Evaluating and valuing wetlands in South Africa

We act as responsible stewards of the natural resources under our watch, including our landholdings in South Africa classified as inland wetlands. This FAQ explains how.

Why are wetlands important?

Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments. With the increasing threat from climate change, they play a vital role in helping South Africa to mitigate global warming.

Wetlands sequester carbon from the atmosphere through plant photosynthesis and act as sediment traps for runoff. Carbon is held in the living vegetation as well as in litter, peats, organic soils and sediments that havebuilt up, in some instances, over thousands of years.

But that’s not all wetlands have to offer. On a global scale, they provide us with services worth trillions of US dollars every year – entirely free of charge – making a vital contribution to human health and wellbeing.

Pollution filtration
Wetlands improve water quality by removing pollutants from surface waters. As water from a stream channel or surface runoff enters a wetland, the water spreads out and flows through dense vegetation. The velocity of the flow is reduced, allowing suspended material in the water to settle to the wetland surface. The roots of wetland plants can then bind the accumulated sediments. As much as 90% of the sediments that are present in runoff or in streamflow may be removed if the water passes through wetlands.

Flood control
By slowing down rainwater runoff, wetlands help prevent sudden, damaging floods downstream.

Biodiversity richness
While wetlands cover a relatively small area of the earth’s surface, many of them are extremely rich in biodiversity.

Related Resources
PDF icon FAQs: Evaluating and valuing wetlands (Southern Africa) (2.35 MB)
PDF icon FAQs: Water and Sappi's plantations (Southern Africa) (1.76 MB)
PDF icon FAQs: Climate change (1.12 MB)
How do you know when an area is a wetland?
  • Wetlands are areas where the water table is usually at, or near, the land surface, either permanently or seasonally.
  • The substrate is predominantly undrained waterlogged soil.
  • The area is covered by water-loving species such as a papyrus marsh or sedge-dominated seep.
  • Temporarily wet areas, dominated by grass species, are only classed as wetlands if there is a high proportion of wetland soils showing signs of waterlogging.

How many wetlands does Sappi have in Southern Africa?

Excluding rivers and streams that are sometimes classified as wetlands, approximately 3,892 hectares of our landholdings in Southern Africa are currently classified as inland wetlands. These inland wetlands consist of a variety of wetland types, including freshwater marshes, peatlands, seeps and floodplains. The extensive upland vleis of the Highveld are primarily moist grassland surrounding wetland marshes in valleys, and these moist grasslands play a vital role in supplying water to the low-lying areas. 

What is Sappi’s approach to managing wetlands? 

We’re proud to say that Sappi was involved in the development of Wet-Health, one of the first comprehensive wetland health assessment tools to be developed for assessing South African wetlands. The toolkit enables us to:

  • Evaluate wetland condition
  • Identify causes of wetland degradation
  • Prioritise rehabilitation initiatives
  • Evaluate possible impacts of land-use changes on wetland functioning

With the aid of the toolkit, we prioritise the importance of our wetlands, assess their catchment areas and refine management plans to ensure they are managed to provide a sustainable flow of clean water and a sound habitat for biodiversity.

What types of wetlands are on Sappi land in Southern Africa?
Download our FAQ for all the details, organised by district.

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