**What are wetlands ?

It is not easy to give a clear definition of what a wetland actually is. They are neither just land, nor just
water. They can actually be both at the same time, or seasonally aquatic, or terrestrial. Every institute,
government or organisation dealing with wetlands will have its own definition. Just to give you a rough idea
of what wetlands are:

“Wetlands are areas on which water covers the soil or if water is present either at or near the surface of that
soil. Water can also be present within the root zone, all year or just during various periods of time of the
year.”

There are several ways in which to categorise wetlands. A wetland may be found in:

Coasts: areas between land and open sea that are not influenced by rivers (e.g. shorelines, beaches,
mangroves and coral reefs)

Estuaries: where rivers meet the sea and water changes from fresh to salt as it meets the sea (e.g. deltas,
mudflats and salt marches)

Floodplains: areas next to the permanent course of a river that extends to the edge of the valley (e.g. ox-
bow lakes and river-islands)

Marshes/swamps: areas where water is more or less permanently at the surface and/or causing saturation of
the soil (e.g. papyrus swamp, fen, peatlands)

Shallow lakes: areas of permanent or semi-permanent water with little flow (e.g. ponds, salt lakes, volcanic
crater lakes).

All wetlands have two characteristics in common: Water or ice and earth. For Wetlands International the
most important common feature is their importance for nature and mankind. No other type of ecosystem is
so important to millions of migratory birds, fish, amphibians, insects, plants and trees. And no other type of
area is so important to mankind. It is Wetlands International’s mission to preserve the 6% of the planet’s
surface we call wetlands.

**Why are they important ? Wetlands International has already done significant research on the importance
of wetlands to communities around the world. What we have concluded is that for decades wetlands have
been vital to people’s survival for a variety of reasons.

The fertile Nile River Valley already supported the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians and entire cultures
even were able to develop because of the seasonal flooding of wetlands in the Sahelian zone of Africa.

Nowadays wetlands are also capable of providing alternative sources of income for local communities. By
using wetlands more effectively, recreational activities have become possible, such as fishing, boating and
bird watching. This has generated money from visitors and provides sustainable development opportunities.
The main reason wetlands are so important is because they are an important water provider and they help
prevent floods.

There is still a strong relationship between wetlands and survival today, however the industrial progress as
well as an increase in population are two key factors in the decline of wetlands.

In

Banc D’Arquin,for example, the traditional life of fishermen is under threat by competition from industrial-
scale fishing vessels. In other areas, such as the Mekong Delta, where the population has increased to 60
million people, the wetlands’ resources are being put under enormous pressure.

Quite a challenge to maintain and improve the quality of wetlands, when pressure on natural resources is
increasing due to a growing and developing population!

**How threatened are they ?

Wetlands can be ranked amongst the most highly threatened ecosystems on the planet and unfortunately the
degradation and loss of wetlands are continuing. Main reasons for this development are economic progress and
inconsistencies in government policies.

The most widespread threats are drainage for agriculture, settlements and urbanization, pollution and
hunting. Worldwide around 50% of wetlands are estimated to have disappeared since 1900. During the first
half of the previous century, this mostly occurred in the northern temperate zones, however since the 1950s,
tropical and sub-tropical wetlands have also been disappearing rapidly.

As for degradation, mechanisms such as embanking a river, over-exploitation of groundwater resources or

building dams, are only a few of many reasons why wetlands are deteriorating. Apart from above mentioned
factors, pollution from agricultural and industrial sources can increase levels of nutrients, pesticides or heavy
metals and seriously impair ecological processes. Most wetland habitats are extremely vulnerable with many
threatened fish, amphibians and other species.

The Ramsar Database provides more insight into the main threats to wetlands. In 1999, 84% of Ramsar
listed wetlands had been effected by ecological change. This is also seen in the UN-milennium ecosystem
assessment. This global study proves that wetlands are one of the most threatened ecosystems.

On our website we have given detailed information on all of our projects worldwide. As this is such a big and
responsible job, we cannot do this without support from others. Do get in touch if you would like to make a
contribution in maintaining the wealth of wetlands all across the globe.

Source: Wetlands international, Indonesia programme

http://www.wetlands.or.id/what_are_wetlands.php accessed: 07/10/11