Assessment of impact of land use change on the wetland in Makhitha village, Limpopo province, South Africa

Wetlands are essential for the natural function of an ecosystem, by regulating floods and remaining as a source of water supply. However, land use changes are the main forces behind wetland deterioration worldwide, including South Africa. In this article, we report on the impact of land use changes...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Jamba 2019, Vol.11 (2), p.1-6
Main Authors: Phethi, Mpho D., Gumbo, Jabulani R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aquatic ecosystems
Cultivation
Deterioration
Disaster management
Disease transmission
Ecological monitoring
Ecology
Economic factors
Ecosystems
Education
Environmental Awareness
Environmental changes
Environmental economics
Environmental education
Environmental management
Floods
Hydrology
Land Use
Land use controls
Land use management
Land use planning
Livestock
Original Research
Polls & surveys
Population growth
Poverty
Real estate appraisal
Road construction
Rural areas
Satellite imagery
Social factors
Subsistence Farming
Sugarcane
Surveys
Sustainability
Urban planning
Water
Water supply
Wetland Degradation
Wetland management
Wetlands
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Wetlands are essential for the natural function of an ecosystem, by regulating floods and remaining as a source of water supply. However, land use changes are the main forces behind wetland deterioration worldwide, including South Africa. In this article, we report on the impact of land use changes at the Makhitha wetland, Limpopo province, South Africa. The data was collected using techniques such as ecological survey, socio-economic survey and interpretation of satellite images obtained between 1978 and 2004. The study findings revealed that factors such as poverty and population growth were the driving forces behind wetland mismanagement. The cultivation of crops, grazing of livestock and road construction were the main land use activities that were practised in the wetland, which contributed to wetland deterioration, a disaster that can be mitigated. The study then recommended strategies such as environmental education, fencing and land use planning to resolve the problem of land use changes, in order to contribute to sustainable wetland management.
ISSN:1996-1421
2072-845X
1996-1421
DOI:10.4102/jamba.v11i2.693