African Wetlands Face “Acid Rain” Crisis

The Florentijn Estuary in South Africa, an internationally significant wetland, has recorded its first instance of pH levels dropping below 4—a “catastrophic acidification event.” This has led to a 67% decline in benthic biodiversity and the loss of the wetland’s carbon sink function. Scientists warn this will trigger a chain reaction of ecological disasters and significantly weaken the region’s climate regulation capacity.