Bambang Parlupi, The Jakarta Post, Contributor

What would the world be, once bereft, Of wet and wilderness? Let them be left. (Inversnaid, Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

Wetlands, where earth and water meet, are as old as the planet itself. Home to some of the world's richest forms of bio-diversity, they can be found anywhere from tropical to snow-covered areas.

Wetlands are also rich in natural beauty, providing inspiration for generations of artists, adventurers, and wildlife enthusiasts. They are often likened to a "stage" where fowl, reptiles, mammals, rare flora and a wide variety of exotic underwater creatures display their charm for all to see.

Feb. 2 is World Wetland Day, marking the anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention, which laid down the framework for international cooperation in wetlands conservation.

First held in 1971 the city of Ramsar, Iran, the convention defined wetlands as permanent or temporary areas with swamp, peatlands, and natural -- as well as artificial -- stretches of fresh, brackish or salty waters, and sea waters no deeper than six meters at low tide.

Covered within this definition are coral reefs and (fantasy fields???) in sandy areas, muddy areas, mangrove forests, rivers, freshwater swamps, swampy forests, as well as salty swamps and lakes.

By December 1994, over 80 countries had become partners to the convention.

A stipulation of this convention is that every Ramsar partner must appoint a wetland area of international significance to be included on a list called Ramsar Locations. Today, there are more than 718 wetland spots included on this list which covers, in all, about 43.8 million hectares of wetland habitat.

With wetland areas making up 21 percent of its land, Indonesia has the most extensive wetland areas in Asia. In 1992, Indonesia ratified the Ramsar Convention and, two years later, the National Wetlands Committee was set up.

"There are about 34 million hectares of wetlands across the Indonesian archipelago," said Dibjo Sartono, program director for Wetlands International-Indonesian Program. He said that some of these wetland areas, just like other natural resources, were not in optimal condition.

They are "full of uncertainties," he added.

He said that when people find themselves under economic pressure, they often exploit wetland areas by converting them for things like development. The ecosystem of Indonesia's wetlands, needless to say, have suffered the results.

Jakarta provides many examples of this.

The city used to be home to hundreds of swamps, "situ", in the local language. Today, however, there are but a few dozen left.

Places once known for their swamps, such as Rawamangun, Rawa Belong and Rawa Terate, have been converted into densely-populated residential areas.

In Kalimantan, millions of hectares of peat swamps have been converted into resettlement areas for trasmigrants. And in the coastal areas of Sumatra, the establishment of fish-breeding ponds has destroyed much of the ecosystem of mangrove forests.

Water resources

Wetlands make crucial contributions to human lives.

They are a source of clean water, foodstuffs, fuels, medicines, and building materials.

"The most important function of wetland areas is to serve as a source of life, as they supply water reserves abundantly," Dibjo said. Wetlands are also useful to prevent seawater from permeating the ground surface.

If wetlands are reduced in area or disappear -- especially if they are simply converted for other purposes -- the consequences are often be felt by all living creatures. During the wet season there will no longer be places to accommodate overflowing water, which may lead to flooding.

Wetland ecosystems are subject to a variety of threats.

For one thing, they can be adversely affected by sources of pollution, or tropical rainforest damage.

Destruction of the rainforest will affect the quality of a spring. If wetlands are to be conserved, the awareness of the community must first be enhanced. Community members are advised to make use of and collect natural resources in a wise and sustainable manner.

"The simplest thing you can do is to make water traps in our surroundings. These holes are expected to catch rainwater and then help it dissipate into the ground," Dibyo said.

The construction of expensive dams will not promote the maintenance of a healthy and natural ecosystem. When conservation is introduced for the remaining wetland areas, efforts can be made to ensure that they fulfill their function as water sources.

The construction of houses, transportation and other important entities, can continue as normal without having to abolish wetland areas.

All countries must learn that damaging or destroying wetland areas will have serious repercussions.