THERE IS NO LIFE WITHOUT WATER!
Wetlands form a vital habitat on Earth. They are areas of land inundated with water. Marshes, estuaries, deltas, intertidal wetlands, freshwater and salt lakes, salinas, coastal lagoons are the various wetlands found in the Mediterranean. They occur where land meets water and provide a link between them.
Wetlands exist in every country and climate zone and cover only a small percentage of the earth’s surface, yet they can be thought as arteries for any landscape. According to the WWF reports, an alarming 50% of the entire world wetland areas have disappeared in the last hundred years. Today they are estimated to cover just 7% of the earth’s surface.
Alaçatı wetland belongs to this essential bio-system.
Why are
wetlands so
important?
Few Reasons;
- With their rich biodiversity, wetlands are a unique ecosystem that provide shelter for species adapted to aquatic environments.
- Their shallow waterways are not only a vital habitat for migrating birds, fish and shellfish but also for numerous plant and animal species which can only survive in these wet environments.
- Wetlands play a crucial role in purifying polluted waters, reducing flooding and controlling coastal erosion. Thereby they mitigate the impact of climate change.
- Socio-economically, too, they have significant potential for eco-tourism and provide countless opportunities for environment and green economy.
What
major threats do
wetlands face?
- artificial processes, e.g. artificial drainage, damming, extraction of groundwater.
- construction developments
- illegal hunting and fishing
- pollution (industrial effluents, household wastes )
- pesticides used at agricultural work
- climate change-induced alterations