Two sides of the same coin? Towards a synthesis framework for the management of wetlands in South Africa

Abstract

One of the critical drivers of wetland loss is the failure to manage such areas adequately. The definition of management may mean one thing in law and another in non-legal terms. This is the reality in South Africa, coupled with the fact that management within an environmental legislation context means different things. This brief provides a framework for a practical governance approach to what management can mean, offering a contribution that may be adopted by policymakers, in order to be implemented as a guideline by the relevant wetland institutions.

Keywords

• decision-makers
• Ramsar Convention
• wetland management
• wetlands