World wetlands day observed on 2nd Feb.

• To create awareness about the importance of wetlands and protect them from degrading, the UN and other international organizations celebrate World Wetlands Day.
• Wetlands support a wide range of biodiversity and help to maintain natural cycles. They replenish water resources and protect coastlines.
• They account for 4.7% of the Indian Geographical area. Today 30% of the Indian wetlands have been lost. And 35% of wetlands have been lost at the world level.
• The theme of 2023 World Wetlands Day- It is Time for Wetlands Restoration
• World wetlands day marks the date of the adoption of the convention on wetlands on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, a city in Iran.

Types of Wetlands

• Coastal Wetlands:Coastal wetlands are found in the areas between land and open sea that are not influenced by rivers such as shorelines, beaches, mangroves and coral reefs.
  • A good example is the mangrove swamps found in sheltered tropical coastal areas.
• Shallow lakes and ponds:These wetlands are areas of permanent or semi-permanent water with little flow. They include vernal ponds, spring pools, salt lakes and volcanic crater lakes.
• Marshes:These are periodically saturated, flooded, or ponded with water and characterized by herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation adapted to wet soil conditions. Marshes are further characterized as tidal marshes and non-tidal marshes.
• Swamps:These are fed primarily by surface water inputs and are dominated by trees and shrubs. Swamps occur in either freshwater or saltwater floodplains.
• Bogs:Bogs are waterlogged peatlands in old lake basins or depressions in the landscape. Almost all water in bogs comes from rainfall.
• Estuaries: The area where rivers meet the sea and water changes from fresh to salt can offer an extremely rich mix of biodiversity. These wetlands include deltas, tidal mudflats and salt marshes.

Major causes of wetland degradation

• Population growth is the primary cause of wetlands degradation. The natural factors that cause wetland degradation are erosion and land subsidence.