Abstract
Natural wetlands in Africa continue to decline in surface area and water quality. Still, there is scant information about the nature and causes of the decline, despite African countries’ increasing efforts to sustainably manage the wetlands. African countries have embarked on efforts to promote sustainable pathways to balance the development of wetlands for sustaining livelihoods with conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services, such as improvement of water quality and biodiversity. However, there is still inadequate information about the application of wetlands in remediation and the threats to wetlands under the pressures of changes in climate and population. This chapter reviews the status of Wetlands in Africa and their potential use in remediation to highlight emerging opportunities for sustainable management of ecosystems and uncovers the gaps and challenges that may deter proper implementation and application of wetlands for remediation of environmental problems in Africa. We recommend that constructed wetlands be integrated into management plans for conservation of both soil and water resources of watersheds and as parts of major restoration projects in Africa.
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Donde, O.O., Otieno, A.O., Muia, A.W. (2023). Wetlands for Remediation in Africa: Threats and Opportunities. In: Lobato de Magalhães, T., Otte, M.L. (eds) Wetlands for Remediation in the Tropics. Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management, vol 9. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23665-5_10
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