Journal of Natural Sciences Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3186 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0921 (Online) DOI: 10.7176/JNSR Vol.9, No.6, 2019 A Review on: The Importance, Distribution and Threat of Ethiopian Wetlands Feto Haji College of Natural and computational science Department of Biology Madda Walabu University, PO-box 247,Bale Robe, Ethiopia Abstract Ethiopia, like as many countries in the world, has immense wetland resources. The wetlands in Ethiopia include many forms such as lakes, swamps, marshy wetlands, peat wetlands, flood plains, high mountain lakes, natural and manmade ponds. These wetlands have been contributing for the well-being of many Ethiopians for generations and still they are contributing and this will continue for years in the future. Wetlands, according to the Ramsar Convention are defined as “areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water as, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish, or salt including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters”. In Ethiopia there are large areas of wetlands which are distributed in various parts of the country almost all altitudinal ranges from lowland (the Dallol depression) up to top of high mountains. Wetlands are of enormous socioeconomic and environmental values and attract a number of users that get benefited directly or indirectly. They are source of water, food, reed, medicinal plants and other income generating activities for the rural community.Wetlands generally classified into 3 major classes: freshwater, saltwater and manmade wetlands According to the FAO in 1984, two types of wetlands (swamps and marshes) dominate in Ethiopia and some studies show that based on scattered information, wetlands are estimated to cover about 2% of the total land mass of the country. Though wetlands in the country is poorly studied and recorded more than 40 wetlands are identified as important bird areas for the nation, and these sites support some of the endemic bird life and biodiversity of Ethiopia. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the importance, distribution and threats to wetlands of Ethiopia. Keywords: Wetland, Ramsar convention, wetland management, threat DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-6-02 Publication date :March 31 st 2019 1. Introduction Wetlands have been intricately linked with humankind throughout the ages. Evidence of rice culture dates to the earliest age of humans, long before the era of historical records About 40% of the world's population uses rice as a major staple; rice culture currently occupies about 15% of the world's wetland area. Wetlands are valued for high biological productivity; as filters, sinks, and transformers for sediments, nutrients, and pollutants; and as buffers between aquatic systems and human activities on upland areas (Donald, 1993). Wetland ecosystems as suggested by Jos et al., 2006 are a natural resource of global significance and historically, their high level of plant and animal (especially birds) diversity is perhaps the major reason why wetland protection has become a high priority. Various Authors have defined wetlands differently. However as per the Ramsar Convention (1971) wetlands are defined as ‘Areas of marsh, fen, peat land, water whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt and including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters’. According to Fish and Wildlife service (US), Wetlands are “lands transitional between a terrestrial and aquatic system where the water table is usually at or near the surface of the land or the land is covered by shallow water” (Cowardin et al ., 1979). Ethiopia is a country in the horn of Africa with an estimated area of around 1.1 million km 2.It is often referred as the Water Tower of Africa. Around 70,000 km 2 areas are covered with natural inland water bodies including rivers, lakes and associated wetlands (Ayenew, 2009). In Ethiopia these resources are distributed in almost all altitudinal ranges from the Dallol depression up to top of high mountains. However, Shewaye (2008) suggested that, their exact area coverage is not clearly known for two vital reasons. The first one is that they are not studied in detail and the second reason is their changing in size in both in dry and wet seasons (expand in wet season and shrink in dry season). However, some assessments estimate that they may cover about 2% of the land. As per the Ramsar definition, there are different types of wetlands in Ethiopia. These include among others: lakes, swamps, flood plain, natural or artificial ponds, etc. The formation of which is the result of tectonic movements, a continuous process of erosion and human activities. As FEPA’s 2003, described that, the Ethiopian wetlands render social, economic and ecological benefits. These benefits include: the provision of food, water, furniture, dry season grazing for cattle, regulation of hydrological systems, flood control, filtration of water flow and sediment trapping, reeds for thatching, crafts or 7 Journal of Natural Sciences Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3186 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0921 (Online) DOI: 10.7176/JNSR Vol.9, No.6, 2019 floor covering, provision of medicinal plants, fishery resources, permanent source for irrigation, recreation and tourist areas, phytoplankton and zooplanktons organisms as useful sources of nutrient products, cultural and ethical values, etc. According to EFAP (1989), Ethiopia, with its different geological formations and climatic conditions is endowed with considerable water resources. Wetland ecosystems, including twelve river basins, eight major lakes, many swamps, floodplains and man-made reservoirs and about 110 billion cubic meters of water runs off annually from the above sources (Leykun, 2003 & Finlayson et al ., 1999). 