Download World Wetlands Day

EMA observes World Wetlands Day
What is World Wetlands Day? 2 February each year is
World Wetlands Day (WWD). It marks the date of the
signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February
1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the
Caspian Sea.
WWD was celebrated for the first time in 1997. Each
year,
government
agencies,
non-governmental
organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the
community have taken advantage of the opportunity to
undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of
wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar
Convention in particular.
The theme for World Wetland Day 2010 is “Caring for
wetlands – an answer to climate change”.
Caring about Climate Change
Means caring about Wetlands
Means caring about Biodiversity
2010 has also been designated the International Year of
Biodiversity. Biodiversity has been recognized as the
foundation upon which all life is maintained and
prospers. Trinidad and Tobago has a rich biodiversity
which can be directly linked to our future prosperity.
This presents us with a perfect opportunity to examine
the role of wetland biodiversity in preserving wetland
and human health.
Wetlands: an area of great biodiversity
Wetlands are a natural hotspot for species biodiversity. Local examples include the
Nariva and Caroni Swamps where over 160 bird species and 24 fish species reside
respectively. In addition to this, they are also the home of threatened species such as
the manatee and blue and gold macaw (once extirpated). Species diversity is ranked
highly in the designation of Ramsar sites - eight of the nine Criteria for Identifying
Wetlands of International Importance are specifically focused on the diversity of species
present and their relative abundance.
The mission of the Ramsar Convention is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands
through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a
contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. It
should be noted that the term wetland used under the convention includes swamps and
marshes, lakes and rivers, wet grasslands and peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and
tidal flats, near-shore marine areas, mangroves and coral reefs, and human-made sites
such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans.
In Trinidad and Tobago we have three declared Ramsar sites namely, the Nariva Swamp
(our largest wetland area), the Caroni Swamp (our second largest wetland and home to
one of our national birds, the Scarlet Ibis) and the Buccoo Reef (an international tourist
attraction and our largest reef complex). Ramsar also places importance on the
management of wetlands in order to sustain their healthy functioning, which is quite
important as our areas are multi-resource use areas involving a myriad of stakeholders.
Wetland Importance
o Habitat creation: Wetlands support a remarkable amount of life because they
offer an abundant supply of food and water and a wide variety of ecological
niches. A variety of species ranging from microorganisms to plants, as well as
many kinds of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals depend on
wetlands.
o Filtration: Wetlands are responsible for the balance and purity of our inland
waters, and thus affect the quality of our drinking water. They play a role that no
other ecosystem could accomplish since they act like natural water filtration
plants. When water flows through these areas, plants retain excess nutrients and
pollutants and oxygenate the area.
o Flood Storage: Most of the flooding in urban areas is a result of the
disappearance of wetlands in favour of impermeable surfaces such as asphalt
roads and tarred parking lots. When there is heavy rainfall, large volumes of
water rapidly accumulate, often causing severe flooding. Wetlands act like
natural sponges capturing surface runoff water thus reducing the effects of
flooding.
o Mitigating Soil Erosion: Wetland flora take root in usually waterlogged areas and
provide stability. They also absorb the erosive effects of the wind and slow the
abrasive current along the shore as well as sudden water level variations.
o Shoreline Protection: Wetlands often provide coastal defenses acting as a
barrier against sea level rise, hurricanes and tsunamis.
o Carbon Sink: Wetlands are important in maintaining a balanced carbon cycle.
They absorb carbon dioxide via photosynthesis in order to transform it into
organic matter. Researchers think that carbon dioxide reserves can offset the
negative effects of greenhouse gases produced by humans.
o Nutrient Cycling: By retaining nutrients, wetlands not only improve water
quality, but also play a role in the nutrient recycling process of elements such as
nitrogen and phosphorus. Plants absorb and accumulate these elements in their
tissues and in the soil and when they die or lose their leaves, the elements are
returned to the environment in another form.
For more information on the role of wetlands please visit www.ramsar.org