The time to conserve and protect marshes,
swamps, mangroves and other wetlands is now. Wetlands contains
plants and animals adapted to aquatic and wet habitats. Some
species found in wetlands are endemic to these ecosystems and
are valuable in their own right.
Natural processes purify wetland water. This
is the reason wetlands are used to rid waste water of
undesirable excess organic chemical compounds and
disease-producing microbes.
The wetlands have a cooling effect on the
whole ecosystem and adjacent areas through the evaporation of
water into the atmosphere. This counters the heating effect of
carbon dioxide.
The fast-growing plant components of wetlands
convert carbon dioxide into organic matter and oxygen through
photosynthesis, sequestering carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wetlands minimize the effects of
unpredictable and extreme rainfall patterns expected at this
time.
They store excess water and prevent
disastrous floods during the raining periods and make this
water available for human purposes during periods of drought.
Wetlands serve to stabilize the environment,
preventing extreme conditions of flooding and drought.
Freshwater wetlands often continue seaward as
mangrove swamps. Mangroves are important fishery areas,
serving to produce or nurse many important food species. Too
many people do not realize these important functions, and have
cut down mangroves for other purposes. Now mangroves have an
additional function: protection against storm surges and
tsunamis.
Two large areas of wetlands in the country
are the Ligawasan Marsh and the Agusan Marsh, all on the
island of Mindanao. Under the mandate of the Ramsar
Convention, of which the Philippine government is a signer, we
must protect and manage wetlands. But much remains to be done.
Many coastal cities and towns in the country
have wetlands. Local governments should now make the effort to
conserve them. This is one activity open to cities,
municipalities and barangays to contribute to the mitigation
of the undesirable effects of climate change.
Thus far only few coastal municipalities and
cities have responded to the call for the management and
protection of wetlands. Worse still, these wetlands are
invaded by people who destroy the vegetation to build their
houses. An example is the Banilad wetland of Dumaguete City,
Negros Oriental province, which thus far has not been given
attention by the local government. Some years ago, a friend
and Dumagueteño, Dr. Efren Flores, a fishery expert from the
University of the Philippines (Visayas) proposed a management
project for the Banilad wetland.
He tried to sell his idea of management to
the government of the city of Dumaguete, but he got
nowhere.
Now, it becomes obvious that Dr. Flores was
right. The protection and management of this wetland can go a
long way to mitigate the undesirable effects of climate change
on southeastern Negros Island. Somebody or an organization
needs to revisit the proposal of Dr.
Flores.
