The 52nd World Wetlands Day will be observed on February 2, 2023, and its significance has only grown over time. Since climate change is progressing, the debate around it is gathering more interest, leading to more people talking about our human-made footprint on the environment.
When thinking about the loss of ecosystems, our society primarily talks about forests, not wetlands. That is why nearly everyone is familiar with the image of 48 football fields of forest being lost every minute. It is already a step in the right direction, but wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, and sadly, few people are aware of this. We need to focus not only on wetlands' protection but also on restoring them so that we can benefit from their anti-climate change effects.
Human activities such as agriculture and urban construction drain wetlands with too many minerals and lead to water pollution as well as eutrophication. Eutrophication is a term that describes the excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, which causes a dense growth of plant life. This huge amount of plant life indirectly provides more food for animal species. Therefore, more oxygen is being used, and with more individuals living, more individuals die, which the oxygen-using composers cannot decompose correctly. As a result, toxic substances are being released, and the biodiversity and species of wetlands suffer.
Wetlands may seem small, covering only 6 percent of land surface, yet 40 percent of all animal species depend on them due to their habitats or breeding space. Besides the support of biodiversity, another reason for wetland restoration is that wetlands naturally filter water and therefore boost the local water supply. In a time of water scarcity, this should be reason enough because the wetlands include major water sources like groundwater aquifers or springs. A wetland's water can also come from a nearby river or lake, which is another argument for saving seas from eutrophication.
Specific types of wetlands, especially peatlands and mangroves, are efficient carbon sinks, which means that they absorb more carbon than they release. Clearly, wetlands can be a weapon against climate change with their ability to reduce carbon in our atmosphere.
In general, more than a billion people depend on wetlands for their livelihood. no matter if by self-sufficient fishing, aquaculture, or tourism.
Wetland restoration is a step in the right direction, especially regarding climate change and the sustainability triangle, which includes the ecology, economy, and society.
Not restoring wetlands is not acceptable; it means taking a step in the wrong direction by leaving all the species and people behind that rely on them every day. Furthermore, eutrophied wetlands even worsen the state of climate change by emitting enormous amounts of methane.
So act locally and think globally by saving wetlands.