[The Source Code] A new guide for designing a wetland

Nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, and industrial waste can cause eutrophication to occur in freshwater habitats. A familiar term to many, thanks to GCSE Science classes, eutrophication is a common phenomenon during which waterbodies become excessively enriched with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate, which allow plants to grow rapidly and algae to bloom.

This process chokes streams, rivers and lakes, and the effects can also reach into the marine environment. Water becomes oxygen-depleted (H2Oh dear). The signs can be visible – mats of green and smelly algae, and dead zones, which can harm aquatic wildlife and lead to fish kills.

Wetlands are nature’s filters, removing pollutants through physical, chemical and biological processes. By doing so, they offer us a solution to some levels of nutrient pollution. And that’s not all. Wetlands are foundational to water security as they modulate the flow and storage of water during periods of flood and drought - a key component of Earth’s watery ecological network. Despite their importance, and the benefits they provide, many of these critical habitats have been lost around the globe in recent decades.