-being.
In designating 2013 as the UN International Year of Water Cooperation, the United Nations General Assembly recognises that water is critical for sustainable development and human health and well-being. It also gives impetus to the 2013 World Wetlands Day theme “Wetlands and Water Management” with the slogan “Wetlands take care of water”.
There will be a media tour of the rehabilitated wetlands in the Kromme River Catchment. These wetlands were rehabilitated by the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working for Water programme.
MEC for Economic Development and Environmental Affairs from the Eastern Cape, Mr Mcebisi Jonas will join the Deputy Minister during the WWD celebrations.
Media is invited to attend the celebrations as follows:
Part 1: Site visit / Media tour
Date: 1 February 2013
Venue: Churchill Dam, Rhodefontein
Time: 9h00
Part 2: Keynote address by Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi
Venue: Kagiso Hall, Kareedouw, Koukamma Local Municipality
Eastern Cape
Time: 11h30
RSVP:
Xolani Ngqoshela
Tel: 012 310 3078
Cell: 083 630 9519
E-mail: XNgqoshela@environment.gov.za
For media queries contact:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
E-mail: mbelengwap@dwa.gov.za
