Today is World Wetlands Day. However, wetlands around the world today celebrate their day affected by the serious drought that endangers more than half of them, not only because of the lack of water, but because of its multiple threats.
Do you want to know the current situation of the wetlands on a day like today?
Drought in wetlands
The water variability of wetlands is a key characteristic of wetlands in Spain, as rainfall is not very stable. We can experience drier months and wetter months. Wetlands They adapt to the conditions of temperature and rainfall that the climate gives them. This adaptation is key in the importance of wetlands in times of drought and its preservation.
This occurs under normal conditions, but the recent months of extreme drought in the country have contributed to the worsening of the state of many Spanish wetlands, and their unique characteristics have been affected and endangered. The current situation of the wetlands is related to the extreme drought in their ecosystems.
Wetlands that are inland and endorheic like the lagoon of Fuente de Piedra (Malaga), the Albufera of Valencia or the El Hondo reservoir (Alicante), or in large lake systems, such as the Tablas de Daimiel (Ciudad Real) are more vulnerable to situations where rainfall is scarce. In fact, the Tables of Daimiel are suffering from a severe drought that puts their ecosystems at risk, which further highlights the , especially in the context of World Wetlands Day 2023.
As extreme drought progresses and temperatures rise, there are fears that wetlands will dry up and Spain will begin to become a desert. To prevent this, the government must comply with the requirements established in the Water Framework Directive, which clearly and concisely outlines how the water from this important resource should be treated. Spain's water use planning does not consider drought as structuralInstead, when there is a dry period, “exceptional measures” are activated.
Therefore, the current droughts are affecting these ecosystems with more stress, previously affected by the overexploitation of aquifers, the contamination of surface and groundwater or the low regime of ecological flows.
Gloomy day to celebrate
Since 1977, all on February 2, World Wetlands Day is celebrated To commemorate the signing of the Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran, this year focuses on urban wetlands. For many wetlands to function normally and naturally, it is enough to allow the water to flow and retrace its natural course, as mentioned in the . The exploitation of surface resources must cease so that wetlands can once again function as ecological flows and recover their good condition. However, the current situation highlights the importance of wetlands for environmental stability.
Impact on wetlands
Ecosystems such as peatlands, swamps, marshes, lakes, deltas, tidal flats, coastal marine areas, mangroves, coral reefs, springs, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt marshes are also wetlands, rich in biodiversity, essential as climate regulators and for the supply of freshwater, essential for human survival. This further highlights the health of our planet.
However, it is continually being polluted, overexploited, and affected by human actions. 60% of the wetlands in Spain have disappeared and those that remain are in serious condition. For this reason, it is feared that Spain could turn into a desert with the passage of time, if the situation continues like this.
For all these reasons, it is important that the governments include measures to protect ecological flows and greater control of water withdrawals in drought plans to reduce their effects and avoid overexploitation.
For a greater dissemination of knowledge about the importance of wetlands, throughout this weekend, many of the wetlands will be carrying out activities for all audiences to educate the population about the need to preserve them. The wetlands that will have activities for World Wetlands Day are Doñana, the Tablas de Daimiel, the Ebro Delta, the Villafáfila lagoons or the Albufera of ValenciaHighlighting the work being done in these spaces is essential for conservation, seeking to prevent the effects of drought.
