Topic: 2025-Conserving Wetlands
Country: Libya
Delegate Name: Ellora Natarajan
Wetlands are some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, and account for the habitat and life of millions of species. According to the World Wildlife Fund, a wetland is, “a place in which the land is covered by water—salt, fresh, or somewhere in between—either seasonally or permanently. It functions as its own distinct ecosystem”. Libya is home to two large, prominent wetlands that preserve biodiversity in the country: Ain Elzarga and Ain Elshakika.
Ain Elzarga is a national park in Libya. It has at least one natural connection to the sea, and is wet all year round. Water levels and salinity levels increase during the summer. The wetland contains mudflats and salt marshes, and is surrounded by dunes and rocky hills. It is one of the most important wetlands in the area for migratory waterbirds. Due to hunting and gradual destruction of vegetation, the wetland is in danger.
Ain Elshakika thrives, as an important wetland for migratory and resident waterbirds. Another national park, this is a hypersaline coastal wetland with limestone rock formations and dunes and mudflats with shrubs. There are two connections to the sea, and at a high tide sea water reaches the wetland during the winter and raises the water level to about one metre. However, freshwater springs decrease the salinity. Similarly to Ain Elzarga, Ain Elshakika is an important wetland for migratory and resident waterbirds.
However, due to overconsumption, mismanagement, and negligence, the state of water has become a national crisis. Due to coastal cities’ discharge of wastewater directly into the sea, marine life has been gravely threatened, and the environment as a whole. As a part of efforts to conserve wetlands in Libya, there are calls for a project on the conservation and restoration of wetlands and freshwater ecosystems in Libya. Libya is also a part of the Ramsar Convention, an organisation that aims to protect and conserve wetlands internationally, further showing its commitment and dedication to the conservation of wetlands.
Sources:
“The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands” (https://www.ramsar.org/country-profile/libya)
“Terms of references : Call for consultancy to Develop concept note of a project on the conservation and restoration of wetlands and freshwater ecosystems in Libya” (https://www.wwf.tn/?51345/Terms-of-references—Call-for-consultancy-to-Develop-concept-note-of-a-project-on-the-conservation-and-restoration-of-wetlands-and-freshwater-ecosystems-in-Libya)
A Survey of Libya’s Environmental Challenges (https://mp.luiss.it/archives/a-survey-of-libyas-environmental-challenges/)
