Save mother earth!
DISAPPEARING SPONGES OF THE EARTH PART-2
From coastal swamps to inland floodplains, the Earth has lost over half of its area under wetlands in the last 100 years.
A primary cause behind the loss of this giver of life is the draining or filling for human settlements and agriculture.
Draining of agricultural residue and Industrial wastes into the wetlands also took a huge toll, leading to their decline.
It was during the first half of the twentieth century that we have witnesses the maximum damage especially in the northern hemisphere.
In Asia, where around 85 percent of the wetlands of international importance are threatened, rice cultivation has overtaken 40 million hectares in the central plains of India.
Research estimates reveal that out of 58.2 million hectares of wetlands in India, 40.9 million hectares are under rice cultivation.
On the other hand alternative farming methods and fisheries have replaced many mangrove forests along the coastline and continue to pose threats.
Mangrove cover along the 4,240 km of India’s coastline are today under a severe pressure.
Rapid increase in population around the coastline is forcing many to extract more than what nature could generate.
Various practices like the shrimp farming has resulted in an excessive withdrawal of freshwater from the area increasing pollution load on water such as lime, organic wastes, pesticides and other disease causing organisms.
The rapidly expanding human population along with change in land use and commercial exploitation of watersheds areas has all caused a substantial decline of wetlands of the country.
Birds and other animals dependent on this ecosystem have started to disappear as their habitat shrinks.
The human impact on the wetland and its functioning is not confined to the site of impairment.
Draining of wetland, filling or the diversion and damming of rivers can alter the frequency of water flow, thereby harming downstream wetlands, deltas, and coastal ecosystems.
In addition, draining can cause water tables to fall and increase the potential for the salinization of soils.
Studies have shown that such disruptions of hydrological regimes are predicted to increase the severity of water shortages in at least 60 countries and to elevate the incidence of flood-related disasters within 50 years.
Attempts have been made in various nations to restore or recreate degraded wetlands, yet the complexity of their functioning makes restoration hard.
Efforts to reinstate wetlands ecosystem services and to re-establish endangered species populations have had mixed success.
Research estimates that at least 40 to 50 percent of the world's remaining coastal wetlands will be lost by 2080 to agriculture and urban sprawl.
The consequences will be more severe especially in developing countries that can not afford projects like water purification plants, recreation of the valuable services that wetlands naturally provide.
We must protect these masterpieces of nature that host a variety of flora and fauna — and sustain rural India with water.
To be contd...
A primary cause behind the loss of this giver of life is the draining or filling for human settlements and agriculture.
Draining of agricultural residue and Industrial wastes into the wetlands also took a huge toll, leading to their decline.
It was during the first half of the twentieth century that we have witnesses the maximum damage especially in the northern hemisphere.
In Asia, where around 85 percent of the wetlands of international importance are threatened, rice cultivation has overtaken 40 million hectares in the central plains of India.
Research estimates reveal that out of 58.2 million hectares of wetlands in India, 40.9 million hectares are under rice cultivation.
On the other hand alternative farming methods and fisheries have replaced many mangrove forests along the coastline and continue to pose threats.
Mangrove cover along the 4,240 km of India’s coastline are today under a severe pressure.
Rapid increase in population around the coastline is forcing many to extract more than what nature could generate.
Various practices like the shrimp farming has resulted in an excessive withdrawal of freshwater from the area increasing pollution load on water such as lime, organic wastes, pesticides and other disease causing organisms.
The rapidly expanding human population along with change in land use and commercial exploitation of watersheds areas has all caused a substantial decline of wetlands of the country.
Birds and other animals dependent on this ecosystem have started to disappear as their habitat shrinks.
The human impact on the wetland and its functioning is not confined to the site of impairment.
Draining of wetland, filling or the diversion and damming of rivers can alter the frequency of water flow, thereby harming downstream wetlands, deltas, and coastal ecosystems.
In addition, draining can cause water tables to fall and increase the potential for the salinization of soils.
Studies have shown that such disruptions of hydrological regimes are predicted to increase the severity of water shortages in at least 60 countries and to elevate the incidence of flood-related disasters within 50 years.
Attempts have been made in various nations to restore or recreate degraded wetlands, yet the complexity of their functioning makes restoration hard.
Efforts to reinstate wetlands ecosystem services and to re-establish endangered species populations have had mixed success.
Research estimates that at least 40 to 50 percent of the world's remaining coastal wetlands will be lost by 2080 to agriculture and urban sprawl.
The consequences will be more severe especially in developing countries that can not afford projects like water purification plants, recreation of the valuable services that wetlands naturally provide.
We must protect these masterpieces of nature that host a variety of flora and fauna — and sustain rural India with water.
To be contd...
Tags: earth, environment, matters, riverbank, studios, wetlands
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Comment by Yoya Vashi on October 30, 2009 at 4:02pm - hey !!! nice work... hope more ideas comin up in next issue....
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