Wetlands Disappearing

In the Mesopotamian marshlands of Iraq and western Iran, the drawdown of fresh water has increased the salinity of marshes—changing plant composition, ruining nearby cropland, and compromising the wetlands' ability to regenerate. Blowing sediment and salt now contribute to growing health problems, while pollution caused by bombs, oil spills, and the destruction of local industries and sanitation facilities further threaten communities and remaining wetlands in the region.

The situation is similar in many of the world's wetlands, many of which have shrunk or dried up in the wake of dam construction and deliberate drainage. Even the United States, a country with detailed wetland protection laws and inventories, has yet to stop wetland losses within its borders, although the net rate of loss has slowed. The lower 48 states lost an estimated 53 percent of their wetlands over the 200 years before the 1980s.

Vital Signs
Purchase a print version or electronic PDF of Vital Signs 2005.

References
"Wetlands Drying Up," in Vital Signs 2005, pp. 90-91

Links
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, http://www.ramsar.org/
United Nations Environment Programme; http://www.unep.org/