Inland wetlands in Africa: A review of their typologies and ecosystem services

Abstract

Wetlands, as one of the most productive natural ecosystems globally, have important roles in Earth system functioning through supporting biodiversity, storing carbon, recharging groundwater and removing pollutants. They are also critical locations for providing ecosystem and environmental services and thus supporting human livelihoods, especially in Africa where inland wetlands are extensively used for agriculture and as water sources. Despite this, the Ramsar Convention classifications do not wholly describe the physical nature and properties of African inland wetlands, or the varied and interconnected ways in which different ecosystem and environmental services are manifested in them. This review critically discusses the different types and definitions of inland wetlands in Africa with particular reference to dambos, based on wetland geomorphological, hydrological and ecological properties, and then considers the entangled nature of their ecosystem services and the benefits provided to local communities. Considering these services in a more integrated way – and not as a tick-box exercise as per the Ramsar Convention – allows for a better understanding of human–environment relations in wetlands, with implications for wetland sustainability and more effective management practices.