The Global Importance of Wetlands Reading Answers

Jul 1, 2025

The Global Importance of Wetlands Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Global Importance of Wetlands Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the first question set, you have to choose which paragraph contains the given statement. In the next set, you have to fill in the blank with the correct answer, only with one word. In the last question set, you have to match the statement with the correct expert.

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Section 1 THE GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF WETLANDS

A. Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil, for all or part of the year. These are complex ecosystems, rich in unique plant and animal life. But according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), half of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1990 - converted or destroyed for commercial development, drainage schemes and the extraction of minerals and peat. Many of those that remain have been damaged by agricultural pesticides and fertilizers, industrial pollutants, and construction works.

B. Throughout history, humans have gathered around wetlands, and their fertile ecosystems have played an important part in human development. Consequently, they are of considerable religious, historical and archaeological value to many communities around the world. 'Wetlands directly support the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people,' says Dr Matthew McCartney, principal researcher and hydrologist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 'In many developing countries, large numbers of people are dependent on wetland agriculture for their livelihoods.'

C. They also serve a crucial environmental purpose. 'Wetlands are one of the key tools in mitigating climate change across the planet,' says Pieter van Eijk, head of Climate Adaptation at Wetlands International (WI), pointing to their use as buffers that protect coastal areas from sea-level rise and extreme weather events such as hurricanes and flooding. Wetland coastal forests provide food and water, as well as shelter from storms and WI and other agencies are working to restore those forests which have been lost. 'It can be as simple as planting a few trees per hectare to create shade and substantially change a microclimate,' he says. 'Implementing climate change projects isn't so much about money.'

D. The world's wetlands are, unfortunately. rich sources for in-demand commodities, such as palm oil and pulpwood. Peatlands - wetlands with a waterlogged organic soil layer — are particularly targeted. When peatlands are drained for cultivation, they become net carbon emitters instead of active carbon stores, and, according to Marcel Silvius, head of Climate-smart Land-use at WI, this practice causes six per cent of all global carbon emissions. The clearance of peatlands for planting also increases the risk of forest fires, which release huge amounts of C02. 'We're seeing huge peatland forests with extremely high biodiversity value being lost for a few decades of oil palm revenues,' says Silvius.

E. The damage starts when logging companies arrive to clear the trees. They dig ditches to enter the peat swamps by boat and then float the logs out the same way. These are then used to drain water out of the peatlands to allow for the planting of corn, oil palms or pulpwood trees. Once the water has drained away, bacteria and fungi then break down the carbon in the peat and turn it into C02 and methane. Meanwhile, the remainder of the solid matter in the peat starts to move downwards, in a process known as subsidence. Peat comprises 90 per cent water, so this is one of the most alarming consequences of peatland clearances. 'In the tropics, peat

subsides at about four centimetres a year, so within half a century, very large landscapes on Sumatra and Borneo will become flooded as the peat drops below water level,' says Silvius. 'It's a huge catastrophe that's in preparation. Some provinces will lose 40 per cent of their landmass.'

F. And while these industries affect wetlands in ways that can easily be documented, Dr Dave Tickner of the WWFN believes that more subtle impacts can be even more devastating. 'Sediment run-off and fertilizers can be pretty invisible,' says Tickner. 'Over-extraction of water is equally invisible. You do get shock stories about rivers running red, or even catching fire, but there's seldom one big impact that really hurts a wetland.' Tickner does not blame anyone for deliberate damage, however. 'I've worked on wetland issues for 20 years and have never met anybody who wanted to damage a wetland,' he says. 'It isn't something that people generally

set out to do. Quite often, the effects simply come from people trying to make a living.'

G. Silvius also acknowledges the importance of income generation. 'It's not that we just want to restore the biodiversity of wetlands - which we do - but we recognise there's a need to provide an income for local people.' This approach is supported by IWMI. 'The idea is that people in a developing country will only protect wetlands if they value and profit from them,' says McCartney. 'For sustainability, it's essential that local people are involved in wetland planning and decision making and have clear rights to use wetlands.'

H. The fortunes of wetlands would be improved, Silvius suggests, if more governments recognized their long-term value. 'Different governments have different attitudes,' he says, and goes on to explain that some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands, while others still deny the issue. McCartney is cautiously optimistic, however. 'Awareness of the importance of wetlands is growing,' he says. 'It's true that wetland degradation still continues at a rapid pace, but my impression is that things are slowly changing.'

Questions 14–17

Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-H.

