World risks up to $39 trillion in economic losses from vanishing wetlands, report says
Some 22% of wetlands, both freshwater systems such as peat lands, rivers and lakes, and coastal marine systems including mangroves and coral reefs, have disappeared since 1970, according to the intergovernmental report, the fastest pace of loss of any ecosystem.
Pressures, including land-use change, pollution, agricultural expansion, invasive species, and the impacts of climate change - such as rising sea levels and drought - are driving the declines.
"The scale of loss and degradationis beyond what we can afford to ignore," said Hugh Robertson, the lead author of the report.
The report called for annual investments of $275 billion to $550 billion to reverse the threats to the remaining wetlands, and said current spending was a "substantial under-investment" without giving figures.
The world has lost 411 million hectares of wetlands, the equivalent of half a billion football pitches, and a quarter of the remaining wetlands are now classified as in a state of degradation, according to the report.
Wetlands' economic benefits include flood regulation, water purification and carbon storage - key as water levels rise and tropical storms and hurricanes intensify due to climate change.
They also support the fishery and agriculture industries and offer cultural benefits.
The report launches a week before the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, meeting of the parties of the Convention on Wetlands, a global agreement of 172 countries signed in 1971 to spearhead preservation of the ecosystem.
The group, which includes China, Russia and the United States, meets every three years, but it is unclear if all nations will send delegates.
Wetland deterioration is particularly acute in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, but is worsening in Europe and North America, the report said.
Rehabilitation projects are under way in countries including Zambia, Cambodia and China.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
From peeing on your veg patch to hanging up old CDs – the tricks and tips that will (and won't) deter garden pests
As any gardener knows, we share our outdoor spaces with a vast array of creatures. This is mostly a wonderful and necessary thing. The majority of beasts are beneficial and ought to receive the warmest of welcomes. And given the biodiversity crisis, we must reconsider who we regard as a 'pest'. Having said that, there are organisms whose presence can imperil our garden plans. When I was studying the principles of growing food organically, I was taught a systems approach to dealing with so-called pests: choose your interventions carefully and opt for the least disruptive before considering more drastic measures. Encouraging wildlife into your garden is the first step to limiting pest damage, as a balanced ecosystem will see naturally occurring predators manage the creatures that bother your plants. Alongside this, raising strong plants and ensuring the soil they're growing in is healthy will result in a more resilient patch. If there's a creature that reappears every season, or you're growing a plant that is of interest to a certain insect, installing a physical barrier to protect your plants from damage can limit interference with the balance of the garden's ecosystem. The carrot root fly, for example, can be stopped using insect-proof mesh. Despite our best efforts, it's inevitable that sometimes we don't spot damage until it's already done, but I'd encourage you to avoid chemical measures that would cause destruction to the surrounding environment, or lead to the wholesale eradication of any population, which might then disrupt the food webs they're part of. Before you attempt whatever quick fix the social media algorithm has sent your way, read on for interventions that have a decent chance of working. How to manage slugs is my most-asked question, even though the Royal Horticultural Society has stopped describing these molluscs as pests, and says that only nine of the estimated 44 UK species of slug are 'notable plant nibblers'. In my experience, coffee grounds and eggshells do little to protect plants. Beer traps do work in that they coax slugs into a yeasty, watery grave, but they require monitoring, emptying and refilling, which is not a pleasant task. How effective they are depends on how many you put out and the size of your slug population. What does work is limiting places for slugs and snails to hide near your plants (wooden edging, bricks, pieces of wood), and encouraging predators such as frogs, newts and toads by installing a pond and maintaining wild areas for the amphibians to hunt in. Nematodes are also effective, but only in contained spaces because biological control (introducing organisms in places where they would naturally occur to boost the population) doesn't really work without boundaries. As for using wool to deter molluscs, I visited a gardener last year who claimed that surrounding tender plants with it had proved successful, but I suspect that it wouldn't remain effective after heavy rain or watering. I once worked on a growing space where foxes would chew through and rearrange our irrigation pipes weekly. It was infuriating, and if I'd had access to adequate volumes of urine to deter them I might have given it a go, as the smell can disrupt the boundaries of their territory and urge them to move elsewhere. Given how accustomed city foxes are to humans, this might only work in the countryside. Also, you would probably need to be weeing outside every day for it to put them off. A better approach would be to plug the holes in your fences and secure your bins to make your garden and food sources less accessible. If you find fox poo on your beds, try using chilli and garlic as a deterrent as they hate the smell, and cover any bare soil with holly clippings to make for a less comfortable toilet. Birdwatching is a principal pleasure of spending time in green spaces. Unfortunately, some species are as interested in the kale and strawberries we grow as we are. CDs or recycled foil hung around the garden will reflect light and keep birds off crops, but my go-to solution is bird-proof netting, carefully secured at the edges or installed over a cage so they don't sneak under and then get stuck. A traditional scarecrow might work for a short time, but the birds will get used to it. I reckon an inflatable dancing tube man would do a better job if you're happy for your garden to look like