Protect Wetlands, NCF Urges FG, States
The federal and state governments have been urged by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) to conserve and protect the nation’s wetlands.
According to NCF, “Wetlands are a dynamic aquatic ecosystem found all over the world. It is an area of land that is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. It can be freshwater, brackish, or saline.
“Wetlands can be thought of as biological supermarkets that provide a great volume of food which attract many animal species. These animals use wetlands for part of or all their life cycle. It provides values that no other ecosystem can. These include natural water quality improvement, flood protection, shoreline, erosion control, opportunities for recreation and aesthetic appreciation and natural products for our use at no cost.
“Wetlands contribute immensely to tackling climate change challenges by enhancing the adaptation and resilience capacity of the ecosystems, provide nature-based climate solutions and address socio-economic challenges such as water pollution, erosion, food security and human health, and disaster risk management by restoring water catchments.
“Part of the importance of wetlands are capturing and storing rainwater; replenishing groundwater aquifers; regulating water quantity and supply by releasing water at the right time to the right place in the right amounts; improving water quality by removing and absorbing pollutants. Wetlands in Nigeria are highly valuable as they contain a variety of reptiles, mammals, amphibians, and bird’s species.
“Wetlands sustain life and keep us healthy. Healthy watersheds provide natural, safe drinking water and support food production. Wetlands give us much of the fish we eat and are used in cultivating rice for 3.5 billion people globally. Wetlands are important for biodiversity as 40% of the world’s species live in wetlands, with new fish species discovered in freshwater wetlands annually.”