https://www.miningweekly.com
Makhanda|South Africa|ISimangaliso Wetland Park|Lake St Lucia|Biodiversity|Estuarine Ecosystems|Sedimentation|National Research Foundation|NRF-SAIAB|Alan Whitfield|KwaZulu-Natal
||||||
makhanda|south-africa|isimangaliso-wetland-park|lake-st-lucia|biodiversity|estuarine-ecosystems|sedimentation|national-research-foundation|nrf-saiab|alan-whitfield|kwazulu-natal

Invitation: World Heritage Site, Lake St Lucia, is about to undergo an ecosystem flip

18th September 2026

     

Font size: - +

This article has been supplied.

Environmental journalists are invited to a seminar by Professor Alan Whitfield, Emeritus Chief Scientist at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), a facility of the National Research Foundation, titled "World Heritage Site, Lake St Lucia, is about to undergo an ecosystem flip" on 23 September 2026 at the NRF-SAIAB Lecture Room in Makhanda, Eastern Cape. The seminar will also be available virtually via Microsoft Teams.

The St Lucia estuarine system, one of Africa’s largest estuarine lakes located in northern KwaZulu-Natal and a core feature of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site, is changing. In its present state, due to its shallowness and intermittent connectivity to the sea, it is prone to large fluctuations in salinity and water level – but now this is all changing. An analysis of recent monitoring data has provided clear evidence that St Lucia is at a ‘tipping point’, with the system about to change forever into a freshwater wetland. This progression has been speeded up by human-caused increases in sedimentation. The stark reality is that soon St Lucia will no longer be able function as an estuarine system and South Africa will have lost half of all its estuarine habitat. This presentation will explore the causes of the loss of connectivity between the lake and the sea and examine options for the way forward. 

To watch Creamer Media's latest video reports, click here
 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Showroom

Videx Water Storage Tanks
Videx

Videx Water Storage Tanks designs, manufactures and installs sectional and cylindrical steel water storage tanks and reservoirs across Africa.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Multotec
Multotec

Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 06 November 2026
Magazine round up | 06 November 2026
6th November 2026

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

➕

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION

➕

➕







sq:0.048 0.269s - 147pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now