Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The rapid disappearance of wetlands, crucial ecosystems for biodiversity and life on Earth, threatens a staggering $39 trillion loss, sparking urgent calls for their conservation, protection, and restoration.

As the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) kicks off in Nairobi, the release of the Global Wetland Outlook 2025: Valuing, Conserving, Restoring, and Financing Wetlands (GWO 2025) comes at a critical moment. The report’s message is stark: unless urgent action is taken, one-fifth of the world’s remaining wetlands could disappear by 2050.

This projected ecological loss carries massive social and economic consequences for biodiversity, humanity, and ecosystems. Wetlands serve as crucial sources of food, freshwater, and habitat for countless species, and millions of people, especially local communities, rely on them for their survival.

According to the Convention on Wetlands, the cost of continued wetland loss could reach $39 trillion in foregone benefits that support people, economies, and nature.

The report is launched as a precursor to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), emphasizing the urgency of addressing wetland loss.

Dr. Musonda Mumba, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, emphasized the urgency of change as she challenged the stakeholders, major groups, and member states to stop investing in more destruction and focus on recovery.

“Wetlands bankroll the planet, yet we are still investing more in their destruction than in their recovery,” she said. “The world is sitting on a $10 trillion opportunity in wetland restoration, capable of unlocking enormous benefits. Sadly, we’re running out of time; better now than never.”

Despite covering just 6% of the Earth’s surface, wetlands provide ecosystem services that account for more than 7.5% of global GDP, highlighting their disproportionate economic importance. These include clean water, food production, carbon storage, and flood protection. Wetlands also support a disproportionately high share of livelihoods in agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism.

Yet, every year, 0.52% of wetlands are lost, undermining global efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. Dr. Hugh Robertson attributed this loss of valuable wetlands, as has been known for a long time, to inappropriate land use development and water use.

A Grim Global Picture
The GWO 2025 presents the latest global data on wetland extent, degradation, and loss. Since 1970, 22% of wetlands have disappeared, equivalent to more than half a billion football pitches.

One in four remaining wetlands is already in poor ecological condition and needs significant efforts to be sustained and remain sustainable. The sharpest recent declines, with significant wetland loss percentages, are being recorded in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Dr. Hugh Robertson, Chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) and lead author of the report, warned against viewing wetlands as marginal issues, urging that wetlands are fundamental to the global water cycle and essential to climate resilience.

He emphasized that the loss of these ecosystems impacts billions of people and pushes countless species closer to extinction.
“The scale of degradation is beyond what we can afford to ignore. We have the knowledge and tools to reverse this; we now need sustained investment and coordinated action,” said Dr. Hugh.

Case Studies Show Restoration Is Possible and Cost-Effective
The report showcases several promising case studies:

Zambia’s Kafue Flats: A $300,000 restoration project reactivated seasonal flooding and helped control invasive species. Today, over $1 million per year is invested in safeguarding biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of 1.3 million people, including artisanal fisheries valued at $30 million annually.

East and Southeast Asia: The Regional Flyway Initiative is working to protect and restore over 140 wetlands along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.

Launched in 2021, the initiative aims to mobilize $3 billion in blended finance over 10 years. Early restoration projects are already underway in Cambodia and China.

Four Pathways to Turn the Tide
To reverse wetland loss and unlock nature-positive investment, the report outlines four key pathways:

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

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

Embed these ecosystems into innovative financing mechanisms, including carbon markets, resilience bonds, and blended finance.

Mobilize public and private resources through partnerships that support ground-level action and empower local communities.

The GWO 2025 sends a clear message: as wetlands disappear, the essential resources they provide, water, food, and natural defenses, are also at risk, emphasizing the report’s urgent call to action. The science is clear, and the roadmap exists, so what remains is the will to act.

“Protect what remains. Restore what’s been lost. And secure a future where wetlands thrive.”