Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
North-West University researcher, Professor Wynand Malherbe, has raised concerns that the increasing levels of pollution at the Vaal River may pose a threat to aquatic life.
Malherbe has been studying the ecological health of the river in the Vredefort Dome area. He says urgent action is needed to address this pollution before the ecosystem collapses.
“There’s a lot of man-made and anthropogenic effluent that enters the river, that is one of the main causes, I feel, of this decrease in biodiversity and decrease of abundances of fish. I have to say we still find big fish.
“If you go fishing, there’s still a lot of bigger fish and there’s still recruitment, a lot of juveniles in the system, but there’s definitely cause for concern and something that we can’t let it completely collapse before we pay attention to it,” Malherbe explains.
According to Prof Malherbe, the community involvement helps residents understand how everyday activities – from land use to waste disposal – can affect the condition of the river.
“Encouraging communities to be involved ensures they understand their role,” he says. “It also helps them understand how their activities can influence the river both negatively and positively.”
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