Let us save wetlands

At a glance, wetlands – large expanses of swamps – seem like public nuisances, a waste of space, occupying prime land which could otherwise be turned into sprawling shopping malls, hotels, or theme parks.

Indeed, several wetlands in the Nile Basin have undergone degradation due to multiple contributing factors – settlements and urbanisation by an ever-growing population and reclamation and conversion for agriculture. Other factors are upstream infrastructural development, over-exploitation by local communities, and climate change.

Wetlands represent about five per cent of the total basin area and are concentrated in two areas: the Equatorial Lakes region and the Sudd area in South Sudan. The Sudd wetlands – the most extensive wetland system in the Nile Basin – are variable in size, averaging roughly 30,000 square kilometres, but extending up to 130,000 square kilometres during wet seasons. The Nile Delta north of Egypt, once an area of lush natural wetlands, has now been almost entirely converted into agricultural land.

WETLAND ENCROACHMENT

Most of these transgressions have gone largely unpunished while encroachment on wetlands continues to flourish. However, this “honeymoon” usually ends at the onset of the rainy seasons, when nature fights back.

With the advent of climate change and variable weather patterns, there has been a noticeable increase in floods in the Nile Basin. Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda have all witnessed El Niño rains in recent months that swept away chunks of property and lives with their deadly force. It is perhaps at such times that many people realise the advantages of wetlands in absorbing the excess water in the environment.

These factors threaten the intrinsic hydrological and ecological link between these wetlands and River Nile, including its overall health and life. This is exacerbated by inadequate knowledge and experience for mainstreaming wetland conservation and for making use of ecosystem services in the planning process.

Wetlands are crucial mainly because they act as buffers for floods. They absorb the excess water or runoff in the environment and release it systematically while causing no harm to the neighbourhood.

However, when wetlands are threatened, they implode, with no escape route for the large amounts of water.

CAUSE DESTRUCTION

Hence, floods run riot and cause destruction of the surroundings. Wetlands are also valuable ecosystems that play an important role in maintaining environmental quality, sustaining livelihoods, and supporting biodiversity.

The wide range of animal and plant species that wetlands support provide an ecosystem in the form of fisheries, fuel-wood, timber, medicines, and high ecological, cultural and economic value through recreation and tourism.

Wetlands also exert significant influence on the hydrological cycle, altering flood flows, maintaining low flows and ground water recharge.

A project whose focus is strengthening the technical and institutional capacities of the riparian states for sustainable management of trans-boundary wetlands in the Nile Basin has been launched.

The interventions include building a strategic and demand-driven knowledge base on trans-boundary wetlands for informed planning and development of river basins and facilitating wetlands management planning.

The expected benefits cannot be overemphasised – improved water security through restoration and conservation of wetlands ecosystem services and enhanced livelihoods security for local population groups whose livelihoods depend on wetlands ecosystems. Let us save wetlands.

Dr Abdulkarim Seid is head of water resources management at Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat.