Have you ever heard of the World Wetlands Day? It happens every year on the 2nd of February. To be honest, it is the first time I heard about it, although it has been celebrated since 1997.
Wetlands are incredible and diverse ecosystems, capable of filtering pollutants, accommodating great amounts of excess rain or flood water and rehydrating the land. They contribute to replenishing groundwaters which we source for drinking and keep the climate cool during hot summers. Apart from all those qualities there is something more. Roughly half of world’s wetlands are peat forming mires. They are more efficient than many forests in sequestering CO2, therefore they are hugely contributing to the fight against the global warming.
After centuries of drainage, it is only recently that people have realized how important wetlands are for the environment, however it still did not become a common knowledge. They are constantly under pressure for land in many parts of the developed and developing world, especially in urban areas where terrain-hungry sprawling cities expand without much concern to the landscape features and their meaning for the environment.
Meanwhile, wetlands could be beautifully integrated into the urban fabric as public parks and nature preserves. I encourage you to visit the official website of the World Wetlands Day and get more information on this fascinating topic.
http://www.worldwetlandsday.org