14. reference to the need to ensure that inhabitants of wetland regions continue to benefit from them

Answer: G

Supporting statement: but we recognise there's a need to provide an income for local people.'

Keywords: income, local

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, it is important to ensure that the local people living in the wetland benefit from the region.

15. the proportion of wetlands which have already been lost

Answer: A

Supporting statement: But according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), half of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1990

Keywords: WWFN, 1990

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 3-4

Explanation: Half of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1990, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

16. reference to the idea that people are beginning to appreciate the value of wetlands

Answer: H

Supporting statement: he says, and goes on to explain that some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands,

Keywords: countries, restoring

Keyword Location: Para H, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, some countries have started to restore the wetlands as they think wetlands are important for them.

17. mention of the cultural significance of wetlands

Answer: B

Supporting statement: 'In many developing countries, large numbers of people are dependent on wetland agriculture for their livelihoods.'

Keywords: agriculture, livelihoods

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 7

Explanation: According to the text, wetlands hold cultural importance as their livelihood depends on the agriculture that is done in the wetlands.

Questions 18–22

Choose ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.

18. Peatlands which have been drained begin to release……………….instead of storing it.

Answer: CARBON

Supporting statement: peatlands are drained for cultivation, they become net carbon emitters instead of active carbon stores,

Keywords: cultivation, carbon

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 3

Explanation: The passage states that the peatlands that were once active carbon stores have now become carbon emitters.

19. Once peatland areas have been cleared,....................are more likely to occur.

Answer: FIRES

Supporting statement: clearance of peatlands for planting also increases the risk of forest fires,

Keywords: increases, fires

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 6

Explanation: The text mentions that forest fires are more likely to happen since the peatlands are cleared for a plantation.

20. Clearing peatland forests to make way for oil palm plantations destroys the…………….... of the local environment.

Answer: BIODIVERSITY

Supporting statement: peatland forests with extremely high biodiversity value being lost for a few decades of oil palm revenues

Keywords: biodiversity, oil palm

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 7-8

Explanation: Peatland forests, which are cleared for the plantation of oil palm, are leading to the destruction of biodiversity.

21. Water is drained out of peatlands through the………….. which are created by logging companies.

Answer: DITCHES

Supporting statement: The damage starts when logging companies arrive to clear the trees. They dig ditches to enter the peat swamps by boat and then float the logs out the same way.

Keywords: ditches, swamps

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the text, ditches made by the logging countries to enter the peat swamps serve as a way for the water to drain out of the peatland.

22. Draining peatlands leads to……………..a serious problem which can eventually result in

coastal flooding and land loss.

Answer: SUBSIDENCE

Supporting statement: Meanwhile, the remainder of the solid matter in the peat starts to move downwards, in a process known as subsidence.

Keywords: solid matter, subsidence

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the text, subsidence occurs in the peatlands as a result of the draining of the water, which also causes flooding and loss of land in the nearby areas.

Questions 23-26

Look at the following statements and the list of experts below. Match each statement with the correct expert.

23. Communities living in wetland regions must be included in discussions about the future of these areas.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: McCartney. 'For sustainability, it's essential that local people are involved in wetland planning and decision making and have clear rights to use wetlands.'

Keywords: McCartney, wetland

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 5

Explanation: According to McCartney, the local people living in the wetlands must be included in the decision made for the wetlands, as it holds an important value in their lives.

24. Official policies towards wetlands vary from one nation to the next.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: Silvius suggests, if more governments recognized their long-term value. 'Different governments have different attitudes,'

Keywords: Silvius, governments

Keyword Location: Para H, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to Marcel Silvius, every government holds different importance on the wetlands, thus creating different polices toward the wetlands.

25. People cause harm to wetlands without having any intention to do so.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: he says. 'It isn't something that people generally set out to do. Quite often, the effects simply come from people trying to make a living.'

Keywords: people, living

Keyword Location: Para F, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text, it is clear that people don't always intentionally harm the wetlands, but they do so in the process of trying to make a living.

26. Initiatives to reserve environmental damage need to be complex.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: he says. 'Implementing climate change projects isn't so much about money.'

Keywords: climate, projects

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 8

Explanation: According to Pieter van Eijk, it is necessary to implement complex polices to control the damage caused to the wetlands, as simply using money to bring about a change is not going to have much effect.

LIST OF EXPERTS

A. Matthew McCartney

B. Pieter van Eijk

C. Marcel Silvius

D. Dave Tickner

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