Programs such as Revive focus on self-help initiatives that leave an enduring legacy for the environment and the community. Revive will provide people in our communities with the skills to care for their local environment beyond BHP and Conservation Volunteers Australia's support. Wetlands are among the most important life support systems on earth. They are vital for our ecological sustainability. Wetlands occur in many forms and come under many names.
Wetlands provide critical habitat for waterbirds, fish, amphibians and hundreds of plant species.
They also serve vital ecological, social and economic functions such as filtering pollutants from the water supply, curbing flooding and controlling erosion. About the Problem Since European settlement in Australia, it is estimated that more than half of our wetlands have been destroyed. Those wetlands that remain are some of our most threatened natural areas. If we allow the degradation of our wetlands resources to continue, water quality will continue to decline, species will disappear forever, our economy will suffer and our way of life will decline. The Commonwealth Government and other environment organisations have completed research projects and studies on the state of our wetlands but there is still a desperate need for practical and financial resources to activate rehabilitation plans on a national scale.