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NEWS: Coastal wetlands are unable to adapt to the rate of sea-level rise and are constrained by infrastructure

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Wetlands, precious ecosystems that shield coastlines, safeguard drinking water from saltwater contamination, and nourish diverse wildlife, face a dire threat from the accelerating pace of sea-level rise, driven by global warming. Wetlands have historically adapted to rising sea levels by expanding upward and inland. However, predictions indicate that the waterline will soon shift far too rapidly for wetlands to keep pace. Consequently, future decades may witness the tragic loss of these vital wetland ecosystems. Wetlands along coastlines have historically played valuable roles for people and wildlife, but are now facing the threat of sea-level rise. As temperatures rise, sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, and wetlands are unable to keep pace by building upward and migrating inland. This is due to human-induced climate change and the burning of fossil fuels, which has warmed the oceans and melted glaciers. Sea levels are now rising at about 10 millimeters per year, and are
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NEWS: Construction and building material sales indicate strengthening economy

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The improvement in the sales of construction and building material was encouraging amid the challenging economic environment, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) said.


Wholesale trade sales data released by Statistics South Africa showed a 31.3 percent increase in sales in May this year compared to May last year, to reach R158 billion.

Month on month, sales increased 6.3 percent from April. In the year to date, wholesale trade sales have increased by 14.5 percent.

Sales of construction and building materials increased to R13bn from R11bn in April, with expansionary year-on-year growth of 115.9 percent in May.

Within the metals and engineering (M&E) sector, the increase in the sale of construction and building material was driven mainly by the increase in the demand for building supplies across all segments, including non-ferrous metal products, basic iron and steel products, as well as other fabricated metal products.

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Seifsa chief economist Chifipa Mhango said the figures were a sign that economic recovery in South Africa remained on track amid improved trading and industrial production activity.

He said, however, that the current unrest threatened to halt this progress, because it has disrupted supply chains across all sectors.

He said the government needed urgently to mobilise all its resources to ensure stability, to ensure that the economic recovery was not derailed.

“Our revised indications suggest that if the unrest continues further, production and sales of products within the M&E sector will be affected, as road freight transport, which is a core element of input supply, has been massively disrupted, thus negatively affecting the current positive trend in construction and building material sales,” he said.

Source: IOL

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