I was going through my Instagram feed when I saw the official page of Ladakh(@utladakhtourism) posting a picture about the World Wetland day. Well, I had no clue.. so I decided to do some research and this is what I came to know..
What is a Wetland ?
Wetland are areas where the soil is either covered by water or water is present close to the surface of the soil, throughout the year or during some months or weeks in a year. These areas support the growth of a wide variety of both plants and animals species. The plants that grow in this area are called hydrophytes and the soil is characterised as hydric soil. Now, a pool of water after a rain storm will not be considered as the wetland because wetlands have some special characteristics like the water level and the types of plants that reside within them. Wetlands always have a water table on or near the surface of land for a long period of time in a year in order to support aquatic plants.
The most interesting thing about a wetland is that at times these are freshwater, salty or a mix and are often undervalued source of water. There are different types of wetlands – for example : marshes, lagoons, swamps, mangroves, mudflats, bogs, ponds, billabongs, lakes, rivers etc. that are present in every continent, except Antarctica. The benefits of wetlands include water purification, groundwater replenishment, water storage, storm protection, flood control, processing carbon and other pollutants, support the growth of many plants and even animals that rely on them for their habitat and food such as many migratory birds, ducks, kingfishers, lions, otters, beavers and also fishes.
The world’s largest wetland is the Amazon river basin and in India it is the Sundarbans(Ganga-Brahmaputra delta). In order to conserve these Wetlands an international treaty called the Ramsar Convention was established almost 40 years ago. Every year more and more wetlands are identified and added to the list of importance. As on Jan 2022, India had 47 Ramsar sites. However, 2 new sites were added to this list on the World Wetland Day 2022.
Also read : Travel Responsibly
Climate change, pollution, unplanned development and construction possess a great threat to the Wetlands. Also, if these Wetlands were to disappear cities and towns will have to spend more money on treating the water, we will see more floods, hurricanes and storms and also the wildlife and plants that depend on wetlands for their food and habitats will be displaced and eventually die out. As responsible citizens, it is each of our duty to conserve the nature and we can do so by adopting a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle.
Also read : Beginner tips on Sustainable Lifestyle
“Traveling teaches you more than what a textbook ever can.”
I hope you enjoyed reading the above blog.. I absolutely loved researching about something new and sharing it with you all.
Happy Traveling.. Happy Exploring..
The Seeking Soul..
Also read : https://indianwetlands.in/
https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-a-wetland-and-8-other-wetland-facts
The Seeking Soul 