Abstract

Wetlands play a critical ecological hydrological and socio-economic role in sustaining the environmental health of rapidly urbanizing cities. In water-scarce urban regions wetlands act not only as natural reservoirs but also as regulators of groundwater recharge biodiversity habitats and climate buffers. Their preservation however faces numerous developmental institutional and socio-cultural pressures that threaten their ecological functioning. This research paper explores the multifaceted socio-ecological aspects of wetland preservation in water-stressed urban contexts. It investigates how changing land-use patterns urban sprawl pollution loads governance failures and community disengagement affect wetland systems. At the same time the study highlights the essential role wetlands continue to play in mitigating water scarcity maintaining ecological balance and providing socio-economic benefits to urban citizens. Adopting a multidisciplinary lens the paper integrates ecological science