Wetlands occur wherever water meets land and ensure the sustainability of both. These unique habitats include mangroves, peatlands, rivers, lakes, deltas, seagrass meadows, and even coral reefs. Wetlands exist in every country and in every climatic zone, from the polar regions to the tropics, and from high altitudes to dry regions. Healthy wetlands store carbon, regulate the water cycle, and support an immense variety of the world’s biodiversity. They are central to achieving an equitable, net-zero emission, nature-positive world.

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Threats to wetland ecosystems

We have lost 22% of the world’s wetlands since 1970 and we continue to lose them at a rate faster than we’re losing forests. The loss and degradation of wetlands has a chain reaction, driving biodiversity loss, stressing food and water supplies, and exacerbating the impacts of floods, droughts and wildfires.

The biggest threat to wetlands comes from humans. We have lost vital wetland connectivity through dams, dykes, drains, ditches, and deforestation. They have altered the hydrology of wetlands, sometimes irreversibly so. Agriculture and infrastructure have been some of the main drivers of wetland loss.

But the good news is that the solutions to restore our degraded wetlands already exist. We know how to restore the hydrology of degraded wetlands, we know that finance must flow towards nature-based solutions, and we need to phase out harmful subsidies. We know that Indigenous People are integral to sustainable conservation and that all sectors must play their part. Businesses must be held accountable for their supply chains and governments must act on their promises.

At Wetlands International, we have the expertise, experience, and knowledge needed to restore wetlands at scale, through landscape-level approaches.