This World Wetlands Day (Friday, February 2), landowners have been encouraged to consider actions to reverse the loss of Ireland’s wetlands, and to conserve and restore them.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about wetlands, and marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.
A wetland is an area of land that is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally, and where the water table is near or at the surface. Their visual appearance may vary considerably.
There are special suites of plants adapted to cope with wet conditions and, as these vary spatially, different habitats and plant communities may occur within a single wetland.
Encouraging landowners, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with responsibility for land use and biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett said:
“Farmers are the custodians of so many important wetland sites and across the country farmers are managing wetlands, integrating them into their farm enterprises and managing them carefully with their livestock.”
Whether it’s creating a pond to slow the flow of water entering a stream, or potentially restoring a previously drained wetland area, Minister Hackett said:
“Farmers up and down the country have shown it is possible to achieve improvements in water quality, contribute to carbon storage and enhance biodiversity at the same time as running a productive farm enterprise.”
Wetlands in Ireland
Wetlands in Ireland range from the very small, for example a freshwater spring, to habitats which dominate the Irish landscape such as lakes, rivers and bogs.
Wetland habitats are home to a large diversity of plant and animal species and form an important network of ecological sites for many species on migration, the DAFM said.
Wetland biodiversity has been estimated to be worth €385 million per year to the Irish economy and wetlands also contribute to the €330 million nature and eco-tourism value of Irish habitats.
With Ireland’s high annual rainfall, 20% of the island of Ireland is classified as wetland habitat, according to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC).
World Wetlands Day
Today is an opportunity for all countries and people to collectively encourage awareness and appreciation, and to spur action for wetlands, Minister Hackett said.
Wetlands are the world’s “most threatened” ecosystem and the benefits that wetlands provide to help sustain life on earth are often “overlooked”, according to the DAFM.
Wetlands are “vitally important” ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation and freshwater availability, the DAFM said.
On the theme of World Wetlands Day this year, “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”, she said: “Wetlands and people have been intrinsically connected throughout human history.
“For thousands of years, people have established settlements near wetlands for access to fish, other food sources and freshwater for crops and livestock.”
Research has shown that wetland landscapes positively impact on mental wellbeing, promoting mindfulness and a sense of emotional balance, contributing to improved mental health, the DAFM said.
Wetlands provide recreational opportunities, including fishing, water sport activities and swimming, allowing people to relax and manage stress, according to the DAFM.