SHRINKING WETLANDS INFOGRAPHIC

Wetlands are the most productive type of ecosystems in the world that provide food, agricultural production, fisheries, water quality maintenance and recreation. Furthermore, they vitally serve as one of the key life support systems on Earth, acting to purify water, control floods, replenish groundwater and recycle nutrients. These waters support biological productivity and serve as habitats for a wide diversity of species. All these benefits or services that wetland ecosystems provide are essential for people's livelihoods, particularly in developing countries like India. Still, even given all these well-documented benefits, wetlands are consistently being destroyed, devastated, contaminated and converted to other types of land at a rate more rapid than any other ecosystem. Moreover, ecosystem services provided by wetlands are not being adequately advertised in commercial markets and as a result, are not adequately valued as part of development decisions in India.