As the climate crisis worsens, the world is finally waking up to the critical role of healthy wetlands as climate solutions. And the urgent need to scale up investment and action to protect and restore them.

With temperatures and emissions rising and climate impacts intensifying, healthy wetlands stand out as one of our most effective yet undervalued allies for tackling the climate crisis. From mangroves to peatlands, rivers to seagrass beds, freshwater and coastal ecosystems are central to achieving global goals for climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. 

Wetlands are central to climate mitigation 

Healthy wetlands are central to reining in runaway climate change. They are some of the most efficient natural carbon stores, making them a vital component in our efforts to stabilise the climate.

• Peatlands, despite only covering around 3-4% of the planet’s land surface, contain one-third of the world’s soil carbon, twice the amount of carbon as in the world’s forests.  
• Coastal ‘blue carbon’ wetlands — including mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes — sequester carbon below ground, potentially locking it away for centuries. In fact, mangroves store up to 5 times more carbon per area than tropical forests and absorb it from the air about 3 times as quickly, too.
• Lakes, rivers, and their floodplains are also significant carbon stores. In fact, research shows that Amazonian water bodies capture 39% more carbon per unit area than the rainforest itself. 

Wetlands are central to climate adaptation

The worsening impacts of the climate crisis are primarily being felt through water – extreme floods, droughts, wildfires, storm surges and sea level rise. Healthy wetlands are key to strengthening adaptation since they act as natural buffers for our communities and cities against these disasters.

• Mitigating floods: Connected floodplains, free flowing rivers, peatlands and other ‘sponge’ wetlands slow, spread and absorb excess rainfall and floodwaters
• Alleviating droughts: Healthy wetlands – such as floodplains and peatlands – store excess water in wet times and release it slowly in drier times, reducing water scarcity and the impact of droughts
• Lessening storm surges: Healthy mangroves and seagrass meadows absorb and dissipate wave energy, sheltering communities and cities from storm surges and rising seas
• Keeping deltas above the rising seas: Free flowing rivers deposit sand and gravel that sustains dynamic deltas, helping to stop these densely populated, highly productive and vulnerable landscapes from eroding and disappearing as the waters rise 

Investing in healthy wetlands is central to climate action and resilience

To build resilience, we must shift our perspective: healthy wetlands are not marginal lands to be drained or developed, but critical to climate mitigation and adaptation.

We urge governments to recognise wetlands for what they truly are: climate champions. Investing in protecting and restoring them is not optional. It is essential. Especially as the climate crisis is rapidly developing into one of the main drivers of wetland loss and degradation.

Wetlands International calls for coordinated global action to integrate wetlands across Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs); and to mobilise finance for large-scale wetland restoration and conservation. Initiatives like the Mangrove Breakthrough, Freshwater Challenge, and Peatland Breakthrough are important pathways for countries and organisations to accelerate wetland action – to boost climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience.