World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 of each year. It was decreed in 1997 and the date was chosen in commemoration of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, which was held on February 2, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. After 26 years after the signing of this agreement, World Wetlands Day was celebrated for the first time, in 1997.
What are wetlands?nWetlands are all those ecosystems whose soils appear permanently or periodically flooded, both in freshwater environments and in those with a certain degree of salinity. In this category are swamps, peat bogs, marshes, coral reefs, mangroves, lakes, rivers, etc. They are hybrid ecosystems that can be fresh or salt water and the so-called artificial wetlands such as reservoirs, salt flats or ponds.n nnThese wetlands retain and store water, available for human consumption, production and support of wildlife. When wetlands are situated on permeable sediments and rocks, the water they hold percolates through the soil and recharges aquifers.nTheir importance is fundamental for life on the entire planet thanks to the fact that they are ecosystems, where a large number of animal and plant species live, and that are responsible for regulating the water cycle and climate, thus creating a perfect balance. In addition, they provide man with essential resources to enjoy a better quality of life.nCurrently, the Ramsar Convention has named more than 2,300 wetlands around the globe, which are protected since they not only represent a barrier to curb meteorological effects and climate damage, but are also considered a heritage of incalculable value for all humanity.
Despite the critical values and benefits of wetlands, these ecosystems are being lost faster than any other ecosystem, which is why Martha Rojas Urrego, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, considered it urgent to intensify actions to conserve and restore wetlands .nn“We know that these actions have critical benefits for nature and for the billion people who directly depend on them. As the international community develops the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and commits to stronger climate responses, it is critical to integrate wetland action into both agendas to deliver the greatest impact for nature, climate and people.” , he claimednnNicaragua as part of its natural wealth has nine wetlands recognized by the Ramsar Wetlands Convention. These systems of high biological value serve as a means of purifying the environment and even as a barrier against the incidence of natural phenomena.nnAccording to the journalist Mauricio Gonzales of Naturalista magazine, these are the world-class wetlands in Nicaragua: Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, the Cayos Mískitos Biological Reserve, the Delta del Estero Real and Llanos de Apacunca, the Río San Juan Wildlife Refuge, the Bluefields Bay Wetland System, the San Miguelito Wetland System, the Tisma Lagoon System, the Apanás-Asturias Lake, the Playitas, Moyuá and Tecomapa Lake System.
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The deterioration of these resources is not constant only in Nicaragua, but worldwide. But some wetlands are being destroyed faster than others, warns the environmental journalist.nnEnvironmentalists are concerned that wetlands are at risk of disappearing as they are rapidly degrading. It is estimated that in the last 35 years more than 50{0cab3704e21a71302162fadf9844f7b3ed53b42a3c5272f295e0fc76090d0b44} of wetlands worldwide have disappeared.n nWetland BenefitsnEnvironmental engineer María Elena Salgado explains that wetlands are important ecosystems that provide great benefits. “the supply of fresh water, food, optimal sites for fishing, they also function as areas in which birds that travel long distances (migratory) can rest and continue their journey.”nnSalgado comments that in Nicaragua there are sites called Ramsar because they are wetlands with priority to protect them. “One of them is the Moyuá lagoon, a wetland which is currently having problems because it is located in the dry zone of the country, because its amount of water is decreasing,” said the expert.nWetlands are reservoirs that harbor life, and that contribute to creating a perfect balance in the different ecosystems of the planet. So, its perfect operation will depend on:n- 40{0cab3704e21a71302162fadf9844f7b3ed53b42a3c5272f295e0fc76090d0b44} of the plants and animals that exist on the entire planet are still alive.n- More than a billion people around the planet can continue to live on wetlands. 30{0cab3704e21a71302162fadf9844f7b3ed53b42a3c5272f295e0fc76090d0b44} of the carbon that exists on the entire Earth is concentrated in peat bogs.n- Wetlands are responsible for removing pollutants and this allows you to enjoy clean water.n- Wetlands are large reservoirs of water.n- The mangroves and reefs of the wetlands are responsible for protecting human beings against natural disasters such as floods and droughts.n- They are spaces that help create conditions for life to exist.n- They are ideal places for recreational activities and increase tourism.nIf you are thinking about how to commemorate this environmental date in your community, you can take advantage and plant or water a plant, use water rationally or simply find out about it. This is how you contribute in some way to caring for and valuing the different plant and animal species that exist on the planet. Teach and share your experience with children, the adults of the future.
