Technically wetlands are defined as areas of land where the soil is covered by salt water, freshwater, or a mixture of both all year or just at certain times of the year.

Wetlands may be classified according to their location (near the sea or the shore), vegetation they have (for example, saltwater swap or freshwater swap), and their hydrological regime (for example, lacustrine wetlands  are wetlands associated with swap, such as pet swamp).

The shapes of wetlands can be differentiated from other natural ecosystems by looking at the types of bodies of water and plants occupying the wetlands areas.

Among the biggest wetlands in the world are the Amazon River Basin in Brazil, South America; the Congo Basin in Africa; and Mekong Basin in Vietnam, Southeast Asia. Examples of the main wetlands in Malaysia are Chini Lake and Bera Lake in Pahang; Kinabtangan Basin in Sabah; the Wetland National Park in Kuching, Sarawak; Tanjung Piai in Johor, and Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu.

The interconnectedness of land and water at wetlands makes it possible for them to provide services to human and the environment in three main scopes, namely ecology, economy, and social, with each scope closely related to the others.

Ecologically wetlands become the stores of the world’s carbon, which has an impact of the world’s environmental balance. From the aspect climate change, the carbon stock at wetlands plays a critical role in controlling the world’s climate to make it stable and balanced through carbon cycling. Excess carbon will harm the environment, so the carbon stock should not be released for it will cause an imbalance in the world’s carbon and disturb green house gases (for example, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor) that control the earth’s temperature. An increase in the earth’s temperature will create climate change implications feared by the world currently.

Wetlands impound lots of water and therefore help control flood and hydrology in the areas. They also help store clean water necessary for the wellbeing and survival of humans.

Wetlands support large biological diversity and flora and fauna, some of which also become economic sources for the people. Freshwater fish and seafood become sources of food and maybe commercialised for some incomes that facilitate the survival of the local communities. Fishermen depend on the fisheries resources. Healthy ecosystems and clean water at sea swamp areas ensure the health of marine lives. There are many more examples of the interconnectedness of wetland and shore ecosystems and implications to humans that can be discovered.

The relationship between wetlands, the environmental balance, and human life sustainability is a complex phenomenon, and requires people to understand it first before they can appreciate wetlands’ existence.

The destruction of wetlands due to human activities, such as rapid use of soil and uncontrolled physical developments, is worrying as it can lead to big impacts on the environmental balance and natural ecosystems.

The public need to be exposed to the roles and importance of wetlands. To do this, activities and programmes to create awareness of the role of wetlands and the importance of conservation need to be implemented from time to time. Higher learning institutions, particularly Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, have a big role to play in raising the awareness among the local communities.

The presence of the Natural Research Station at Setiu Wetlands has further stimulated research activities at the area. Research findings by UMT academics and researchers have been shared with the local communities through various knowledge transfer activities.

High awareness of the role and importance of wetlands may help save the planet or at least slow down the climate change.

On 2 February 2024, let’s celebrate this year’s World Wetlands Day, which carries the theme of “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing.”

By:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jamilah Mohd Salim @ Halim
Senior Lecturer/Research Fellow
Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (Bio-D Tropika)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)