We’re losing wetlands fast—and the global cost is staggering
A major global wetlands report finds that humanity has wiped out over 20% of life-supporting wetlands since 1970, threatening water security, food systems, and climate stability.
Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- A flagship global review warns that a quarter of the world’s remaining wetlands are in ecological distress, with massive losses driven by agriculture, industry, and urban development.
- Wetlands are essential for drinking water, food, flood protection, and climate regulation, yet their economic value is routinely ignored in decision making.
- The report calls for Indigenous and local community leadership, rethinking how wetlands are valued, and urgent investment to reverse damage and meet international restoration targets.
Key quote:
“Wetlands bankroll the planet, yet we are still investing more in their destruction than in their recovery.”
— Musonda Mumba, secretary general, Convention on Wetlands
Why this matters:
Wetlands are vital infrastructure: nature’s water filters, carbon sinks, nurseries for fish and rice paddies, and buffers against flooding and sea-level rise. When people pave over wetlands, drain them for agriculture, or pollute them out of existence, the world does not just lose habitat. It amounts to throwing away tools human civilization desperately need to survive climate change. Countless lives may depend on their restoration.
Read more: Wetland protections remain bogged down in mystery
