Scientists, government and conservation groups will join the oilsands industry to address the crucial link between wetlands and biodiversity at the World Wetlands Day Symposium at Mount Royal University.
Wetlands are land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally. Inland wetlands include marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, floodplains, and swamps. Coastal wetlands include saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons and even coral reefs. Fishponds, rice paddies, and urban wetlands are human-made wetlands.
These landscapes are rich with biodiversity and are a habitat for a dense variety of plant and animal species. Latest estimates show a global decline of biodiversity, while wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.
"Wetlands are the best of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems - not too wet and not too dry," said Felix Nwaishi, PhD, assistant professor in Earth and Environmental Science at MRU. "With 40 per cent of all species living or breeding in wetlands, they're critical to wildlife diversity. "The symposium, from 8:30 to 4 p.m. at Ross Glen Hall, brings together 200 attendees including scientists, the Government of Alberta, the City of Calgary, the Alberta Energy Regulator, industry, wetland conservation groups and students to close the "divide between wetland science and policy." A report from the UN sounded the alarm on biodiversity and called for action to stop a dangerous decline in the number of different species inhabiting the earth.
Organized by MRU's Institute for Environmental Sustainability, the event is being co-hosted by Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), an alliance of oilsands producers focused on accelerating the pace of improvement in environmental performance in Canada's oilsands through collaborative action and innovation.
"COSIA is excited to co-host this event and share highlights from some of the wetlands related work our members are advancing," says Jack O'Neill, COSIA's Director for the Land Environmental Priority Area. "Wetlands are a pivotal component of the pre- and post-oilsandsoperations landscapes. Our members remain focused on finding solutions that minimize environmental impacts on wetlands and progressing wetland reclamation best practices. We currently have a number of publicly available resources available on our website (www.cosia.ca). Our project portfolio continues to evolve with additional wetland focussed projects every year."
MRU is working to become a hub for the exchange of wetlands sustainability knowledge. World Wetlands Day was held Feb. 2.