Wetlands are soggy bits of land. Literally, 'wet-lands'.
We built our cities on them because they gave us water and washed away our waste. But our cities got bigger so we often simply filled them in and built over them.
It actually caused us a lot of problems. The wetlands had given our rivers somewhere to spill into when they flooded. They'd absorbed pollution and turned the nutrients into wildlife, which in turn gave us food and lush, beautiful surroundings.
But though we’ve lost almost all of these wetlands, unlike rainforests or ancient forests our wetlands can be recreated if only we can find a bit of space for them in our cities.
Prince of Wales Community Wetlands, Enfield
In the UK
WWT’s wetland centres in London (main picture), Washington (Tyne & Wear) and Llanelli in West Wales are all examples of human made wetlands in urban areas. Each provides a haven for people and wildlife alike.
You can visit our wetland centres, and we also come to you. We’re helping communities around the country restore or create wetlands.
Just like this one in Enfield (pictured right )where local schoolchildren have helped us design and build a new wetland open space for people to relax, and to filter-clean water going into the local river.
Globally
WWT is at the forefront of improving city dwellers' lives, by creating watery natural spaces that are mentally and physically good for us to be around. At the same time these spaces help to manage our water, so they create great value. In the UK it’s estimated that they return £9 of benefits for every £1 spent. Abroad, the benefits are potentially even bigger.
Among WWT’s global presence this World Wetlands Day:
Globally, WWT is often represented by its two subsidiaries - WWT Consulting which undertakes commercial wetland conservation projects and Wetland Link International which is an association for international wetland visitor centres.
Wherever you are, more and more of us are living in cities. We mustn’t forget that, beneath the concrete, the natural landscape still exists and where we can find space for water and nature to survive on the surface, wetlands will help make our cities liveable.