Our World Wetlands Day Spotlight Blog looks at the connection between wetlands and human life.

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Kator Jethro Ifyalem is a civil engineer and MSc student from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, committed to environmental sustainability. Connect with Kator on LinkedIn!

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance, providing habitat for diverse species, and offering numerous ecological services. However, these invaluable areas face severe threats from various human activities.

Benefits of Wetlands

Carbon Sequestration: Wetlands serve as significant carbon sinks because they absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at a high rate. This process, known as carbon sequestration, helps reduce the overall amount of greenhouse gases, the primary drivers of climate change, in the atmosphere.

Biodiversity and Climate Regulation: Wetlands provide a habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species, many of which contribute to climate regulation. For example, mangroves, a type of wetland ecosystem, can sequester four times as much carbon as a tropical rainforest, thus playing a vital role in mitigating climate change.

Water Regulation: Wetlands are crucial in maintaining water quality by filtering out pollutants and regulating water flow, reducing the risk of floods and droughts. These functions become increasingly important as climate change leads to more extreme weather events.

Resilience to Climate Impacts: They provide a natural buffer against the impacts of climate change. They can absorb excess water during floods, reducing flood damage. They also serve as a barrier against storm surges and sea-level rise, protecting coastal communities.

Threats to Wetlands

Drainage: Wetlands are often drained for agricultural, urban, and industrial purposes. Drainage disrupts the natural balance of water, leading to the loss of crucial wetland habitats. As water is diverted or removed, the unique flora and fauna adapted to these environments suffer. In addition, drainage contributes to the release of stored carbon, which contributes to climate change.

Dredging: Dredging involves the removal of sediment from water bodies, affecting the structure and function of wetlands. It is commonly done to deepen channels for navigation or to extract resources such as sand and gravel. However, this process disrupts the natural sedimentation patterns, alters water flow, and damages the delicate balance of wetland ecosystems.

Unsustainable Development: Urbanisation and infrastructure development often encroach upon wetlands, leading to habitat loss and fragmentation. The conversion of wetlands into residential or industrial areas not only destroys biodiversity, but also eliminates essential services that wetlands provide, such as flood control and water purification.

Pollution: Wetlands function as natural filters, trapping pollutants and purifying water. However, human activities such as industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, and improper waste disposal introduce harmful substances into wetland ecosystems. This pollution threatens the health of plants, animals, and communities that depend on wetlands for their livelihoods.

Preservation of Wetlands

Regulations and Enforcement: Governments and environmental agencies must implement and enforce strict regulations to control activities like drainage, dredging, and land conversion within wetland areas. Monitoring and penalising those who violate these regulations are crucial steps in protecting these delicate ecosystems.

Wetland Restoration: Efforts to restore degraded wetlands can help reverse the damage caused by human activities. Restoration projects may involve re-establishing natural water flows, planting native vegetation, and removing invasive species. Community involvement is key to the success of such initiatives.

Public Awareness and Education: Raising public awareness about the importance of wetlands and the threats they face is essential to foster a sense of responsibility. Educational programmes and campaigns can inform communities about the ecological value of wetlands and the need for sustainable practices.

Incentives for Sustainable Practices: Governments can provide incentives for landowners and industries to adopt sustainable practices that protect wetlands. This could include tax breaks, subsidies, or other economic incentives to encourage responsible land use and development.

Wetlands are invaluable ecosystems that face imminent threats from human activities jeopardising the delicate balance of these environments, putting biodiversity, water quality, and essential ecological services at risk. By understanding and addressing these threats through regulation, restoration, education, and incentives for sustainable practices, we can work towards preserving these vital habitats for current and future generations. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the continued existence of wetlands and the myriad benefits they provide to the planet.