Mokgala, Palesa Jessica2026-06-292026-06-292025https://hdl.handle.net/10566/24761Wetlands are among the world's most valuable ecosystems, playing a crucial role in supporting biodiversity while simultaneously providing vital ecosystems services for local communities. The Msunduzi floodplain wetland in KwaZulu-Natal is important for agriculture, fishing and the provision of natural resources for the livelihoods of communities dependent on them. However, despite this importance, the wetland is continuously subjected to considerable degradation that is detrimental to the residents of Msunduzi and their livelihoods. South Africa has several environmental legislations tasked with the management and protection of these important ecosystems, but few studies have been able to assess their effectiveness in successfully managing and promoting the sustainable utilisation of wetlands particularly in rural areas. Therefore, the overarching aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of wetland management policies in the sustainable management of wetlands and support of livelihoods in Msunduzi River Basin. This aim was addressed through the following objectives: (1) by systematically reviewing literature that focused on wetland governance and policy effectiveness across wetlands in Africa and, (2) by assessing community awareness and perceptions of wetland policy implementation in the Msunduzi River Basin, evaluating how policies promote sustainable livelihoods and wetland resource use. By adopting a mixed-methods approach that integrated a systematic review of African wetland governance with surveys conducted in the Msunduzi River Basin, data on policy effectiveness and local perceptions was collected. The findings revealed an alarming deficiency in community awareness of any existing wetland management policies which was accompanied by scepticism about their effectiveness. This was further worsened by community perceptions on inadequate community participation in policymaking and decision-making. These findings were supported by literature that highlighted that community awareness of wetland policies remains low across Africa, which led to continued unregulated and unsustainable wetland resource use.enwetlandswetland managementwetland agriculturefloodplainMsunduzi River BasinThesis