The ecological importance of wetlands as wildlife habitats is attributed to the high biodiversity and productivity
they maintain, and to the fact that they support globally threatened bird species. Humanity has also benefited from
the multiple functions of wetlands, using them as a source of food, water and fuel. However, in an effort to combat
malaria as well as extending arable land, drainage has been the commonest management practice until the 1980s.
Wetlands are being lost faster than any other ecosystem, despite the major restoration efforts that have begun in the
recent decades