Significance of Urban Wetlands

Wetland areas are becoming increasingly important as they serve both as a natural filter for wastewater and as a valuable resource for managing the rising demand for water. Their significance is expected to continue to grow

Wetland areas are essential for a more sustainable and environmental-friendly future in metropolitan cities.It is now assumed that more than half of the world’s population – or more than four billion people – permanently resides in a city or other form of metropolitan area. This is a first in the annals of human history and deserves to be recognised as such. The pattern has been picking up steam over the course of the past several decades, and at the present time, the urban population of the world is growing by approximately 2.4 per cent every year.

Due to the fact that by the year 2050, two-third of the world’s population will have moved to urban regions, there will be an increased demand for goods and services to satisfy the requirements of this expanding urban population. The population density of cities all over the world will increase.

Cities are the primary contributors to the global economy, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the total economic activity at the present time. This percentage is expected to continue to grow over the next few decades due to the proliferation of the metropolitan population, which will lead to a greater demand for additional housing space. Hence, the achievement of success in integrated urban planning and the management of water resources is becoming an increasingly crucial goal.

Finding a way to keep a healthy balance between the increase in a city’s population, footprint and prosperity without causing permanent damage to the natural environment is one of the most essential challenges to tackle.

Importance of wetlands

Rapid urbanisation, particularly in countries with low and middle incomes, brings with it a plethora of challenges, one of the most significant of which is the management of water resources. This is especially true in nations that are still developing. As people’s lifestyles change, there is a corresponding rise in the demand for water. Human consumption, agricultural use, and the production of energy are all competing for the same limited supply of water, which is driving demand to a point where it can no longer be met in a sustainable manner. Thus, wetland areas are becoming increasingly important as they serve both as a natural filter for wastewater and as a valuable resource for managing the rising demand for water. Their significance is expected to continue to grow.

As a direct result of the rise in demand for real estate, wetlands are frequently subjected to drainage, filling, and construction as city limits continue to be extended. The value of wetland areas cannot be overstated. They store floodwaters, provide habitats for fish and wildlife, safeguard and improve the quality of the water, and maintain the flow of surface water during dry or drought seasons.

There are several important ways in which urban wetlands contribute to the liveability of cities, and one of those ways is by providing habitat for wildlife. In addition to lowering the risk of flooding, they provide a source of income, replenish drinking water supplies, filter garbage, and provide urban green spaces.

In order for a city to have a future that is both sustainable and liveable, the planning and development of urban wetland regions should be considered in the process.

Treatment of wastewater

There are 2.4 billion people who live in conditions that prevent them from having access to even the most basic forms of sanitation. The wastewater from another 2.1 billion people is discharged directly into surface waters such as rivers, lakes, and wetland areas. This is called direct discharge. The hazardous handling of feculent waste and wastewater continues to constitute a substantial threat to human and environmental health, despite improvements over the last few decades. This is especially true in developing countries.

The treatment of wastewater can make use of a large variety of naturally existing remediation solutions, which can be found in a wide variety of formats. Wetlands act as natural filters, helping to remove pollutants from wastewater such as bacteria, heavy metals, pesticides, and excessive amounts of nutrients. Constructed wetlands, which are often developed as a component of the wastewater treatment infrastructure by municipal utilities, are capable of achieving the same results as natural wetlands.

When natural or artificial wetlands are used to help treat wastewater, the careful management of both types of wetlands can result in additional benefits. There is no difference in the availability of these benefits depending on whether the wetland has been formed by nature or by humans. The benefits include the establishment of a verdant sanctuary in the heart of the city, the creation of opportunities for pleasure and employment, the decrease of urban heat islands, and the establishment of a habitat for a wide variety of different animal species. Additionally, sanitation strategies that actively incorporate natural processes, such as constructed wetlands, have the potential to generate a sizeable profit for local communities through the provision of biomass and aquaculture. This profit can be used for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to reducing the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides. These tactics hold the possibility of becoming an efficient instrument in the fight against the recurrent cycle of poverty. This income has the potential to be a useful resource that can be utilised in aquaculture.

One of the things that a working group should be concentrating on is sanitation for and by nature. The working group should conduct research into the ways in which naturally occurring solutions, such as wetlands, might be included in the treatment of wastewater in a manner that is beneficial not only to the health of humans but also to the health of the ecosystem as a whole. This research should focus on the ways in which these naturally occurring solutions might be incorporated.

The working group should undergo the process of generating evidence-based recommendations that evaluate both the technical feasibility and the practicability of deploying effective nature-based sanitation solutions, such as wetlands, in a variety of different local and cultural contexts. These recommendations will be used to evaluate both the technical feasibility and the practicability of deploying effective nature-based sanitation solutions. These recommendations will serve as a roadmap for the research that comes after them. The document’s objective is to help sanitation service providers and government agencies build wastewater treatment facilities that minimise negative impacts on ecosystems and maximise positive outcomes for human health. This guidance will explain how ecosystems can be integrated in a way that is good for both human health and the environment.