Wetlands are key to fighting the climate crisis

They reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They reduce floods and droughts. They protect biodiversity and are useful in the event of military attacks.

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Wetlands
For many decades, wetlands—areas where water is permanently present throughout much of the year—were considered unhealthy and in need of remediation, partly because they were considered ideal environments for the spread of certain infections such as malaria. Over time, wetlands were also eliminated to make way for intensive farming, residential neighborhoods, shopping centers, roads, and highways. As a result, today they cover just 6 percent of the Earth's surface, but despite this low percentage, they perform an essential function for ecosystems and, above all, for mitigating the disastrous effects of climate change. climate crisis.

What is

In non-scientific terms, we can define wetlands as a cross between terrestrial and aquatic environments, and this already makes them unique. Marshes, swamps, bayou, ponds, lagoons, peat bogs, but also river deltas and mangroves: when water – fresh or brackish – covers and soaks the ground, to the point that when you walk, damp or muddy soil always sticks to your soles, then you are in a humid area.

Where are

Wetlands are found on every continent in the world, except Antarctica. They are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions; in large northern regions (for example, Finland, Russia, and Canada); along the deltas of major rivers such as the Nile and Mekong; and in many parts of Southeast Asia and equatorial Africa, where rainfall is consistently abundant. In Italy, the most abundant wetlands include the Po Delta, the Comacchio Valleys, and the Venice Lagoon.

The importance for the environment

As the climate crisis worsens, studies demonstrating the strategic environmental importance of wetlands have also increased, debunking old theories about their need for remediation. Wetlands in particular:
  • They absorb carbon dioxide, especially peat bogs, They are able to store enormous quantities of carbon, more than forests, and in fact reduce greenhouse gases. It is estimated that wetlands contain about a third of the world's carbon, and if abandoned and degraded, they can release the emissions locked up in their soil.
  • They filter water naturally, Because they retain pollutants, pesticide residues, and fertilizer sediments, water in these areas is purified before reaching rivers or the sea.
  • They work like sponges, Especially during floods or torrential rains, they absorb water and release it again during droughts. Just 0,4 hectares of wetlands can store 3.800 cubic meters of water. 
  • They protect biodiversity: They are, in fact, natural territories in which migratory birds, amphibians, pollinating insects, fish and rare plants live.
  • They defend the coasts: Salt marshes and lagoons in particular attenuate the force of the waves and help in the event of storm surges and coastal erosion.
  • They promote economic activities such as fishing, agriculture and nature tourism.
  • Restoring wetlands for military defense. Since Russia's ill-fated attack on Ukraine (2022), several European countries bordering Vladimir Putin's country (Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) have begun evaluating the restoration of wetlands reclaimed in previous decades. This essentially involves flooding the reclaimed areas to reap environmental benefits, but above all to better protect the affected areas from potential military attacks. Ukraine's own experience has demonstrated that marshy terrain, typical of wetlands, is an insurmountable obstacle for armored military vehicles. And this can be very useful for the defense of countries bordering Russia. 

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