Wetlands, which sustain life across the planet, are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem.

A new report, the Global Wetland Outlook 2025: Valuing, conserving, restoring and financing wetlands (GWO 2025), warns that without urgent action, one fifth of the world’s remaining wetlands could vanish by 2050 – an ecological loss with massive social and economic consequences.

The estimated cost of that loss is staggering: up to USD$39 trillion in benefits that support people, economies, and nature. This warning comes from the GWO 2025, published by the Convention on Wetlands, which builds on its 2018 and 2021 editions to offer the most comprehensive global assessment of wetlands to date. The report is being launched in the lead-up to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), which will take place in
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 23 to 31 July 2025.

Wetlands provide ecosystem services including clean water, food production, flood protection, and carbon storage that total more than 7.5% of global GDP, despite covering just 6% of the Earth’s surface. They also support a disproportionately high share of livelihoods across sectors like agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism. Yet every year, 0.52% of wetlands are lost, undermining efforts to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

“From rivers to reefs, marshes to mangroves, healthy wetlands are central to tackling the greatest challenges of our era – enhancing water and food security, reversing nature loss, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and driving sustainable development. But we are continuing to drain, dredge, dam and degrade them, sacrificing their diverse and irreplaceable benefits to people, nature and climate,” said Coenraad Krijger, CEO, Wetlands International.

The GWO 2025 presents the latest global data on wetland extent, loss, and degradation; the costs to society of losing wetland benefits; the targets required to conserve and restore wetlands; and the actions and financing solutions that can turn the tide for wetlands worldwide. It is intended as a resource for policymakers, investors, and practitioners working to align wetland action with climate, biodiversity, and development goals.

Drawing on the latest scientific data and economic valuations, the report finds that 22% of wetlands have been lost since 1970. That’s the equivalent of more than half a billion football pitches. One in four of the world’s remaining wetlands are already in poor ecological condition, and degradation is widespread across the world, with the steepest recent declines in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

“Wetlands are not a marginal issue. They are fundamental to the water cycle our planet depends on, for our global response to climate change, and are essential for the wellbeing of billions of people and protecting species under imminent threat of extinction. The scale of loss and degradation is beyond what we can afford to ignore. We have the knowledge and the tools to reverse these trends—what we need now is sustained investment and coordinated action,” said Dr Hugh Robertson, Chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Convention on Wetlands and lead author.

The report features a wide selection of case studies that demonstrate progress is possible—and prevention is cheaper than restoration. In Zambia’s Kafue Flats, an initial restoration project costing just $300,000 helped reactivate seasonal flooding and control invasive species. Today, more than $1 million per year is invested in protecting biodiversity, water systems, and livelihoods for 1.3 million people — including artisanal fisheries valued at $30 million annually. It’s a costly fix, but far cheaper than losing
those services entirely.

“The Global Wetland Outlook is a flashing red alarm, warning us that our wetlands are still being lost at a rapid rate, with some of the steepest declines happening in Africa. But it’s not all doom and gloom,” said Julie Mulonga, Director, Wetlands International East Africa, who attended the official launch of the report in Nairobi.

“The world is waking up to the importance of healthy wetlands, which underpin our societies and economies, support countless species and help stabilise the climate. The Global Wetland Outlook offers a path forward: urgently scaling up investment in locally led solutions to protect and restore wetlands for people, nature and climate,” added Mulonga.

For example, in Eastern Africa, communities are already demonstrating what effective, locally led restoration looks like. In Ethiopia’s Ziway-Shalla Sub-Basin, over 3,300 hectares of degraded land have been restored through nature-based solutions led by youth and women with support from Wetlands International, combining soil and water conservation with alternative livelihoods like poultry farming.

In Kenya’s Lamu landscape, more than 100,000 mangroves have been restored through youth-driven initiatives backed by Wetlands International, which are also creating sustainable income through eco-enterprises such as crab farming, beekeeping, and smart farming techniques that enhance resilience and productivity. These are just a glimpse of the community-driven solutions that, with the right support, can be scaled up across the continent.

Meanwhile, in East and Southeast Asia, the Regional Flyway Initiative is working to protect and restore over 140 priority wetlands along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, which supports 50 million migratory waterbirds and nearly 200 million people. Launched in 2021, the initiative brings together governments, development banks, and conservation partners to mobilize $3 billion in blended finance over 10 years. Early projects are already underway in Cambodia and China, with more set to follow across the region.

Four pathways to reversing wetland loss and unlocking nature-positive investment are
outlined in the report:

Integrate wetland value in decision-making—treating wetlands as essential
infrastructure in land-use, water, and economic planning.

Recognize wetlands as key to the global water cycle—for their role in storing,
filtering, and regulating water.

Embed wetlands in innovative financing mechanisms—including carbon markets,
resilience bonds, and blended finance.

Mobilize public and private resources for wetland restoration—through partnerships
that fund action on the ground and support local communities.

The GWO 2025 makes it very clear: wetlands are disappearing, and with them, the water, food, and natural defenses that sustain life. The solutions exist and the roadmap is there—protect what remains, restore what has been lost, and secure a future where wetlands thrive.