Wetlands in Argentina are currently threatened by the loss and degradation of their surface. Like in the rest of the world, these unique ecosystems face difficulties mainly related to human action.
They are regions of enormous biological richness, to the point that it is estimated that 40% of the world’s species live or breed in them.
Additionally, they are a crucial source of freshwater and a shield against global warming. What happens in the country.
## Wetlands in Argentina: where they are
While it is known that Argentina has a little over 21% of its surface covered by a wide variety of wetlands, there is no inventory that classifies them all.
By 2022, based on satellite images and field-collected information, a research team from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) generated a map identifying them. It also estimates the distribution and surface area of wetlands throughout Argentina.
The surface area of these ecosystems in the country is estimated to be nearly 277,000 square kilometers.
They appear in the list of knowledge, from the extensive Esteros del Iberá and the Delta del Paraná, to peatlands in the Southern Patagonia. Additionally, 23 of them are considered of international importance.
## What are wetlands and why it is urgent to protect them
Wetlands are ecosystems in which water is the main factor that controls the environment and plant and animal life. They are areas that remain flooded or with saturated soil for considerable periods of time.
Some of the wetlands that the UN includes in its list are:
– Subterranean aquifers
– Swamps
– Wet grasslands
– Oases
– Estuaries
– Deltas
– Marshes
– Mangroves and other coastal areas
Wetlands are refuges against climate change, as they capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth.
In addition to their importance for the ecological balance of the planet, they are vital for human well-being, and their impact on our quality of life ranges from water purification, flood protection, to the provision of food and raw materials.
They retain and provide most of the freshwater consumed by humans, as by naturally filtering contaminants, they provide safe drinking water.
## The pending law
Since 2013, when it received half approval in Congress, different initiatives have been presented. However, despite attempts to promote a law that protects wetlands, the project lost parliamentary status four times.
The last one generated the most debate, at the end of 2022 and in the midst of the crisis due to fires in the Delta del Paraná. It was promoted by the then legislator Leonardo Grosso and was known as the “consensual law”.
More than 500 environmental organizations, scientists, and specialists supported it, in addition to several opponents. Among several points, it included:
– The definition of wetlands
– The regulation of territories
– Planning through inventories
Although there were two opinions (one majority and one minority) and both lost parliamentary status in December of that year.
## The deterioration of wetlands: what causes it
The Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas, recently published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), highlights the need to improve the protection and restoration of wetlands, along with investments in research and monitoring.
Presented at COP29 in Baku, it provides updated maps on the global distribution of high importance wetland areas. It emphasizes the threats they face and the opportunities for their restoration and conservation.
The report warns about the degradation and sinking of these ecosystems due to drainage in the tropics for agriculture, livestock, and oil palm plantations.
The thawing of permafrost due to climate change is another key factor in their rapid degradation. It estimates that about 500,000 hectares of wetlands are destroyed every year by human activities in critical points such as East and Southeast Asia.
However, they remain mostly intact in remote regions away from international markets, within some (sub)Arctic, boreal, and tropical areas.
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