2. Literature Review 2.1 Importance of Wetlands Wetlands provide multiple ecosystem services such as storing and regulating water flows and water quality, providing unique habitats to flora and fauna, and regulating micro-climatic conditions (Teferi et al., 2010). As shown in (Illueca and Rast, 1996), Freshwater resources are a finite, but global consumption rates are known to increase from 2- 3% every year and Africa uses only 4% of its renewable freshwater resources because of the uneven distribution of water resources over the continent, At the same time, (UNEP, 2006) describe that, access to water is affected by its quality and much of Africa’s water may be unsuitable for consumption by its people. These regional patterns are also evident in Ethiopia, where water resources are unevenly distributed and only a quarter of its population has access to safe water and sanitation. Wetlands are said to perform “hydrological functions” to “act like a sponge “, soaking up water during wet periods and releasing it during dry periods. (Bucher et al., 1993), reports there for wetland conservation is made in terms of ecosystem functioning, which result in a wide range of values including ground water recharge and discharge, sediment stabilization and water quality. According to Nyman (2011), the wetland function includes the following details: Flood conveyance : Wetlands associated with rivers and floodplain often form natural floodways that convey floodwater from upstream to downstream sites. Protection from storm waves and erosion : Coastal wetlands and inland wetlands located adjacent to large lakes and rivers reduce the impact of storm tides and waves before they reach the uplands. Sediment control : Wetlands filter sediment from floodwaters; this function can become saturated. Habitat for fish and shellfish : Wetlands are essential spawning and nursery habitat that support commercial and personal fish and shellfish harvesting for human and animal food, especially in coastal waters, as well as for rare and endangered fish and shellfish. Habitat for water birds and other wildlife : Coastal and inland wetlands provide essential breeding, nesting, migratory, and non-breeding habitat for numerous species of waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians; some of these species are robust enough to support hunting whereas others are rare and endangered. Recreation : Wetlands are the sites for fishing, hunting, and non-consumptive use of wildlife and fish. Source of water supply : Wetlands are important in the transmission and quality of ground and surface water. Timber production : Under the proper management, forested wetlands are an important source of timber, but additional care will be needed in coastal wetland forests because of subsidence and/or sea-level rise. Preservation of historic and archaeological values : Some wetlands are of archeological interest, particularly those located near Native American settlements. Education and research : Wetlands provide significant educational opportunities for nature observation and scientific study. Open space and aesthetic value : Coastal and inland wetlands are areas of great diversity and beauty that provide open space for recreation and visual enjoyment Water quality improvement: Wetlands contribute to improving water quality by removing excess nutrients and many chemical contaminants. 2.2 Wetlands in Ethiopia As per Abebe (2008), Ethiopia is a country in North-Eastern Africa lying between 8º 00’ N and 38º 00’ E. Its area covers an estimated 1,127,000 km 2 of which some 7,444 km 2 is covered by water. Ethiopia has 5,311 km of frontiers (line between two countries) that it shares with Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. Detailed inventory of the wetland resource base of Ethiopia is not carried out yet. However, based on scattered information, wetlands are estimated to cover about 2% of the total land mass of the country. The wetlands are distributed across all agro-ecological zones of the country from high altitude alpine lakes to lowland wetlands. Except coastal wetlands, all the other wetland types are found in Ethiopia which consists of flood plains, lakes, swamps/marshes, swamp forests and human made wetlands. The widely recognized wetland types are however, swamps and marshes, which together account for about 0.16% of the country’s total area (EPA, 2004).