Wetlands are an important part of the freshwater ecosystem. They are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs.
Since a rich array of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals can be part of a wetland ecosystem, it has a huge significance on water resources, biodiversity, culture and livelihood of the people.
Wetlands include all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peat lands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans. Wetlands are also called Ramsar sites, and their number across the world today stands at 2,, which cover over 2. Presently there are over countries that are Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention.
When Contracting Parties accede to the convention, they commit to working towards the wise use of all the wetlands and water resources in their territory through national plans, policies and legislation, management actions and public education.
Swampy rice fields, water logged areas and ponds are also understood as wetlands in the country. There are 10 wetlands of international importance in Nepal in all geographic regions.
The constitution also has laid stress on protection of environment and natural resources. Similarly, Schedules 5 to 9 of constitution outline the powers of federal, provincial and local governments. The three tiers of government have the rights in one or the other way for the protection and wise use of wetlands.
Others are as humble as the marshy bog, or the pond at the end of your garden and can be easily overlooked. But all play a crucial role in protecting our health and the health of our planet. Wetlands teem with biodiversity.
Many endemic species are found only in specific wetland areas. Wetlands can help us slow down climate change by naturally absorbing and storing vast amounts of carbon. They can also help us prepare for, cope with and bounce back from the impacts of climate change.
Wetlands protect us from extreme weather events and help us recover better from disasters. By storing rain like a sponge, and by buffering us from the sea they can protect us from floods, tsunamis and cyclones. Wetlands can also protect us from droughts and reduce air temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius. Wetlands have supported human life for millenia and are essential for human health and prosperity. From the Nile to the Mekong, civilisations sprang up around wetlands, and all around the world they continue to provide us with food, water, supplies, transport and leisure.
Wetlands not only hold most of our available fresh water, they also improve its quality by naturally filtering pollutants. Our connection with nature and particularly wetlands is essential for maintaining our health and wellbeing. Invasive species, pollution, unsustainable development and climate change are all taking their toll with wetlands under more pressure than ever before. Furthermore, they serve as significant carbon sinks.
Wetlands can stair-step down altitude levels, starting with bofedales at over 16, feet and then descending through high plains, rivers and marshlands, all the way down to mangrove swamps at sea level. Surprisingly, wetlands also penetrate up to twenty feet into the ocean, where coral reefs are located.
I invite you to follow us as we journey from mountain heights of over 16, feet down to sea level to discover some of these wetlands and learn how each one adds to the enormous diversity of our world. The arid steppes in the central Andes feature an unusual expanse of high-altitude wetlands called bofedales.
In the words of Francisco A. Their fresh and marginally saline water derives from underground water from glacier streams, snowmelt, and rain. The vegetation is a green layer resembling a sponge, soft to the touch and able to absorb a large amount of water.
The inhabitants of this ecosystem have been little studied, and only some fifty-two species of plants and sixty species of animals are known. These unique systems are very fragile because of their reliance on water, and they are sensitive to changes in climate and susceptible to human pressure. Our trek continues to the high plains of the Andes of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela, and the heights of Costa Rica. Mario E. Tapia, from the Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion CONDESAN , notes that this singular ecosystem is found at altitudes between 11, and 13, feet, where some 5, species of plants grow even though it is too cold for forests.
It has a thick trunk and hair-covered succulent leaves that trap and store water from the mist. It is characterized by slow growth of less than half an inch per year.
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