World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February every year and underscores the need to save and restore wetlands and raise awareness about their crucial role. Wetlands are some of the planet’s most powerful yet underappreciated ecosystems. These ecosystems where water saturates the land, including mangroves, peat lands, marshes, swamps, and coral reefs, provide a wealth of benefits. They act as habitats for diverse plants and animals, protect shores from waves, reduce the impacts of floods, and even support local livelihoods.
Such ecosystem services of wetlands, especially coastal wetlands, are valued at USD 194,000 per hectare annually, emphasising their immense ecological and economic importance. Another remarkable role of wetlands is their ability to absorb and store millions of tons of carbon, making them vital allies in the fight against climate change. Globally, wetlands store about 20% of the organic carbon of the planet, despite covering only 1% of the Earth’s surface.
However, wetlands face persistent threats from both climate change and human activities. Rising sea levels jeopardise habitats and freshwater supplies. Cities such as Mumbai, Haldia, and Visakhapatnam already face significant impacts. Projections from CSTEP’s sea level rise scenario study indicate that if global carbon emissions continue to rise, Indian coasts might experience a sea level rise of over 75 cm by the end of the century, leading to flooding, salinisation, habitat loss, and displacement. Urbanisation, industrialisation, and agricultural activities exacerbate the degradation of wetlands. Mangroves, for instance, suffer from disrupted hydrological connectivity due to coastal development and mismanaged upstream water flows. This article takes a closer look at the dual potential of wetlands and their current status in India.
