WASTEWATER AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION
All waterways are connected. The unregulated discharge of wastewater therefore has far reaching implications for the health of all aquatic ecosystems, which threatens to undermine the resilience of biodiversity and the ecosystem services on which human wellbeing depends. One such impact, eutrophication is a major global concern affecting the functioning of marine and freshwater ecosystems. To address these challenges we must apply the principles of integrated ecosystem-based management so that the eco- system services on which we depend can be sustained through the watershed and into the marine environment.
Water quality changes at the first point of extraction or use, whether this is the impact of livestock production, release of nu- trients and sedimentation through deforestation, or the myriad of agricultural, industrial and urban activities taking place in the watershed all the way to the coastal zone and open ocean via rivers, ground water, aquifers and storm water run-off. These changes can impact aquatic environments in the following ways:
Mechanical impacts
The impact of water extraction can influence water quality through changes in sediment loading and thermal stress which can change the physical environment, increasing turbidity or scouring and in turn affect biodiversity. For example, changes in sediment loading of rivers can impact downstream habitats that provide ecosystem services of waste and nutrient assimi- lation. Many aquatic organisms and habitats such as bivalves, mangroves, salt marshes, fresh water marshes and sea grasses have a natural capacity to assimilate a certain amount of pol- lutants, such as nitrates and phosphates. Changes in sediment supplies can result in either smothering of sea grasses and coral reefs, or if restricted reduce the essential supply required for the accretion of coastal wetlands, resulting in the decline of these critically important and sensitive habitats.
Eutrophication
Eutrophication is one of the most prevalent global problems of our time. It is a process by which lakes, rivers, and coastal
waters become increasingly rich in plant biomass as a result of the enhanced input of plant nutrients mainly nitrogen and phosphorus in general originating from agricultural and ur- ban areas, through the soil or directly into rivers and oceans (Gilbert, 2008, Nyenje et al, 2010). The impacts of eutrophi- cation can result in profound environmental change and im- pact the ecological integrity of aquatic systems e.g. Agricul-
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