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 variability of water in wetlands is a key characteristic of these ecosystems in Spain, given the unstable rainfall patterns. Some months are drier, while others are wetter. Wetlands adapt to the temperature and precipitation conditions imposed by the climate. This adaptation is crucial to the importance of wetlands during droughts and their preservation.
This occurs under normal conditions, but the recent months of extreme drought in the country have contributed to the worsening of the condition of many Spanish wetlands, affecting and endangering their unique characteristics. The current state of the wetlands is linked to the extreme drought affecting their ecosystems.
Inland and endorheic wetlands, such as the Fuente de Piedra lagoon (Málaga) , the Albufera of Valencia, or the El Hondo reservoir (Alicante), or those in large lake systems like the Tablas de Daimiel (Ciudad Real), are more vulnerable to situations of reduced rainfall. In fact, the Tablas de Daimiel are suffering a severe drought that threatens their ecosystems, further highlighting the importance of this issue, especially in the context of World Wetlands Day 2023.
As the extreme drought intensifies and temperatures rise, there are fears that wetlands will dry up and Spain will begin to turn into a desert. To prevent this, the government must comply with the requirements established in the Water Framework Directive, which clearly and concisely outlines how this vital resource should be managed. Water use planning in Spain does not consider drought as a structural factor ; instead, "exceptional measures" are activated only when a dry period occurs.
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, World Wetlands Day has been celebrated every February 2nd to commemorate the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Ramsar, Iran. This year's focus is on urban wetland ecosystems. For many wetlands to function normally and naturally, it is simply a matter of allowing water to flow and return to its natural course, as mentioned in the Convention. The exploitation of surface water resources must cease so that wetlands can regain their ecological flow capacity 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, wetlands are being continuously polluted, overexploited, and affected by human activity. Sixty percent of Spain's wetlands have disappeared, and those that remain are in critical condition . Therefore, there are fears that Spain could become a desert over time if the situation continues.
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.
To further raise awareness about the importance of wetlands, many wetlands will be holding activities for all ages this weekend to educate the public about the need to preserve them. Wetlands participating in World Wetlands Day activities include Doñana, Tablas de Daimiel, the Ebro Delta, the Villafáfila lagoons, and the Albufera of Valencia . Highlighting the work being done in these areas is crucial for their conservation, particularly in mitigating the effects of drought.
