A. In recent decades, the world has witnessed an increase in the frequency and intensity of flooding. This is partly due to climate change, which brings more extreme rainfall, and also to urban development, which covers natural landscapes with hard, impermeable surfaces like concrete and asphalt. Traditionally, societies have fought against rising waters with ‘hard engineering’ solutions: building higher flood walls, deeper channels, and more powerful water pumps. However, these methods are not only expensive but can also fail dramatically under extreme pressure. As a result, researchers and environmental planners are now looking towards a more natural, sustainable, and effective ally in the fight against floods: wetlands. B. Wetlands—which include marshes, swamps, and bogs—are often described as 'nature's sponges'. This simple analogy accurately captures their primary function in flood management. When heavy rain occurs or rivers overflow, wetlands act like a giant, natural basin. The complex root systems of their plants, combined with their soft, porous soils, soak up huge volumes of water. Instead of rushing across the landscape, the water is held in the wetland and released sl…
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