a forecourt selling secondhand cars. A few different butterflies and moths lay their eggs on the underside of leaves in the brassica family. When those eggs hatch into caterpillars, it can be a matter of days before a robust purple sprouting broccoli is reduced to a skeleton. Large and small cabbage white butterflies appear in my veg patch without fail every year and are the reason my 2023 season was entirely kale-free. Butterflies and moths are an important food source for many animals, including bats, so ideally our efforts to protect crops ought to encourage them to lay their eggs elsewhere. The most effective approach in my experience is fine, insect-proof mesh, which also stops pigeons from stripping leaves. And try planting nasturtiums as a companion plant because, despite them not belonging to the brassica family, large and small whites will lay their eggs on them, too. Sap-sucking insects that feed on new plant growth cause distortion and stunted growth; they also invite disease. There are various species, and they feed on a wide range of plants, so they're a common sight. These insects are, in turn, a food source for other creatures – including ladybird larvae, lacewings, hoverflies and insectivorous birds – so I tend not to panic when I see them as I'm fairly certain their predators will be along soon to keep their population in check. Pinching out the tips of plants, growing sacrificial plants such as nasturtiums, and gently washing the aphids off with water are low-intervention methods. Avoid using so-called 'natural' remedies such as neem oil, which will kill insects beyond the target species. Like ants, moles aren't after your plants, but what they get up to beneath them can be devastating. These rampant little burrowers feast on soil organisms such as earthworms, and if you're actively encouraging soil life with generous amounts of compost, it's no great surprise that a mole might move in. As they are territorial, it's likely you have only got one mole burrowing around your garden, and the main, humane way of encouraging it to move along is to get on its nerves. Moles are extremely sensitive to vibration and noise, so you can buy devices to stick into the ground that buzz regularly, or commit to a daily stomping ritual around your plot and hope that does the trick. A neighbour did once offer me the number of the 'mole man', but I'd rather have an empty veg plot than the death of a mole on my conscience. Ants aren't really a bother in themselves (although a red ant bite can be a nasty surprise), but they can make your aphid problem worse. Ants 'farm' aphids by moving them to your plants so they can feed and breed, then the ants feed on the aphids' honeydew (the sweet substance they excrete – yuck!) Ants like to nest in dry soil, so mulching regularly to ensure your soil is moisture-retentive can discourage them from setting up home near your plants. If they're already there, keeping the soil moist (but not drenched) will encourage them to move on. Boiling water can kill ants, but that's cruel and unnecessary. Whether you're growing in the countryside or the city, mice will be nearby. They are happy to munch on so many different plants – from germinating peas to newly planted bulbs – that once they've got their teeth into your planting plan, it can be enough to make you give up on gardening. These rodents can be a challenge to manage and, yes, a cat would be very helpful. But if, like me, you're seriously allergic to felines, try using row covers or fine mesh pinned down diligently. I have also found that – as with foxes – laying plenty of prickly holly clippings around plants does the trick.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Reuters
Sierra Leone chimp refuge shuts doors to tourists to protest deforestation
FREETOWN, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The eco-lodges and tree-covered footpaths of West Africa's largest chimpanzee refuge have been devoid of tourists for more than two months as its founder stages a protest about rampant deforestation in Sierra Leone. Authorities acknowledge that the country's rich wildlife is threatened by land seizures and illegal logging, but the founder of the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Bala Amarasekaran, says they have not yet done enough about it to convince him to reopen to visitors. "A few months back, we could see the land grabbing and the encroachment coming closer to the sanctuary," Amarasekaran told Reuters at the refuge, which is home to more than 100 mainly orphaned chimps and normally lets guests stay in its lodges. "(Deforestation) is really threatening the sanctuary's existence, because it's too dangerous when people come close to a wildlife preserve like this," said Amarasekaran, who founded the refuge 30 years ago and has led it through crises including civil war and the 2013-2016 Ebola epidemic. Sierra Leone lost approximately 2.17 million hectares (5.36 million acres) of tree cover between 2001 and 2024, representing about 39% of the total in 2000, according to online tracker Global Forest Watch. The Western Area Peninsula, home to the capital Freetown and Tacugama, lost more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of tree cover during that same period. Amarasekaran said deforestation in the area was fuelled by "land grabbing" for development. The consequences of rapid deforestation were highlighted by a mudslide on the slopes of Mount Sugar Loaf in 2017 that killed an estimated 1,000 people. A 2019 paper published by the Geological Society of London blamed the incident on a mix of heavy rain, deforested slopes and unchecked construction. It said tree loss had weakened the soil's ability to absorb water and hold together, worsening the mudflow. "It's a serious problem, an existential problem," Sierra Leone's Information Minister Chernor Bah told Reuters. "We regret that the Tacugama authorities have taken the step that they have taken to shut down here, but it's one that we understand." Amarasekaran said President Julius Maada Bio's government had dispatched a task force to conduct some raids on illegal logging operations, but complained about a lack of follow-up operations. Bah said the government was committed to protecting the peninsula's forests.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Woman who planted nature reserve trees 'distraught' over removal
A woman who planted 10 native trees in a north-west London nature reserve has said she was "distraught" when they were dug up and years ago, