Wetland Conservation

-Shiven Kanodia 9N

Wetlands are important landscape features that provide numerous beneficial services to people as
well as fish and wildlife. Some of these services and functions include protecting and improving water
quality, providing habitat for fish and wildlife, storing floodwaters, and maintaining surface water
flow during dry periods. These valuable functions are the result of the unique natural characteristics
of wetlands. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to
rainforests and coral reefs. An immense diversity of microbial, plant, insect, amphibian, reptile, bird,
fish and mammal species can be part of a wetland ecosystem. The climate, the shape of the
landscape (topology), the geology and the movement and abundance of water help determine the
plants and animals that inhabit each wetland. In India, many measures are promoted and followed
to protect these habitats. Countries around the world like New Zealand and the US have ex cellent
conservation measures in place. If we join hands, we will be able to protect and conserve this
biodiverse ecosystem, which is beneficial for the animals living in it as well as for us humans.