A study of 1,279 freshwater species across southern Africa found that 94 of them, or seven percent, are at risk of extinction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said at the World Water Forum in Istanbul.

"This figure will skyrocket unless species conservation is considered in development planning," the IUCN warned.

It said the study amounted to an alarm bell in a region where millions depend on rivers, lakes and wetlands for their food and on drinking water purified by aquatic organisms.

"The report is really about a battle for survival, between nature and economics," IUCN's director general, Julia Marton-Lefevre, said at a press conference.

Of the 94 threatened species, 78 are found in South Africa.

The study is one of six assessments of biodiversity in Africa that are being compiled by the IUCN.

Its goal is to identify areas of richness and species that are under threat, thus helping policymakers to answer questions about where human settlement, farming and water extraction should be allowed.

"We are in a unique position in Africa to avoid an extinction disaster," said Marton-Lefevre.

"Most developers have not taken freshwater species into consideration because they simply don't have the information they need... Africa's water resources can be developed without causing thousands of extinctions."

Loss of wetlands for agricultural use, introduced species and over-extraction of water are the main triggers for present species loss, while dam construction and the impacts of global warming loom as the major threats of the future.

William Darwall, manager of IUCN's freshwater biodiversity unit, said many people were unaware of the hidden value of freshwater fish, plants, shellfish and insects.

"Globally it's been valued in the trillions" of dollars, he said. "In Africa, 21 percent of the protein in people's diets is estimated to come from fisheries, so it's extremely important."

The report identifies three "hotspots" of species diversity that should be especially shielded.

These are: the area where the upper Zambezi meets the Kwando and Chobe rivers above Victoria Falls; the Komati and Crocodile river tributaries of the Incomati system in Mpumalanga, South Africa; and the Mbuluzi river basin in South Africa and Swaziland.

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Paris (AFP) March 15, 2009
Following is a factfile ahead of the March 16-22 World Water Forum in Istanbul, which focuses on the globe's freshwater crisis.