Miami (USA.)(UU.), 19 nov (EFE).-the Everglades, the largest wetland in United States, face environmental restoration project more expensive in history with the challenge of avoiding two threats, human pressure and climate change, and save a natural sanctuary of which depends on water to drink 7 million people.
The society of environmental journalists (EYW) just celebrated in Miami its annual Congress focused on knowing the controversies of the recovery plan of this National Park, which extends from Lake Okeechobee to the South of the peninsula of Florida.
The Everglades represent the largest subtropical wetlands of the northern hemisphere, while urban development and other human activities has been limited to 20% of its original size.
Their flooded fields and forests of mangroves (red, black and white) are guarantors of Florida available fresh water, as well as the conservation of unique ecosystems, climatic combination Caribbean and North American, and vital for migratory birds and species at risk like the puma of Florida.
The growth of the population of Florida and infrastructure led to the American Congress to declare the Everglades National Park in 1947; to expand the protected area to the 6,000 square kilometers in 1989; and to approve the environmental restoration plan more expensive in the history in the year 2000: 20 billion dollars to 69 projects run in 30 years.
The “River of grass” has the higher titles of international safeguard: biosphere reserve, world heritage and international importance Ramsar.
They are the same statements that has a Spanish, wetland Doñana “of similar value and identical threats”, underlined Robert Johnson, director of resources natural of the South of Florida.
“As in Doñana, the only recourse of the Everglades is the water that stores rainwater;” “and the great problem, also coincidental, is to the only wetland arriving between 20 and 30 per cent of the water that should be” notes Johnson.
Where is that 70-80% that does not flow from Lake Okeechobee to the South is? A network of 2,500 kilometres of canals and levees, and 125 structures for the control of the water absorb her for human consumption and, above all, for the sugar plantations and 7 production plants energy from the environment.
“Sometimes the structures that control the flow of water remain closed and the water does not reach down to ecosystems;” “and in others, there are flooding them and polluting them with all kinds of nutrients from agriculture,” says Dawn Shirreffs, Manager of the program of restoration of the Everglades.
This fact makes the key to the regeneration of the Everglades in water, “and that means three things: store during the wet season;” “clean it and remove the barriers that prevent the water to flow from North to South,” summarizes Shirreffs.
These three functions in lathe that is articulated today tens of restoration projects being undertaken by the federal and State Governments, in collaboration with scientists and NGOs, “made them the wetland in own way, but the barriers and pollution prevent this natural process, notes Stephen Davis, spokesman of the Everglades Foundation.
These threats have joined the consequences of climate change, especially the rise in the level of the sea-25 centimetres in the last 50 years-, which has flooded salt water wetlands and aquifers of the Everglades.
The forecasts point to a rise in the level of the sea from 46 to 64 centimeters over the next hundred years, and scientists agree that the only solution “is to restore the flow of freshwater”.
Actions to achieve this include the purchase of land to sugar factories; agreements with farmers so that the water is clean in his own estates and her back refined; or the elevation of almost 18 kilometres of the highway that crosses the wetland: Tamiami (joins the cities of Tampa and Miami).
Environmentalists reported, however, that “East the restoration effort is contradicted by sugar industry subsidies;” the free transfer of water to the electric companies; “or the little effort to United States to stop climate change”.
Point then is an investment in the restoration? The Everglades have so many people and institutions working against him in his favour; and latter certainly them save this wetland “is a test” not just for United States but for the humanity.
Photograph taken in November 2007 which saw a gap in the Everglades National Park, in Florida (es.)(UU.). EFE/file
