📰 Wetland News - September 23, 2024
Your latest briefing on wetland and water issues.
Wetland round-up
- Keep up-to-date with the latest wetland and water related news, research and jobs. If you’d like to receive regular updates on all things wetland, please subscribe to this newsletter.
🧾 Wetland news
The community fight to save Sri Lanka's wetlands
Colombo, Sri Lanka, is transforming its degraded wetlands into thriving ecosystems that help reduce flooding and improve urban life. Community efforts and government initiatives have revived these areas, making them popular for recreation and wildlife. Despite fantastic progress, ongoing development threatens the wetlands, highlighting the need for continued protection and awareness. Let’s hope the community action that has achieved so much already can keep going.
Iran’s wetlands facing crisis
Iran's wetlands are drying up due to extreme heat and poor water management. This environmental crisis is causing significant economic losses and damaging infrastructure across the country. A very worrying development, and highlights how important wetlands are for a country on so many levels.
‘Few signs’ of peat recovering years after blaze
Peatland in Smithills, near Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK, damaged by a wildfire six years ago, is slowly recovering, but experts say it will take around 200 years for the peat to regenerate fully. While some plants and birds are returning, the overall recovery is limited due to the extent of the damage. However, conservation efforts are underway to restore the area and protect it from future wildfires.
Water vole comeback starts with release at wetlands using Pringles pots
Over 100 water voles have been released at the Nene Wetlands Nature Reserve to help restore their population in Northamptonshire, UK. The release was part of a conservation effort, using… recycled Pringles tubes for transporting the rodents! This project aims to create a new population of water voles that can expand across the region.
UK off-track to meet peatland restoration target
Rather worryingly, the UK government’s target to restore two million hectares of climate-crucial peatland by 2040 is unlikely to be met, according to a new report published this week by the IUCN UK Peatland Programme (IUCN UK PP).
🧪 Wetland research
Wetland portrayal in modern films
Wetlands, known for their biodiversity and vital ecosystem services, are often depicted negatively in films. Historically perceived as hostile or mysterious, these ecosystems are frequently portrayed in movies as dangerous or obstacles for protagonists. In a study analyzing 163 films from 1980 onward, it was found that wetlands, especially swamps, are commonly associated with themes like death, refuge, or isolation. Despite these generally negative portrayals, wetlands are still depicted as productive, biodiverse environments. The concern is that these negative portrayals could influence public attitudes and hinder wetland conservation efforts.
The hope is this research could help raise awareness about how media impacts perceptions of nature and why promoting a positive view of wetlands is essential for their protection.
💰 Wetland jobs
Get in-touch 📢
If you’d like to get in-touch please follow Dr Christian Dunn on Twitter/X (@christiandunn) or Instagram (@ProfChristianDunn), or email c.dunn@bangor.ac.uk.
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