Wetlands: a declining source of life that needs to be preserved

Posted on 8 February 2023

Our planet has many ecosystems that are essential to our survival and that of many animal and plant species.

Wetlands are among the richest, most diverse and most productive ecosystems in the world. Although they cover only about 60% of the earth's surface, they provide habitat and breeding grounds for 40% of animal species, including reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and plants such as rice, which is typical of wetlands and is the staple food of more than half of humanity.

What are wetlands? According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of the World, they are "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters. Madagascar joined the Ramsar Convention in 1998 and 21 wetlands in the Big Island are currently listed.

Wetlands play a vital role for humanity, other ecosystems or the climate and offer many services that sustain us. They supply water and food, store and retain water, limit the impact of natural disasters, purify the air and purify water. They are nicknamed "the kidneys of the earth".

Ecosystems with multiple benefits but which, unfortunately, are disappearing three times faster than forests.
In the last 50 years, 35% of wetlands have disappeared. This makes them the most threatened ecosystem in the world.
This is no less true for Madagascar. The 60% of wetlands on the highlands and 20% of mangroves have disappeared since 1990. The cause is human activities: the filling of wetlands for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing, overexploitation of resources, to which are added invasive species and the effects of climate change. The destruction of wetlands means destroying the vital services they provide and therefore increasing vulnerability to climatic events, exposure to pollution, and accelerating the decline of species that depend on them.

We are surrounded by rich and amazing ecosystems that ensure our survival. Wetlands are celebrated every year on February 2nd around the world. An occasion to remind and reinforce the awareness on the urgency to restore wetlands and to call for action. However, the actions should not be limited to one day but on the long term to reconstitute all that has disappeared in 50 years.