MADRID, 02/02 (IPS) – This is about Wetlands, seen as the natural solution to the global threat of climate change. They absorb carbon dioxide, which helps to slow global warming and reduce pollution, hence why they are often referred to as “The Kidneys of the Earth”.
Specifically, peatlands alone store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. However, when drained and destroyed, wetlands release large amounts of carbon, add UN on the occasion World Wetlands Day, marked on 2nd February.
“Wetlands also provide a buffer against the effects of floods, droughts, hurricanes and tsunamis, while building resilience to climate change.”
And although they cover only about 6% of the Earth’s surface, 40% of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands.
World Day also reports that:
- Coastal wetlands sequester and store carbon up to 55 times faster than tropical rainforests.
- Rice, grown in flooded fields, is the staple diet of 3.5 billion people.
But… what is a wetland?
Wetlands are ecosystems in which water is the primary control of the environment and the associated plant and animal life, explain UN.
A broad definition that includes both freshwater and marine and coastal ecosystems such as all lakes and rivers, aquifers, marshes and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries , plains and intertidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all man-made sites such as fish ponds, rice fields, reservoirs and salts.
In Ciénaga de Zapata, Cuba, the largest wetland in the Caribbean. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños / IPS
Where?
“Despite being present in all regions of the world, approximately 30% of the world’s wetlands are located in North America. Some of them evolved after the previous glacial process that created the lakes. Asia and North America combined contain more than 60% of the world’s wetlands. ”
Important for people and nature
World Day also explains that these lands are important to people and nature, based on the intrinsic value of these ecosystems, and their benefits and services, including the environment. , climate, ecological, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic contributions to sustainable development and human welfare.
“Wetland biodiversity is important for our health, our food supply, for tourism and for jobs. Wetlands are vital to humans, other ecosystems and our climate, providing essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification.” .
One billion people depend on wetlands
“They are an important wildlife habitat, as well as an important tool for mitigating the effects of climate change. They help manage extreme weather events such as floods and storms, and can store 10 to 20 times more carbon than temperate or mountain forests on land.”
“Additionally, more than a billion people around the world depend on them for a living – that’s about one in eight people on Earth.”
Why are they in danger?
Wetlands are among the ecosystems with the highest rates of decline, loss and degradation, explain World Day.
Indicators of current negative trends in global biodiversity and ecosystem function are projected to continue to respond to direct and indirect drivers such as rapid population growth, production and unsustainable consumption and related technological development, as well as the negative impacts of climate change.
The most threatened ecosystem
But not only are they disappearing three times faster than forests – they are also “the most threatened ecosystem on Earth”. In just 50 years – since 1970 – 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost.
“Human activities that lead to wetland loss include drainage and backfilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and resource overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. Queen.”
For example, in the particular case of the Mediterranean, the region has lost 50% of its natural wetlands since 1970 – and we continue to destroy them, alert Mediterranean Union (UfM).
vicious circle
The vicious cycle of wetland loss, threatened livelihoods and increasing poverty is the result of mistakenly treating wetlands as wasteland rather than a source of employment, income and ecosystem services. essential, World Day concludes.
© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
