Water Wise Watch: May 2018
This month at Water Wise
"For the love of birds"
What would the world be without birds? Imagine the unusual quietness that comes without the sound of birds singing in the morning or the dying population of plants which depend on birds for pollination. Life would never be the same. Birds, just like any other inhabitant of the earth, play an important role in maintaining life.
This month we will be celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day as well as the International Biodiversity Day. According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa is rated as the 3rd most biodiverse country in the world. This is mainly because of the diversity of plant species we have, However, South Africa's bird species are declining as a result of human activities destroying the natural habitat of birds.
Rand Water's Water Wise section together with Bird Life South Africa and Johannesburg Zoo took an initiative to educate communities about South Africa's bird species and their habitat (mainly wetlands).
Four facts about the White-Winged Flufftail
1. White-Winged Flufftail is only known to occur with any regularity in Ethiopia and South Africa.
2. The species breeds in wetlands in the eastern parts of South Africa.
3. There's only 50 birds left in South Africa, and perhaps as few as 250 remaining throughout its global range.
4. The White-Winged Flufftail is critically endangered.
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Environmental Days
9 May - World Migratory Bird Day
22 May - International Biodiversity Day
Water Wise News (Click the headings in bold below to read each article)
"The Department of Water and Sanitation on Tuesday said there was a possibility that the Misverstand Dam near Moorreesburg in the Western Cape could run out of water by April 24. Spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said the province was still faced with drought conditions as seen by deteriorating dam levels..."
Forecast for May/June
Rainfall days are expected to decrease drastically in winter for most parts of the country with an exception of a few provinces. The rainfall levels are expected to be above-normal during late autumn (Apr-May-Jun) and early winter of the south-western cape regions. The interior parts are expected to have increased number of rainfall days than normal for late autumn, and also high number of rainfall days should be expectedin the far south-western parts of the country during early winter. Temperatures are expected to decrease during late autumn and early winter for most parts of the country.
