Wetlands provide essential services such as fresh water purification and supply, flood control, carbon storage, and biodiversity habitat. However, 64% of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900 primarily due to land conversion for agriculture and development. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for wetland conservation and designation of Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention promotes the wise use of wetlands and their ecological services.
Wetlands provide essential services such as fresh water purification and supply, flood control, carbon storage, and biodiversity habitat. However, 64% of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900 primarily due to land conversion for agriculture and development. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for wetland conservation and designation of Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention promotes the wise use of wetlands and their ecological services.
Wetlands provide essential services such as fresh water purification and supply, flood control, carbon storage, and biodiversity habitat. However, 64% of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900 primarily due to land conversion for agriculture and development. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for wetland conservation and designation of Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention promotes the wise use of wetlands and their ecological services.
Wetlands provide essential services such as fresh water purification and supply, flood control, carbon storage, and biodiversity habitat. However, 64% of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900 primarily due to land conversion for agriculture and development. The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for wetland conservation and designation of Wetlands of International Importance. The Convention promotes the wise use of wetlands and their ecological services.
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Wetlands:
How wetlands are essential to our
future “wetlands are areas of marsh fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”. What are wetlands ? Broad definition: land areas that are flooded with water, either seasonally or permanently Inland wetland types: – Marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, flood plains and swamps Coastal wetland types: – Mangroves, saltwater marshes, estuaries, lagoons – even coral reefs Man-made wetlands include fish ponds, saltpans, rice paddies Wetlands provide fresh water for us all Less than 3% of the world‘s water is fresh – the rest is saltwater – Most of this is frozen – Of the available freshwater, the largest share can be found in aquifers At a very basic level, humans require 20-50 litres of water per day – Minimum for drinking, cooking and cleaning needs Almost two billion people in Asia and 380 million EU residents depend on groundwater for their water supply Wetlands help purify and replenish the aquifers humanity depends on Wetlands purify water and filter waste Plants from wetlands can help lessen water pollution – Absorb some harmful fertilizers and pesticides – Retain some heavy metals and toxins from industry Example: Nakivubo Swamp (Kampala, Uganda) – Filters sewage and industrial effluents for free – Treatment plant would cost $2 million per year Interesting fact: one single adult oyster in a tidal flat can filter nearly 200 litres of water per day – Removes sediments and chemical contaminants from coastal waters Wetlands feed humanity Rice, grown in wetland paddies, is the staple diet of nearly three billion people – 20% of the world’s nutritional intake 70% of groundwater extracted is used for irrigation Average human consumes 19kg of fish each year – Much higher per capita consumption in Asia Two-thirds of all commercial fish types depend on coastal wetlands at some point in their lives – Breeding and spawning grounds – Mangroves and estuaries especially important Wetlands are bursting with biodiversity Home to more than 100,000 known freshwater species alone – 257 new species of freshwater fish were discovered in the Amazon between 1999-2009 Essential for many amphibians and reptiles, as well as for bird breeding and migration Individual wetlands often hold ‘endemic species’ – Forms of life unique to one particular site Wetlands fight climate change Peatlands alone cover an estimated 3% of the world’s land area, but they hold 30% of all carbon stored on land – Twice the amount stored in all the world’s forests! In the face of rising sea levels, coastal wetlands reduce the impact of typhoons and tsunamis – Saltmarshes, mangroves act as buffers ; their roots bind the shoreline and resist erosion – Coastal wetlands increase resilience to the impacts of climate change Wet grasslands and peatlands act as natural sponges – Absorb rainfall, create wide surface pools, ease flooding in river basins – Same storage capacity safeguards against drought Wetlands provide sustainable products and livelihoods 61.8 million people earn their living directly from fishing and aquaculture – Including their families, more than 660 million people are dependent on fisheries and fishing for survival Sustainably managed wetlands provide: – Timber for building – Vegetable oil – Medicinal plants – Stems and leaves for weaving – Fodder for animals A future without wetlands? 64 % of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900 – Loss is much higher in some regions, esp. Asia – Measured against 1700, wetland loss is an estimated 87% worldwide Rapid decline means – Access to fresh water is eroding for one to two billion people worldwide – Coastal areas are more exposed to storm surges Biodiversity has also been affected – WWF Living Planet Index: populations of freshwater species declined by 76 % between 1970 and 2010 What drives wetland loss and degradation?
Wetlands often viewed as wasteland
Major changes in land use, specifically increases in: – Agriculture – Grazing animals – Other harvesting such as logging Water diversion through dams, dikes and canalization Infrastructure development, particularly in river valleys and coastal areas Air and water pollution and excess nutrients How can the trend be reversed? Make policies that consider wetlands carefully – Understanding of ecosystem services that wetlands provide – Integrate into land use planning Use all remaining wetland sites wisely – Meet human needs while sustaining biodiversity and other wetland services Restore wetlands that have been degraded Develop financing sources for wetlands conservation Educate others about the benefits of wetlands The Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar
Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”. The Ramsar Convention Intergovernmental treaty on wetlands – Provides the framework for the conservation and wise use – 168 Parties (member countries) – First modern global environmental agreement – Named after Ramsar in Iran, where the Convention was adopted Members commit to: – Wise use of all their wetlands – Designate suitable wetlands for the list of Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) – Cooperate on transboundary wetland systems and shared species Ramsar Sites 2,186 designated Wetlands of International Importance – Status as of 1st October 2014 Cover 208,449,277 hectares Ramsar Sites Group A of the Criteria. Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types
Criterion 1: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region. Group B of the Criteria. Sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity Criteria based on species and ecological communities Criterion 2: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities. Criterion 3: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region. Criterion 4: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions. Specific criteria based on waterbirds
Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally important if
it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally important if
it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird. Specific criteria based on fish Criterion 7: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.
Criterion 8: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it
is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend. Specific criteria based on other taxa
Criterion 9: A wetland should be considered internationally
important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland- dependent non-avian animal species.
