Urban wetlands – prized land

Abstract

Water Kidz When you think about a city, you usually think about scyscrapers, busy roads and bustling sidewalks. But many cities are also home to some very special water ecosystems – urban wetlands. Every year, the world celebrates its wetlands with special events held on or around 2 February. The theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day is urban wetlands. The theme is decided by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an international organisation which promotes the conservation and wise use of all wetlands. What are wetlands? Commonly referred to as marshes, bogs or vlei’s, wetlands are land areas that are flooded with water, either seasonally or permanently. Urban wetlands are those wetlands that are found in and around cities. As cities expand and demand for land increases, the tendency is to encroach on wetlands. Thousands of urban wetlands around the world have been polluted, filled in and built upon. Yet, when left intact or restored, urban wetlands makes cities liveable. First of all, wetlands reduce flooding. Wetlands act as giant sponges that absorb flood waters.

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