Water and Sanitation – Sanitation is Vital to Human Health
Episode 3: Wetlands and clean water
What are wetlands, and of what use are they
Wetlands:

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Guianas is an international non-profit environmental organization based in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. We are a Programme Office, and fall within the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) Group of the WWF International network. Our primary function is the conservation and protection of the world’s wildlife and ecosystems. WWF Guianas current four-year project focuses on six thematic areas: Sustainable Forest and Protected Areas Management, Freshwater and Wildlife Conservation and Management, Gold Mining Pollution Abatement, and finally, Education and Communication. We are, therefore, pleased to share the following information with you, especially tailored to meet the needs of primary and secondary school students as part of our series for World Water Day, 2008. (This is the third in a series of four articles.)

• are areas covered in water permanently or for long periods.

• can be natural or man-made

• can be salt or fresh water areas

• perform important functions useful to the environment and to us all.

• support a variety of plants and animals

• are the most rich and fruitful areas

• are the primary sources of water.

Guyana has many large wetland areas, including the many ponds, swamps, seasonally flooded forests, lakes and conservancies.

Remember? We live in the ‘Land of Many Waters’.

The values of wetlands in water purification and storage.

The specific values of wetlands related to water supply and purification are that they:

• receive surface runoff during rainy periods;

• remove and hold nutrients: For example, excess nitrogen and phosphorus;

• store and recycle organic wastes: Waste materials from garbage dumped in wetlands are broken up and retained by wetlands;

• reduce suspended sediments or particles: Water is sometimes full of sediments. Wetlands trap these, allowing the water to be free of sediments or clear;

• maintain stream flow during dry periods;

• store water, especially during periods of high rainfall; and

• replenish the water in the earth during very dry periods.

Did you know that the purifying and storage of water by wetlands is limited?

Yes, it is!

Did you know that wetlands are a source of clean water for all Guyanese?1. Residents of Georgetown and surrounding areas receive about 40% of their water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (a man-made wetland).

2. People collect water directly from nearby wetlands for washing, bathing, and even drinking.

The excessive amounts of waste, nutrients and sediments cannot always be removed or stored by wetlands. Eventually, in these situations, many wetlands are destroyed and thus the many values identified are also hampered.

You may wonder: Why the focus on wetlands, especially since the theme is ‘Water and Sanitation’?

Well, just think of it this way: Wetlands practise sanitation naturally by purifying the water we use. All we need do is practise sanitation also. See next week’s article.