Conservation Volunteer: Reasons why wetlands matter

Wetlands are essential for the environment, and they are at risk. Did you know that the protection of wetlands is considered an urgent action to save our planet?

Wetlands are essential ecosystems for sustainable development because they maintain environmental balance and naturally regulate the water cycle. In Voluns, we want to contribute to the protection of these areas, so we dedicate one of our volunteer programs to the conservation of The Albufera Natural Park and other wetlands in the area of Valencia.

Wetland areas are a natural solution against global warming and environmental disasters. All types of wetlands, whether continental or coastal, contribute in some way to human well-being. The recent UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 25) talked a lot about Sustainable Development Goals, however, again there are no binding measures obliging governments to commit to the environment.

However, as we reach the end of 2019 much still remains to be done. The president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Zhang Xinsheng, has claimed before the plenary of the XXV Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (IUCN), the inclusion of more ambitious, concrete and quantifiable targets on nature-based solutions.

Wetlands are the most productive ecosystems, but most exposed to the effects of drastic climate change and in such a short time. In addition, these are constantly threatened by the constant contamination of human activity.

This type of natural areas in inland areas avoid many floods, because when it rains too much have the capacity to quickly absorb large amounts of water. In the coastal environment, seagrasses absorb large amounts of carbon. They have a natural and essential regulatory function to maintain the natural balance of many areas.

Conservation Volunteer Program in Valencia

The Albufera Natural Park is an example of a wetland under great pressure, for which we saw it necessary to open a specific international volunteer program in collaboration with the associations that work there. The effort and work of volunteers helps to restore many natural areas damaged by human activity.

The Albufera natural conservation volunteer program also includes work in other wet areas such as the Marjal de Almenara or the Tancat de la Pipa.

Albufera wetlands as well as being important for the containment of the consequences of climate change are large reserves of endemic species, whose existence would not be possible if contaminated or loses its biological wealth.

Help us preserve one of the most important wetland areas in Spain, come to do the conservation volunteer abroad program in Valencia!