Wetlands

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Wetlands are natural regulators of the quantity and quality of water. The common wetlands across the globe include flood plains, freshwater swamps, open coasts, swamp forests, lakes, and peatlands. According to Wu et al. (2018), wetlands are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the earth; thus, sources of diverse biological communities of invertebrates, birds, and other vertebrates. The floating pond lilies and cattails, tamarack, and blue spruce in the wetland support diverse communities of invertebrates, birds, and other vertebrates. They are sources of streams and rivers that find their way into agricultural land, homes, fisheries, and oceans. Wetlands cover about 6% of the earth’s surface and are home to various plant and animal life (Cherry, 2011).

According to Cherry (2011), wetlands have a huge role in the economic, climate, and biodiverse future of communities. However, as the world population increases, the threat of harming the wetlands is becoming a harsh reality. If not corrected, crucial diversity, resources of immense economic value, and social-economic wellness will not be enjoyed by future generations. As a result, sustainable management of wetlands is a critical undertaking that has positive implications on the livelihoods and economic dynamics of many communities.

The sustainable management of wetlands requires an integrated approach that involves all key stakeholders. Some of the contributors to the degradation of wetlands include industrial effluent, agricultural activities, and human activities such as careless disposal of non-biodegradable waste that finds its way to the wetlands (Wenhai et al., 2019). Therefore, sustainable solutions should include integrated management plans to preserve flora and fauna in the wetlands. It also requires laws and regulations that safeguard the ecological health of the systems and allocation of resources in the communities for education to enlighten the society on responsible resource use and ensure that the wetlands are protected.

References

Cherry, J. A. (2011). Ecology of Wetland Ecosystems: Water, Substrate, and Life. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):16-21.

Wenhai, L., Cusack, C., Baker, M., Tao, W., Mingbao, C., Paige, K., Xiaofan, Z., Levin, L., Escobar, E., Amon, D. & Yue, Y. (2019). Successful blue economy examples with an emphasis on international perspectives. Frontiers in Marine Science6, 261-272. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00261.

Wu, W., Yang, Z., Tian, B., Huang, Y., Zhou, Y., & Zhang, T. (2018). Impacts of coastal reclamation on wetlands: Loss, resilience, and sustainable management. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science210, 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2018.06.013.

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