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  IUCN 2 Feb 06
Wetlands reduce flood risk: World Conservation Union highlights wetland benefits on World Wetlands Day

Wetlands play an important role in mitigating floods, as the Zambezi wetlands case study shows.

Carried out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Namibia and Zambia after the flood in the Zambezi Basin in April 2004, the study showcased that wetlands, due to their sponge-like effect, regulate the flow of water and thereby reduce the likelihood of floods downstream.

'Wetlands and water - supporting life, sustaining livelihoods' is the theme of this year's World Wetlands Day, celebrated today to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.

These findings reinforce the need to preserve wetlands as a means to reduce the risk of flooding downstream. The findings also imply that settling on a wetland could be risky since wetlands behave like reservoirs that absorb water and release it in a regulatory manner.

At the upcoming 4th World Water Forum (Mexico, March 2006), the World Conservation Union, using its global experience in field projects and policy formulation, will be presenting key issues related to water-related natural disaster risk management.

Wetland conservation does even more than reducing flood risk. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival.

Unfortunately, and in spite of important progress made in recent decades, wetlands around the world continue to be among the world's most threatened ecosystems, owing mainly to ongoing drainage, conversion, pollution, and over-exploitation of their resources.

Despite recent major improvements, degradation and loss of wetland ecosystems and consequently the services, benefits and products they provide are all too visible. Properly managed, wetlands can be a vital lifeline not just for the poor, but also for people in the developed world.

Facts and figures about wetlands

Wetlands are areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They occur in every country, from the tundra to the tropics, where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water.

The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The original emphasis of the Convention was on the conservation and wise use of wetlands with the primary goal of providing habitats for waterbirds. Over the years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use.

Wetlands capture and retain rainfall, and prevent valuable sediments from being washed into lakes and rivers. They add moisture to the atmosphere, which falls as rain and cools the environment.

Wetlands cover between 748 and 778 million hectares around the world and are home to countless species of plants and animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species.

The 3 largest wetlands in the world by area are those of the West Siberian Lowlands (780,000-1,000,000 km2), the Amazon River (800,000 km2) and the Hudson Bay Lowlands (200,000-320,000 km2).

Humans have damaged wetlands by damming, dyking and canalizing rivers, converting floodplains to aquaculture, planting trees on bogs, draining marshes for agriculture, forestry and urban development and mining them for peat, often with heavy state subsidy. But throughout history, agricultural activity has been the most important single cause of damage, with wetlands drained to provide croplands. 50% of the world's wetlands have been lost in the past century.

Links about wetlands

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Wetlands and Water Resources Programme of the IUCN
RAMSAR - MAB Website
Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet)
Wetlands International
Society of Wetlands Scientists
links
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