Diminishing Wetlands

The theme for World Wetlands Day 2006 is Wetlands and Water - Supporting life, sustaining livelihoods.

Think wetlands in the UAE and what comes to mind right away are Khor Kalba, Ras Al Khor and Al Wathba. The first is a premier mangrove preserve along Sharjah's coast; the second is Dubai's urban wildlife sanctuary; and the third, a wetland reserve that takes in treated effluent from a sewage plant and attracts waterfowl in Abu Dhabi. There are others too - mangrove swamps, coral reefs, wadis and intertidal marshes. They incorporate quite a range of ecosystems.

What's included in wetlands?

Habitats that are wet enough for a long enough time to develop specially adapted plants and animals. Wetlands are where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and associated life. They can be marine or coastal and so include estuaries, mangrove swamps, lagoons and even coral reefs. They can be inland such as lakes, rivers, creeks, waterfalls... Finally, they can be man-made canals, aquaculture ponds, and even wastewater treatment areas!

The value of wetlands

Globally, wetlands cover just 6 per cent of the Earth's surface but provide a disproportionate amount of goods and services. They harbour staggering biodiversity. For example, it has been estimated that freshwater wetlands hold more than 40% of all the world's species and 12% of the entire animal species.

Wetlands protect vital water supplies and fisheries, and provide medicinal, agricultural and timber products. In addition, they buffer coastal or riverside areas from storms and floods, control erosion facilitate groundwater recharge and discharge, help maintain water quality, and retain nutrients and sediments. Many are valued for their recreation and tourism opportunities.

Unfortunately, wetlands are often perceived to have little or no economic value compared to land use activities, which may yield more visible and immediate economic benefits. Countering this perception, a WWF study last year estimated that the economic values of wetlands alone are at least 70 USD billion annually. It showed that amenity and recreation, flood control, recreational fishing, and water filtration are the most valued functions of wetlands.

Running out fast

Despite their assets, including as the source of water, and a source of life, wetlands are diminishing rapidly. An estimated half of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900, and their destruction continues. Drainage and conversion to agricultural or urban land, compounded by pollution are the main causes of loss. But the root cause of much wetland degradation is information failure. Decision makers often have insufficient understanding of the values of wetlands, including economic value, so the protection of wetlands does not appear to be a serious alternative.

A striking glimpse of wetland destruction is provided by the Mesopotamian marshlands of Iraq and western Iran, more than 90% of which had dried up by the year 2000. The cause: construction of dams upstream followed by governmental attempts to drain this largest remaining wetland in the Middle East. Many wildlife populations were wiped out, and most of the area's indigenous Marsh Arabs were forced to abandon their land.

There are any number of cases of wetlands loss. The Sistan wetlands on the border of Iran and Afghanistan are another case in point. Damming and extensive irrigation schemes exacerbated the effects of drought and, since 1998, 99% of the wetlands have dried up, including the Iranian portion declared a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Convention on Wetlands

The Convention, referred to as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, written usually as Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1991) is an intergovernmental treaty focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. As of February 1st, 2006, 150 countries had signed onto this treaty, together designating 1579 wetlands as special areas warranting protection. Called Wetlands of International Importance, they cover 133.9 million hectares. The treaty has garnered more attention and better conservation status for many wetlands. The UAE, however, is not yet a party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.