THE USEFULNESS OF WETLANDS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR DEGRADATION
BY GABRIEL ADUKPO
WETLANDS are land areas saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. The initial impression is that wetlands are plots lying idle and of no use unless they are drained, filled in, and repurposed for housing, agriculture, or industry. It is not surprising that as much as 35 percent of wetlands on Earth have disappeared since 1970.
Wetlands are found in both coastal and inland areas. Coastland wetlands include saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, and lagoons. On the other hand, floodplains, swamps, rivers, lakes, and ponds are some of the inland wetlands. Human constructions such as fish ponds, lowland rice fields, and salt pans are also considered wetlands. Their sizes vary from less than a hectare to several hectares.
If the description is anything to go by, then we have a countless number of wetlands in Ghana. Yet we tend to associate wetlands with only areas serving as a stopover for migratory birds. Indeed, some are classified as wetlands of international importance and registered as Ramsar Sites, and therefore protected according to the multilateral Ramsar Convention.
Ghana currently has six Ramsar sites with a total surface area of over 170,000 (one hundred and seventy thousand) hectares. These are Keta Lagoon Complex in the Volta Region; Sakumono, Songor, and Densu Delta in Greater Accra; Muni-Pomadze in the Central Region; and Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary in Ashanti.
Wetlands provide many environmental functions, as well as livelihoods to many people. They are natural spill basins in times of flooding, and they filter and recharge the underground water. They ensure biodiversity, protect our coastlines, and mitigate climate change. Wetlands also guarantee food supply to indigenous people as sites for fishing and aquaculture, thereby providing human nutritional needs. In addition, wetlands are known to purify and filter pollutants such as pesticides and mining and industrial waste, thus preventing those hazardous substances from continuing downstream.
Despite the usefulness of wetlands, the areas continue to be under threat. A fundamental question is: how can we keep a resilient wetland ecosystem that provides for human well-being, and continue to sustain biodiversity and many other wetland services?
Ghana is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Since the convention came into force in 1988, Ghana has followed international best practices in wetland planning and management. A legal framework is in place, and the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission has been vested with Ramsar Administrative Authority. Strategies and actions are geared towards wise use and long-term sustainability, wetland rehabilitation, and restoration, among others.
Despite these efforts, our Ramsar sites remain vulnerable to natural and human intrusion and disturbances. The wetlands have to contend with climate change, invasive weeds, pollution, and many forms of human encroachment.
About a year ago, the Sakumono Ramsar Site was in the news as having experienced illegal activities such as sand winning, dumping of solid waste, removal of boundary pillars and trees, as well as illegal structures. Sakumono is not alone in this predicament. If Ramsar Sites are under threat, one can imagine what happens to other wetlands in unprotected areas.
The degradation of our wetlands has dire consequences for the communities around them and the entire nation. As a matter of course, all the benefits derived from wetlands are under siege. Specifically, traditional wetland livelihoods are suffering. Flooding has become exacerbated as the water-soaking mechanism of wetlands is being lost. Many known species of fish, other animals, and medicinal plants that inhabit wetlands are being displaced. We could also lose revenue from tourism as fewer bird watchers would visit the country.
To address the situation, some actions need to be taken. What immediately comes to mind is strict law enforcement followed by prosecution of offenders. Then there should be education and awareness creation for people to understand and appreciate the value of wetlands. Environmental activists and other civil society organizations should champion that course. The Wildlife Division and its collaborating agencies also have a big role to play in facilitating consultative and participatory processes to safeguard our wetlands.
Perhaps the biggest responsibility of protecting wetlands lies with the communities and citizens around these environmentally fragile sites. The communities should understand that they depend on the water bodies for fishing, washing, and irrigation. They should apply very little fertilizer and pesticides, if at all when farming around the areas and always use biodegradable packing cases. Citizens should organize and participate in clean-ups at Ramsar Sites and, more importantly, report illegal activities to the relevant authorities.
These and other measures would go a long way to disabuse the people’s mind that wetlands are wastelands. It is a fact that wetlands are not wastelands.
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Contributed by: Gabriel Adukpo, Freelance Writer, Koforidua, Eastern Region Email: gyaduk@gmail.com
