Every year on 2nd February we mark World Wetlands Day, but for us in Trinidad and Tobago, places like Nariva and Caroni are not "special once a year", they are part of our daily survival.
Nariva Swamp is our largest wetland and one of the last places where mangroves, palm swamp and forest all meet. It shields our east coast from rough seas and storm surges, stores carbon, and quietly supports food on our tables like blue crab and cascadura to the many fish that use its mangroves as a nursery. It is also still under pressure from fires, pollution, illegal hunting and unplanned farming, so every positive decision we make there matters.
Caroni Swamp on the west coast carries a different story but the same message. Its mangroves help hold back flooding, protect coastal communities and support fishing, while the evening flight of the Scarlet Ibis reminds us that conservation is not an abstract idea. It is visible, living colour.
On this World Wetlands Day, we're asking you to treat Nariva, Caroni and all our wetlands as infrastructure just as important as roads and seawalls. That means pushing for stronger enforcement against illegal clearing and fires, backing community-led restoration, demanding better agricultural practices around wetlands, and calling out pollution wherever we see it.
If you can, visit Nariva or Caroni this month, take someone younger with you, and talk about what these places give us: protection, food, fresh air, and a sense of who we are as an island nation. Wetlands are working for us every single day; the least we can do is work just as hard to keep them alive.
Published by WEPTT · 2 February 2026
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