Wetlands are being lost at alarming rates. With 35% loss globally since 1970, wetlands are our most threatened ecosystem, disappearing three times faster than forests. A quarter of wetland-dependent species are at risk of extinction.
Land-use change is the biggest driver of degradation to inland wetlands since 1970. Agriculture, the most wide-spread form of land-use change, has damaged more than half of Wetlands of International Importance. With sustainable food production dependent on wetlands, transforming agriculture to reverse this trend is urgent.
Wetland degradation puts human lives and livelihoods at risk. Poor management of wetlands has increased rates of water scarcity and water-borne diseases, contributing to millions of deaths every year.
Climate impacts to wetlands are happening faster than anticipated. Rising sea-levels, coral bleaching and changing hydrology are all accelerating, with arctic and montane wetlands most at risk of degradation and loss.
Protection, wise-use and restoration of wetlands works. The ecological character of Designated Wetlands of International Importance under the Convention are more often reported in ‘good’ rather than ‘bad’ condition. Improvement in wetlands’ ecological character is linked to the implementation of the Convention on Wetlands’ strategic plan: to protect, use wisely and restore.
Improving management of wetlands brings health, food and water security benefits – critical to the health and livelihoods of 4 billion people globally who are reliant on wetlands’ services. The global value of wetland ecosystem services for human health, wellbeing and security is estimated to be $47.4 trillion a year.
Wetlands are our most effective land-based ecosystem for capturing carbon. Coastal wetlands such as mangroves sequester carbon up to 55 times faster than tropical rainforests. While peatlands which cover only 3% of the earth’s land surface store 30% of all land-based carbon. To meet the 1.5 °C Paris Agreement climate goals, we must prevent further conversion/drainage of intact peatlands, and restore 50% of all lost peatlands before 2030.
Wetlands are critical to building resilience to climate impacts. Changing weather and other climate impacts are increasing the risk of flooding and drought around the world. ‘Blue-carbon’ wetlands such as mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses provide cost-effective disaster-risk reduction solutions to protect communities against storm surges. While inland ecosystems, such as peatlands and rivers absorb excess water to prevent floods and drought.
Healthy wetlands are critical to meeting global climate, sustainable development and biodiversity goals. Wetlands’ services for climate mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity; and human health and prosperity outweigh all other terrestrial ecosystems. Implementing the Convention on Wetlands is critical to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, emerging Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals.