Creating healthy wetlands

Coordinator: Che Salmah Md Rawi
Email: csalmah@usm.my

Water-related diseases remain a threat to human living in wetlands especially in Asia. Diseases that are exacerbated by the degradation of inland waters include cholera, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. Filariasis and malaria are passed on by intermediate hosts such as aquatic snails or insects that breed in wetland ecosystems while diseases such as scabies and typhus occur when the water is contaminated or there is insufficient clean water. Water-borne pollutants also have a major effect on human health, often through their accumulation in the food chain. Problems arise in many countries with elevated levels of nitrates in groundwater from the large-scale use of organic and inorganic fertilizers. The presence of chemicals such as PCBs, DDT, dioxins, and some other pesticides in the water is considered harmful for humans even though the extent of harm remains uncertain. Degradation of wetlands such as damming of rivers, deforestation, and overgrazing led to a reduced absorption of excess water and magnified the impact of the floods. This session focuses on preserving healthy wetland ecosystem through conserving and using sustainably the services derived from wetlands and eliminating or reducing diseases and negative downstream consequences of wetland and water degradation. Payment mechanisms for supporting these are in need.