Sustaining Wetlands to Mitigate Disasters and Protect People

Joanna Endter-Wada and Karin Kettenring contributed a guest editorial to the October edition of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment on the value of wetlands to mitigate weather catastrophes.  

These Utah State University researchers from the S. J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources teamed with Ariana Sutton-Grier to catalogue societal costs from recent hurricanes and typhoons. They document that wetlands also recharge groundwater, decrease flooding risks and delay the onset of drought.  Recent destruction and degradation of wetlands dramatically increased costs to society at large.  

The authors promote innovation in policy to ensure that society fully benefits from the resilience that wetlands provide. They advocate for enhanced investment in wetland protection and creation to protect people from future disasters.