As governments and negotiators prepare for UNFCCC COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Wetlands International calls for a high-level Wetlands Ministerial to be convened during COP30 – following on from the Convention on Wetlands COP15 in Victoria Falls in July when over 170 countries committed to accelerating action on wetlands. The COP30 Ministerial would further elevate the critical role of healthy wetlands in achieving not only global goals on climate mitigation and adaptation, but also on biodiversity, water and food security, and sustainable development, and help accelerate investment and action to protect and restore wetlands for people, nature and climate.  

Wetlands are central to tackling the climate crisis, but overlooked in climate strategies 

The world cannot achieve national and global goals on climate mitigation and adaptation without scaling up efforts to protect, restore and sustainably use wetlands – from rivers to reefs, lakes to lagoons, ponds to peatlands, and marshes to mangroves. Healthy wetlands are among the most powerful natural solutions to the climate crisis. Peatlands alone store 30% of terrestrial carbon, while healthy floodplains, mangroves and other wetlands reduce disaster risk and buffer communities and cities from the worsening water-related impacts of climate change, including extreme floods, droughts, storm surges and sea level rise. 

Wetlands also provide almost all our freshwater, directly support over 30% of global food production, and sustain 40% of the species on Earth. 

Yet the 2025 Global Wetland Outlook highlights that we have lost 22% of our remaining wetlands since 1970 and are still losing them at an alarming rate. We urgently need to reverse this trend to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, but wetlands remain largely overlooked in national and global mitigation and adaptation strategies, and in climate finance. Few countries reference them in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), with only 29% of countries including wetlands in their climate strategies. 

A Wetlands Ministerial at COP30 will build momentum and accelerate climate action 

The world is waking up to water and the importance of healthy wetlands as climate solutions. Voluntary global initiatives – such as the Mangrove Breakthrough, Peatland Breakthrough and country-led Freshwater Challenge – are gaining traction as more governments, businesses, investors, NGOs and communities are recognising the urgent need to collaborate to speed up action by scaling up investment in the protection, restoration and wise use of wetlands. Critical to building on this momentum is strengthening synergies between the Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, UNCBD and UNCCD), SDGs and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which offer a unique opportunity for integrated action. 

What the Wetlands Ministerial at COP30 would deliver 

Building on the outcomes of the Convention on Wetlands COP15 and progress on wetlands at COP28 and COP29, and aligned with Axis 2 of the COP30 Presidency Action Agenda on Stewarding Forests, Oceans and Biodiversity, a Wetlands Ministerial would: 

1. Provide a high-visibility platform to showcase how healthy wetlands contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation goals as well as providing other diverse – and irreplaceable – benefits for people, particularly Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, from enhancing water and food security to sustaining livelihoods and driving sustainable development; 
2. Help embed wetland action in NDCs, NAPs and climate finance frameworks, while unlocking synergies across the Rio Conventions, SDGs and Convention on Wetlands; 
3.  Enable Ministers of climate, water, environment and finance to spotlight national and international wetland action – and showcase successes; 
4. Allow Contracting Parties to combine their wetland work in one high profile event, spotlighting their pledges on wetland protection and restoration, including through NDCs, NAPs and climate finance frameworks, and highlighting the complimentary voluntary, wetland-focused global initiatives – the country-led Freshwater Challenge as well as the Mangrove Breakthrough and Peatland Breakthrough, which is being developed in collaboration with the UN High Level Champions and aligned with the Marrakech Partnership; 
5.  Facilitate exploration of safeguards to minimize negative impacts of climate action on wetlands, helping to ensure a nature-positive and water-resilient energy transition; and 
6. Call for increased funding and innovative financing of wetland action to support contracting parties to finance protection and restoration efforts to achieve their national climate mitigation and adaptation targets.  

We urge all governments, especially Brazil, to champion this COP30 Wetlands Ministerial 

As COP30 President and home to iconic wetlands, including the Amazon, the world’s largest river system, and the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, Brazil is uniquely positioned to elevate wetlands as a key element of the global climate agenda. This event aligns directly with Axis 2 of Brazil’s Action Agenda and reflects Brazil’s broader commitment to nature-based solutions, climate resilience, and inclusive development. 

This Ministerial would also build on the Baku Water Declaration, the Riyadh Action Agenda, and mark a significant step on the road to the UN Water Conference in 2026. 

The world cannot afford to overlook wetlands any longer. They are central to climate mitigation and adaptation. This high-profile Wetlands Ministerial in Belem would ensure that wetlands are a priority of COP30 and beyond, and actively integrated into solutions for people, nature and climate.