Africa-Press – Angola. The Provincial Government of Bengo is working to create conditions for the protection of 2,580 hectares of wetlands in Lagunário de Sarico, in Panguila, commune of Barra do Dande, municipality of Dande, according to the deputy governor for the Technical Sphere and Infrastructure. .
Agostinha da Silva, who was speaking during the unveiling of three identification and protection plaques for the site, said that the Government will protect the 2,580 hectares of surface, as it is one of the few areas chosen by the International Ramsar Convention as a habitat for several species of the biodiversity.
“It is becoming increasingly important to apply plates to identify the perimeter, where various prohibitions arise, such as the non-pollution of the environment and damage to any living species in this habitat”, she said.
During a conversation with the local community, the director-general of the National Institute for Biodiversity and Conservation (INBC), Albertina Nzuzi, appealed to the population to value the Sarico wetland, as it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, whose management and conservation will have the financial contribution of international institutions.
“Today we are here for the implementation of signs and community awareness. We know that this is an area of economic importance for the population that lives here, due to the salt flats, but we ask the residents to help us protect the biodiversity of this place” , he stressed.
To the press, Albertina Nzuzi said that the Sarico wetland must be protected, especially as it hosts many birds from various African countries that find a place there to be their habitat or spawn. “The presence of these birds, in this region of Bengo, can attract many tourists”, he said.
The official advised the businessmen who work in the Sarico area in order to abide by legality. According to the director general of the INBC, attached to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment, resources must be exploited in a legal and sustainable way.
“We do not allow solid waste deposits or illegal occupation here. This wetland should only bring benefits to the local community,” she maintained.
Wetlands are defined as places where the land is covered with shallow, current or static, temporal, intermittent or permanent water, covering coastal areas, swamps, reservoirs and river branches, whether natural or artificial, including adjacent areas.
In Angola, 11 wetlands have been identified, such as Lagoa do Carumbo (Lunda-Norte), Lagoa do Arco (Namibe), Saco dos Flamingos dos Ramiros (Luanda), Foz do Rio Chiloango (Cabinda), Sarico Lagoon Complex, in Panguila (Bengo), Lagoa do Kalumbo, in Lobito Bay (Benguela), Kumbito Wetlands System, in Dirico (Cuando Cubango), Section of the Kwanza River, in Quiçama (Luanda), Lagoa da Kilunda, in Funda (Luanda) and in the chanas of Cameia National Park (Moxico).
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