EU Charge d’Affaires, Eva-Maria Engdahl, said this on 07 March 2024 in Mbabane during a #ForOurPlanet campaign event, which the EU Delegation to Eswatini organised to encourage all emaSwati, including civil society, to take action to preserve planet earth, from planting trees to restoring wetlands or just bringing nature to your house. Every action counts, said Engdahl.

The event, organised in partnership with Yibutse Green Action and the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), was held in one of the wetland areas in Mbabane. About 5% of the total area of Mbabane consists of wetlands and their preservation is crucial for sustainable development and the fight against the effects of climate change.

During the event, activities included litter picking around the wetland area and removal of invasive alien plant species, which have infested the wetlands thus threatening their preservation and restoration.

Also present during this event was the Mayor of Mbabane, Vusi Tembe, who was accompanied by senior municipal council officers, local community members and EU Youth Advisory Board (YAB) members.

In her speech, Engdahl said the #ForOurPlanet campaign was an initiative of the European Union to address the climate and nature crises around the globe. She said the campaign, launched in 2022 in the context of CoP27, has become an annual event meant to raise awareness and call for action on the most critical global challenges facing the world today, which is climate change and biodiversity loss.

Engadahl said for Mbabane, the most visible face of biodiversity loss was the diminishing area under wetlands, which are drained for development of the city, leading to reduced resilience of the ecosystem. Furthermore, she said the wetlands are threatened by illegal waste dumping, infestation with invasive alien plant species and destruction by other forms of human encroachment.

“I hope the community of Mbabane will continue the great work we have started in this area by preserving and restoring the city’s wetlands. This will improve livelihoods by diversifying incomes and providing greater ecological and community resilience through reversing biodiversity loss,” said Engdahl.