Wetlands : Nature’s kidneys
|
N Munal Meitei
Wetlands play a very important role in maintaining the ecological balance. They harbor and prevent plants and animals from extinction. They are the sponges for floods, purify, filter and recycle organic wastes and regulate and replenish the water. The theme for 2023 is Wetlands Restoration and this theme is selected to demonstrate the vital role of wetlands for human survival and other living beings.
While the forests are called the lungs of earth, the wetlands are the kidneys for nature. They are critically important ecosystems and are the cradle for biodiversity. Wetlands are called “nature’s supermarket” for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines and hydro power. Wetlands are the primary sources of fresh water, natural buffers against floods and droughts. Wetlands minimize the impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation storing 30% of land based carbon. Wetlands build community resilience to disasters and absorb pollutants.
Wetlands are the ecotones, providing a transition between land and water bodies and provide the wildlife habitats for the aquatic animals and the migratory birds. Wetlands are highly productive and bio-diverse Eco-systems that support a home to about one third of all the threatened and endangered species.
Wetlandsare ideal for development of organisms that form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish, amphibians, shellfish and insects. More than one billion people depend on wetlands for living and 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands. They play an important role in transport, tourism and the cultural and spiritual well-being.
Wetlands are the source of 95% of the world’s drinking water. Wetlands purify and filter harmful wastes from pesticides, industry and mining, including heavy metals and toxins. Rice and fish from wetlands, are the staple food for nearly three billion people and accounts for 20% of the world’s nutritional intake. Wetland stimulates plant recruitment from diverse seed bank and increase productivity by mobilizing nutrients.
Wetlands act as nature’s shock absorbers. Peatlands alone store more than twice as much carbon as all the forests in the world. The role of forests to our wetland is vital and richness of our wetlands depend upon the luxurious of our forests.
(To be contd)
Wetlands play a very important role in maintaining the ecological balance. They harbor and prevent plants and animals from extinction. They are the sponges for floods, purify, filter and recycle organic wastes and regulate and replenish the water. The theme for 2023 is Wetlands Restoration and this theme is selected to demonstrate the vital role of wetlands for human survival and other living beings.
While the forests are called the lungs of earth, the wetlands are the kidneys for nature. They are critically important ecosystems and are the cradle for biodiversity. Wetlands are called “nature’s supermarket” for food, raw materials, genetic resources for medicines and hydro power. Wetlands are the primary sources of fresh water, natural buffers against floods and droughts. Wetlands minimize the impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation storing 30% of land based carbon. Wetlands build community resilience to disasters and absorb pollutants.
Wetlands are the ecotones, providing a transition between land and water bodies and provide the wildlife habitats for the aquatic animals and the migratory birds. Wetlands are highly productive and bio-diverse Eco-systems that support a home to about one third of all the threatened and endangered species.
Wetlandsare ideal for development of organisms that form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish, amphibians, shellfish and insects. More than one billion people depend on wetlands for living and 40% of the world’s species live and breed in wetlands. They play an important role in transport, tourism and the cultural and spiritual well-being.
Wetlands are the source of 95% of the world’s drinking water. Wetlands purify and filter harmful wastes from pesticides, industry and mining, including heavy metals and toxins. Rice and fish from wetlands, are the staple food for nearly three billion people and accounts for 20% of the world’s nutritional intake. Wetland stimulates plant recruitment from diverse seed bank and increase productivity by mobilizing nutrients.
Wetlands act as nature’s shock absorbers. Peatlands alone store more than twice as much carbon as all the forests in the world. The role of forests to our wetland is vital and richness of our wetlands depend upon the luxurious of our forests.
(To be contd)