Wetlands

2026-03-21 - 00:46

Deputy Director/Wetlands Ecologist They feed us, protect us from storms, shape our culture, and quietly support our economy, yet they are disappearing faster than almost any other ecosystem on Earth. Wetlands, often overlooked and undervalued, are among the most powerful natural allies humanity has. On February 2, 2026, the world marked World Wetlands Day, reminding us that these landscapes of water and life are not only ecological treasures, but cultural foundations deeply woven into human history. The theme for this year, “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage,” focused on the enduring relationship between people and wetlands —a relationship that has sustained civilisations for thousands of years. First observed in 1997 and recognised as a United Nations International Day since 2022, World Wetlands Day calls on us to recognise wetlands not merely as habitats, but as living systems where nature, culture and knowledge intersect (www.ramsar.org). Wetlands include permanently or seasonally flooded freshwater environments such as rivers, marshes and swamps, as well as coastal and marine systems like estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Together, they support remarkable biodiversity and deliver ecosystem services essential for human survival. From mitigating climate change, buffering coastlines from storm surges and reducing floods, to supporting fisheries, recycling nutrients and stabilising shorelines, wetlands provide benefits that are both ecological and economic. The world’s remaining 1.4 billion hectares of wetlands generate an estimated US$7.9–39 trillion annually in benefits to people (Global Wetland Outlook, 2025). Despite this immense value, wetlands continue to be lost to development at a rate far exceeding efforts to restore or protect them. World Wetlands Day 2026 places special emphasis on the deep-rooted connections between wetlands and traditional knowledge systems. Throughout human history, wetlands have shaped settlement patterns, food production, livelihoods and belief systems. Early civilisations flourished along fertile floodplains such as the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, while wetland-based rice cultivation sustained large populations across Asia and other humid regions of the world. These long-standing interactions gave rise to sophisticated bodies of traditional ecological knowledge, insights into seasonal cycles, species behaviour and sustainable resource use, developed, refined and passed down over generations. Wetlands remain indispensable to global food systems. More than half of the world’s population depends on wetland-grown crops as dietary staples, while over one billion people rely on fish from wetlands as their primary source of protein. Approximately one in eight people worldwide earns a livelihood linked to wetlands, providing food, water, transport, tourism and recreation. In Trinidad and Tobago, wetlands support the livelihoods of crab catchers, oyster harvesters, fishers and tour guides, supporting both local economies and cultural traditions. Across the globe, wetlands are recognised as cultural landscapes embedded in identity, art and spirituality. Many communities view wetlands as sacred spaces home to ancestral spirits or sites of ceremony. Cultural expressions such as songs, festivals, dances and oral traditions often reflect wetland cycles and species. Locally, the Godineau Swamp supports cultural and religious practices that reinforce community cohesion. Recreational use of the Caroni Swamp, Nariva Swamp and Bon Accord Lagoon fosters social interaction across generations. Wetlands have influenced our food, music, art and education, from crab and callaloo, curry crab and dumpling in Tobago, to Peter Minshall’s iconic Mancrab costume, and the enduring imagery of birds in the Caroni Swamp (Juman et al 2021). These ecosystems also serve as informal classrooms, where elders pass ecological knowledge to younger generations. Key Messages from World Wetlands Day 2026 The Ramsar Convention emphasised three core messages this year: 1. Wetlands are essential ecosystems that sustain biodiversity while serving as cradles of cultural heritage and living traditions, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. 2. Integrating traditional knowledge into conservation strengthens wetland protection and promotes inclusive, community-based approaches grounded in long-standing ecological wisdom. 3. Wetland degradation undermines human well-being, erodes traditional knowledge systems and threatens cultural heritage, underscoring the urgent need for scaled-up conservation action. A shared responsibility The Institute of Marine Affairs remains committed to working with communities to conserve and where necessary, restore Trinidad and Tobago’s wetlands. Protecting these ecosystems safeguards not only their ecological services, but also the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge that have sustained them for generations. Wetlands are more than landscapes of water and wildlife. They are sacred, life-sustaining systems a timeless legacy, and ours to protect.