Frances Baard District Municipality Wetland Report

Frances Baard District Municipality (FBDM) is located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and covers an area of 23 331 km², making it the smallest district in the Northern Cape. However, it accommodates the largest proportion of the population of the province estimated at 382 088. The district comprises of four local municipalities namely Dikgatlong Local Municipality, Magareng Local Municipality, Phokwane Local Municipality and Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality. Kimberley, located in Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality, is the capital of the province, and also the home of the District Municipality head offices.

Key environmental features in the district include two of the largest rivers in South Africa, the Orange and the Vaal, which both flow through and meet in Frances Baard District Municipality. There is still a lot to learn about the wetland systems in the district; however various organisations and initiatives are emerging and beginning to study these systems  hroughout the Northern Cape. Wetland ecosystems in Frances Baard District Municipality are considered to be high-value ‘ecological infrastructure’ as they not only provide habitat for flora and fauna, but also have the potential to provide critical ecosystem services to the municipality. These include flood attenuation, water filtration, erosion control and water storage (regulatory services) as well as food provision, supply of raw materials and clean drinking water (provisioning services). The wetlands within the municipality also play a pivotal role in disaster risk management as well as reducing the impacts of the climatic change in the region.

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