The Cons And Advantages And Disadvantages Of Wetlands

The advantages and disadvantages of wetland restoration or construction depend on the location and how badly degraded the area has become. Passive means of restoration, although less costly, can be slow and don’t offer as many immediate benefits. Active means of restoration or construction may allow the newly restored wetland to have an immediate effect on the area including reduction in flooding, but this can be a very costly process (Habitat NOAA, 2015). New construction will negative affect other species that are currently living in the area and can bring competing species that can cause additional problems. However, there are many advantages of using wetlands to protect from flood waters. As they are natural structures and are frequently found on the coast already in areas that experience flooding, they can be restored and will be able to retain an increased amount of flood waters. Wetland restoration also protects native wildlife and vegetation that are important for the ecology of the areas

Wetland reconstruction to areas that are not degraded fully can be a less expensive task to take on. Even in areas of the coast where some wetlands have been filled in, the expense associated with building wetlands is offset by the reduced erosion to the surrounding lands (EPA, 2015). Wetlands can hold large volumes of flood water or other types of precipitation which is invaluable to reducing the effects of flooding. Since these are natural structures and employ the use of native species, they are ecologically sound and contribute to the biodiversity of the areas they are found it. For South Carolina, they can contribute to reducing erosion on its beaches, as well as offer additional beauty to the landscape. I believe that wetland restoration, and also additional wetland construction, should be of high priority to reduce coastal flooding due to the many benefits received in addition to this