Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests

Wetlands cover around 4-6 percent of the world’s surface – and are exactly as they sound – areas flooded with water. They contribute to climate regulation and support ecosystems and biodiversity.

Plants in swamps absorb pollutants, mangroves store carbon, lakes and underground aquifers are a crucial source of water, and coral reefs protect coastlines from wave action and serve as shelter for marine organisms.

Wetlands are home to indigenous peoples and a natural source of livelihoods for their communities. They provide drinking water, energy, fisheries, agriculture, transport, recreation, cultural values and tourism.

Both inland and marine/coastal wetlands decreased by around 35 percent, where data are available – three times the rate of forest loss. Estimates show that at least 64 percent of wetlands have been lost since 1900 and around 87 percent since 1700.

Agriculture accounts for 65 percent of the total water withdrawal globally. Industries, such as paper and beverage production, consume significant amounts of water. Add to this rising sea levels that swamp shallow wetlands and desertification that affects other wetlands such as estuaries and floodplains.

The decline of wetlands poses threats to biodiversity and livelihoods. Many animal species depend on them. According to available data, 81 percent of inland wetland species populations and 36 percent of coastal and marine species have declined since 1970.

The main international efforts to promote the conservation and prudent use of wetlands are through the secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty adopted in Ramsar, Iran in 1971. 169 countries – or almost 90 percent of UN member states – from all regions have become Contracting Parties of the treaty.

The Ramsar Convention encourages countries to maintain the ecological character of wetlands. They are expected to identify and manage wetlands of international importance, known as Ramsar Sites, as well as to report changes on them.

Original source: IFAD
Published on 15 October 2018