Literally a wet land - anywhere water meets land and the two mix. 6 good reasons Wetlands probably affect our daily lives more than any other habitat, from purifying our drinking water to helping process the pollutants we produce.
Wetlands are also the most vulnerable of our country's habitats.
About 2,000km3 are available to mankind at any time. Wetlands act 'like a giant sponge', storing the water until we need it. The rice that sustains half the world's population and two-thirds the world's population of fish and shellfish comes from wetlands. We pump sewage, slurry and excess fertilisers into them. This causes oxygen loss in the water, suffocating aquatic plants and animals.