From rivers to reefs, peatlands to ponds, and marshes to mangroves, healthy wetlands are essential for a sustainable future. They are central to climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience; support 40% of all plant and animal species like migratory birds; and are the foundation of our water security. 

The urgency of restoring our wetlands has never been more apparent. The latest Global Wetland Outlook shows that we have lost 22% of the world’s wetlands since 1970, and degradation threatens a quarter of those that remain. The report also warns that continued wetland decline could unleash up to US $39 trillion in economic losses by 2050 – highlighting how vital these ecosystems are for our common future.  

Our Wetlands 4 Resilience (W4R) programme provides a compelling roadmap for restoration of wetlands. Developed with support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), W4R is aiming to upscale wetland restoration in target countries and globally contributing to climate-resilient sustainable development. The W4R programme will design and apply a dedicated W4R Model Approach and toolkit for applying an integrated landscape approach to wetlands to enhance resilience of people and nature. It seeks to change the narrative on wetlands, to foster multi-stakeholder collaborations in wetland landscapes, and systemic shifts in policies and investments, transforming the way countries, institutions, and finance systems approach wetland regeneration. Informed by the 4 Returns Framework, the W4R model Approach and toolkit builds on over a decade of wetlands landscape restoration work, guiding interventions that restore ecological health while generating four key returns: 

1. Natural returns – reviving ecosystem functions and biodiversity 
2. Social returns – strengthening communities, leadership, and ownership 
3. Financial returns – generating sustainable, inclusive economic opportunities 
4. Inspirational returns – scaling hope, ambition, and broader replication 

Natural returns
At its core, W4R seeks ecological rejuvenation of wetland landscapes be they peatlands, lakes, rivers or mangroves. When wetlands are restored, so too are the ecological functions they provide – carbon and water cycles, supporting biodiversity, and buffering floods and droughts contributing to resilience of communities living around them. 

In India, Wetlands International has collaborated with stakeholders in the Mahanadi delta over the past decades through a variety of programmes, supporting restoration and management of Chilika lake  and developing and testing innovative approaches  influencing climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning. 

Social returns 
Today, over 60 million people work in nature-based solutions sectors – from coastal engineers to urban ecologists, community forest managers to sustainable farmers. And it can go further:  nature-based solution could create 32 million new jobs by 2030. W4R recognizes that landscape restoration can create jobs and income security through livelihood diversification, improved social services, increased social cohesion, gender equity and resilience.  

In Indonesia, for example, the W4R programme captured lessons from implemented socio-economic measures to promote sustainable land-use including the development and introduction of improved aquaculture pond management. 

Financial returns 
Applying the W4R Model Approach enables demonstration of economic benefits like climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods that can attract public and private sources of capital. Restored landscapes offers attractive opportunities and reduce risks for investors so that sustainable businesses can thrive. 

Inspirational returns 
Inspiration is the fuel for successful landscape restoration. A healed ecosystem restores faith and joy. In the Mahanadi Delta in India, culture and the landscape are inseparable. The rivers, wetlands, and coasts shape how people live, worship, and celebrate life and religion. Festivals like Boita Bandana and Kartik Purnima honour ancient river trade and maritime heritage; and temples like Jagannath and Konark face the sea as symbols of nature’s rhythm. Traditional fishing, boat-making, and water rituals reflect deep respect for wetlands. Restoring or reinforcing inspiration or inspirational returns can be a powerful mechanism to restore wetland landscapes. In turn these restored wetland landscapes reinforce inspiration, creating a positive feedback loop.  

In Ethiopia and Guinea-Bissau, Environmental School Clubs bring students and teachers together to learn about the value of wetlands and mangroves through drama, field trips, and art competitions. By building a deep connection between young people and their natural surroundings, we’re fostering a culture of conservation that re-establishes inspiration in the new generation. 

Wetlands International is uniquely positioned to convene change. We are the only global non-profit dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands working both at local and international levels. Through the Wetlands 4 Resilience programme, using the W4R Model Approach and Toolkit, Wetlands International is aiming to upscale wetland restoration contributing to climate-resilient sustainable development, thereby empowering communities, and inspiring global action.