Comprehension: Ecosystems on the Planet

                   Marshes, swamps and bogs are usually thought of as unappealing and uninhabitable if not positively unhealthy places. Now a global campaign is underway to change the traditional image of these “wetlands”, and to save them from destruction.

                   Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems on the planet, protecting fisheries, preventing floods and even filtering pollution. Yet the perception that they are damp, dangerous and disease-ridden has produced a near-universal response: “Drain it!” “All hands must be on deck to destroy it”, some people claim.

                   Northern scientists bemoan the loss of wetlands and preach conservation to the Third World. Meanwhile, Northern governments pay for the destruction of their own wetlands and provide technical and financial assistance to developing countries to drain theirs.

                    The economic importance of wetlands is seldom appreciated. Two-thirds of the fish caught worldwide are hatched in tidal areas. Wetlands are one of nature’s anti-pollution devices. Plants that grow in them are so efficient at cleaning sewage that experiments are being conducted with a view to replacing chemicals used in sewage treatment with certain wetland plants. By absorbing floodwaters and storm surges, coastal wetlands reduce the risk of death and crop losses.

                   Those who are damming and draining the Third World’s wetlands too rarely ask themselves whether an investment would be better directed at improving production on existing farmland. The benefits produced by leaving wetlands as they are, need to be taken into account – something which has frequently been neglected in the calculation of costs and benefits.

                   Civilisation began around wetlands; when the contribution of wetlands is accurately assessed, today’s civilisation will find that it has every reason to leave them wet and wild.

Adapted from NOSEC Book Six