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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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CAREERTIPS: An investment in soft skills is required for a succesfull hardhatPROFESSIONAL career.

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Construction Professional Melusi Bhungane shares a hardhatCAREERTIP he would give to his younger self

When I was a Site Agent on the construction of a 21km bulk water, associated connections and toilets project we had a local community disrupting the project and my initial approach to resolving the impasse was not yielding the required results.

I then took some time out to think things through and I realized that my approach was not yielding the required results because it was founded on impatience. As a technical person I was only focused on the technical aspects of the project and I thought the community was unreasonable in their demands.

Notwithstanding the unreasonableness of the communities demands I changed my approach and tried to see this from their point of view to understand the root source of their issues. When I changed my approach to rectify the situation it yielded the required results and we achieved the milestones we set ourselves to achieve on the project with the community on board.

So if I had to give my younger self one advice it would be to avoid being impatient when dealing with outside stakeholders. A successful journey as a hardhatPROFESSIONAL not only requires an investment in upgrading technical skills, it also requires a good investment in upgrading soft skills like patience and empathy.


Melusi Bhungane is a BTech Civil Engineering graduate with 14 years extensive working experience in both established construction and consulting companies on Infrastructure Projects. He is currently employed as a Senior Site Agent with Inkanyeli Construction

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