Conserving wetlands for the future

Wetlands are vital ecosystems that provide habitats, water filtration, flood regulation, and socio-economic benefits worldwide.

Wetlands are regions of land that are generally saturated with water. However, when rain causes water to pool on land, it does not constitute a wetland. More specifically, wetlands are areas where water either covers the soil or is found at or near the soil surface year-round or for fluctuating periods throughout the year. These ecosystems encompass marshes, swamps, peatlands, lagoons, mangroves, and floodplains. Wetlands provide habitats for a wide range of species, function as natural water filters, and assist in alleviating the impacts of climate change.

Wetland ecosystems directly and indirectly benefit millions of people, offering various goods and services. They help regulate floods, inhibit coastal erosion, and lessen the impacts of natural disasters such as cyclones and tidal waves. They also have the ability to store water for extended durations.

Their capacity to hold excess flood water during heavy rains prevents flooding and supports a steady flow downstream, thus maintaining water quality and enhancing biological productivity for both aquatic organisms and local human populations. Flooded wetlands efficiently capture rainwater and serve as a key resource for replenishing groundwater aquifers. Many wading birds and waterfowl, including egrets, herons, and cranes, find breeding grounds in wetlands. Additionally, wetlands offer food and habitat for various mammals. They function as natural filtration systems, helping to eliminate a wide array of pollutants from water, including harmful viruses and heavy metals. Wetlands retain nutrients by sequestering excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in the subsoil, thereby reducing the likelihood of eutrophication. Mangrove forests are particularly valued for their production of fish and shellfish, livestock fodder, fuel, construction materials, traditional medicine, honey, and beeswax, although many mangrove areas have been replaced by other types of land use. Furthermore, significant socio-economic benefits such as a reliable supply of water, fisheries, firewood, medicinal plants, livestock grazing opportunities, agricultural resources, energy, wildlife, transportation, and recreation and tourism are notable.

Unfortunately, since 1970, nearly 35% of global wetland areas have been lost, mainly due to human activities like agricultural drainage, urban expansion, and pollution. This concerning decrease prompted the need for global efforts to safeguard these vital ecosystems for future generations.

The Ramsar Convention on wetlands, established in 1971, is an international treaty that outlines the framework for conserving wetlands and their resources, which became effective in 1975. Since then, nearly 90% of UN member nations have joined this initiative. World Wetlands Day is celebrated every February 2 to commemorate the adoption of the Ramsar Convention. The theme for World Wetlands Day 2025 is ‘protecting wetlands for our common future,’ emphasising the significance of this essential resource for both the environment and human prosperity. The United Nations officially recognised February 2 as World Wetlands Day in 2021. Originally, the event aimed to promote awareness about wetland conservation; however, it has since transformed into a worldwide movement that engages governments, NGOs, and communities.

Wetlands cover about 6% of the earth’s land surface. There are several kinds of wetlands, such as marshes, swamps, lagoons, bogs, fens, and mangroves. They are home to some of the richest, most diverse, and most fragile of natural resources. The association of man and wetlands is ancient, with the first signs of civilisation originating in wetland habitats such as the floodplains of the Indus, the Nile Delta, and the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. As they support a variety of plant and animal life, biologically they are one of the most productive ecosystems as well.

India has a wealth of wetland ecosystems distributed in different geographical regions. Most of the wetlands in India are directly or indirectly linked with major river systems such as the Ganges, Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari, and Tapti. India has a total of 27,403 wetlands, of which 23,444 are inland wetlands and 3,959 are coastal wetlands. According to the Directory of Asian Wetlands (1989), wetlands occupy 18.4% of the country’s area (excluding rivers), of which 70% are under paddy cultivation. The coastal wetlands occupy an estimated 6,750 sq. km and are largely dominated by mangrove vegetation. About 80% of the mangroves are distributed in the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with the rest in the coastal states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.