Australia has over 66 notable wetlands which cover over 8.3 million hectares of land, as reported by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
From the Apsley Marshes (Tasmania) through to the waterways of Kakadu National Park (Northern Territory), Australia’s natural wetlands are cornerstones of our natural environment.
Our natural wetlands are a haven for plants and animals. These environments are essential to maintaining biodiversity, ecological health, and they help our environment by purifying and filtering pollutants from connected waterways and groundwater bodies.
This year, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of these environments throughout World Wetlands Day 2023 – which is calling on all of us to restore and revive our degraded wetlands. We can all raise awareness for our natural wetlands, restore the function of urban waterways, and preserve the environmental benefits associated with these systems.
Protecting the Future of Our Wetlands
Protecting our wetlands is imperative to a healthier environment and sustainable cities. At SPEL Stormwater, this aligns with our core values of preserving and sustaining Joy in Water – and our advocacy work through our sponsorship of Stormwater Shepherds.
The disappearance of our natural wetlands areas is particularly noticeable in urban areas, which are heavily impacted by development density. Blue-green infrastructure offers a way of connecting the missing pieces of this puzzle, and providing wetlands solutions for our cities and urban spaces.
Floating wetlands are an example of this infrastructure. This stormwater treatment technology mimics and restores our wetlands areas – with floating islands that are planted with reed beds and pollution removing plants.
Floating wetlands are designed to provide a sustainable approach to rebuilding our wetlands habitats – and help to remove pollutants, reduce algal grown and promote healthier waterways. This novel engineering infrastructure gives the ability to locally retrofit wetlands and provide many of the benefits and environmental qualities of natural systems.
