De Berg wetlands — a nature-based solution for water security and climate adaptation

‘Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish been caught, will we realise, we cannot eat money.”

Bradley Gibbons, senior field officer at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, said that he couldn’t help but think of this Native American proverb as he reflected on the importance of wetlands in De Berg Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga.

Bradley Gibbons, Endangered Wildlife Trust field officer, explains how endangered grey crowned cranes rely on wetlands to schoolchildren from Mashishing (formerly Lydenburg) during a World Wetlands Day awareness drive, De Berg Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga. (Photo: Julia Evans)

South Africa has lost nearly half of its original wetland area – thanks in part to a highly productive (and misguided) government policy in the 1950s and 60s that subsidised farmers to drain wetlands, unaware of their ecological benefits. Today, millions of rands and years of work go into restoring these ecosystems, or maintaining the remaining 300,000 wetlands, as their value is now recognised.

Just before World Wetlands Day on 2 February, Gibbons, scientists from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), and Northam Platinum – sponsors of the event – gathered with local school children from Mashishing (previously Lydenburg) for Wetlands Awareness Day at De Berg Nature Reserve.

Jannie Coetzee, an ecologist from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), explained to a group of captivated schoolchildren from Lydenberg last Friday what makes these wetlands so special – their high altitude.

“It’s unique, it’s different – and it takes a lifetime of study to know all the plants and animals who live here,” said Coetzee.

At more than 2,300m above sea level, the reserve, South Africa’s 30th Ramsar site of International Importance, boasts the highest-altitude wetlands in Mpumalanga. Here, valley-bottom wetlands, seep areas and mountain streams create some of the most pristine and ecologically diverse watercourses in South Africa’s grassland biome.

As we made our way uphill from the wetlands, panting from the altitude, wetland scientist Hannes Marais from the MTPA joked, “Walking just one kilometre here during field research feels like you’re losing a kilogram!”

De Berg Nature Reserve is home to 878 indigenous plant species, including 42 of conservation concern. It plays a key role in preserving the endemic Steenkampsberg and Sekhukhune Montane Grassland vegetation. The reserve also supports rare species like the African finfoot, blue crane and various raptors, including the African marsh harrier and African grass owl.

Wetland scientists and ecologists from Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency in a wetland in De Berg Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga. (Photo: Julia Evans)

But beyond conservation, De Berg is a crucial water catchment area, regulating groundwater recharge, storing water and providing flood control – making it an ideal example of a nature-based solution.

The epitome of nature-based solutions

“Nature-based solutions are really perhaps the one thing that Africa has going in its favour, if we have the right safeguards in place,” David Obura, a prominent Kenyan biodiversity scientist told Daily Maverick in 2022, before South Africa signed the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference.

One of the 70 wetlands in De Berg Nature Reserve, located on the highest-altitude grasslands of Mpumalanga, which falls within the Mpumalanga Drakensberg Strategic Water Source area. (Photo: Julia Evans)

The Framework commits us to use nature-based approaches to reduce climate change’s impact on biodiversity and enhance nature’s benefits to people.

Read more: ‘Greenwashing’ alert – African delegates red-flag nature buzzwords at biodiversity summit

Nature-based solutions are using nature or natural mechanisms to solve problems related to climate change, food or water security, or environmental degradation. Wetlands are among the most effective and interesting natural solutions to both adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Projections from climatologists suggest that as global temperatures rise, the duration and intensity of droughts will increase, This is because rising temperatures increase evaporation and change rainfall patterns. At the same time,  warmer air holds more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall during storms; however, these rains often come in short bursts that do not improve water storage.

Invasive alien eucalyptus trees (background) and wattle trees are being eradicated to help restore natural ecological functioning. (Photo: Julia Evans)

This means that wetlands will come in handy in adapting to climate change because they can store water like a sponge, helping to prevent flooding and providing water during droughts. Additionally, wetlands contribute to climate change mitigation by acting as carbon sinks, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The benefits of wetlands:

• Water purification: Acting as natural sponges, wetlands absorb and filter pollutants, improving water quality and regulating groundwater levels.


• Flood mitigation: By absorbing excess rainfall, wetlands prevent destructive floods, a growing concern as climate change drives extreme weather.


• Carbon storage: Wetlands store carbon, reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases.


• Biodiversity conservation: Wetlands support diverse flora and fauna, providing crucial habitats for birds, fish and amphibians, including endangered species such as the African finfoot and blue crane.


• Community resilience: By ensuring a steady water supply and supporting sustainable livelihoods, wetlands help buffer communities against climate shocks.

• Economic benefits: Wetlands contribute to local economies through fisheries, tourism and agriculture while sustaining essential ecosystem services.

Feeding the downstream community

“The main thing people overlook when it comes to wetlands is how they purify water,” said Marais.

Hannes Marais, a wetland scientist from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, walks through a wetland in De Berg Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga. (Photo: Julia Evans)

De Berg’s wetlands receive water from precipitation and underground sources, slowly filtering it before releasing it into downstream river systems. Marais and his team measure that the reserve releases 8.04 million litres of clean water daily into the Groot Dwars River catchment, which feeds into the Olifants River system. This benefits communities in Dullstroom, Lydenberg and Steelpoort.

“We’re protecting it here, but the benefit is for the downstream community,” said Marais.

Restoring wetlands – a key climate adaptation strategy

Despite their importance, wetlands face threats from pollution, urban expansion and unsustainable agriculture. The Working for Wetlands programme, led by DFFE, focuses on restoring degraded wetlands. The Draaikraal Wetland System, near De Berg, was rehabilitated under this programme from 2008.

Wetlands can store and treat polluted water, making them a vital nature-based solution against climate change and environmental degradation. (Photo: Julia Evans)

André Beetge, deputy director of implementation for the programme, explained that the project took four years and required a team of more than 40 people working 180 days a year to restore its function – emphasising it doesn’t take long to mess up a wetland, but it takes a lot of funds and effort to rehabilitate it.

De Berg Nature Reserve is managed by the Buttonshope Conservancy Trust, which oversees Northam Platinum’s conservation initiatives and biodiversity offset programme.

One of the 70 wetlands in De Berg Nature Reserve, located on the highest-altitude grasslands of Mpumalanga. (Photo: Julia Evans)

Dr Marius Kruger, land manager at Northam Platinum’s Booysendal operation, explained that the management efforts of the reserve (including the wetlands) were part of Northam’s biodiversity offset programme. Its offset agreement with  Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency ensures that for every hectare disturbed by mining, 30 hectares of similar or better land are protected or restored, often including wetlands and catchment areas.

With South Africa emerging from its hottest summer on record – on par with the globe’s hottest year in history – droughts and floods are only going to increase in frequency and severity.

As Marais put it, “We protect wetlands up here to benefit those downstream.” Investing in wetlands isn’t just about conservation—it’s about securing South Africa’s future water and climate resilience. DM

Disclosure: This trip was funded through a media tour from the Endangered Wildlife Trust.