February 2nd is World Wetlands (湿地) Day. Its purpose is to draw people’s attention to the importance of wetlands for our planet. A wetland is an area where the land is covered by water most of the time. They form when water builds up because it can’t run away. This water can come from rainfall, or from lakes, rivers or the sea. There are many kinds of wetlands, which can be very large in area or be as small as a garden pool. Wetlands are found all over the world but they need protection.

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Wetlands are home to 40% of the world’s plant and animal species (物种).Not only are they important for wildlife, but they also help to slow down climate (气候) change and protect areas from bad weather. More than 1,000 million people all over the world depend on wetlands for their living. Businesses such as fishing, rice farming and tourism provide jobs for local communities. Besides, food grown in wetlands feeds more than half of the world’s people.

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Since 1970, more than a third of the world’s wetlands have disappeared. More and more people worry about this issue. One of the biggest troubles to wetlands is development of the land to be used for building homes, factories or farms. This makes wetlands become smaller, so it’s more difficult for certain wildlife to live there. Another trouble is the plants and animals from somewhere else. They harm their new environment because they grow quickly and push out others.

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Luckily, as a growing number of people pay attention to environmental protection, laws have been passed to make sure wetlands can be protected. In 1971, a group of countries signed an agreement called the Convention on Wetlands (《湿地公约》), which suggested many methods to protect wetlands and use them in an environmentally friendly way.

Wetlands are so valuable to our planet that they are well worth protecting. Remember: To protect wetlands is to protect ourselves.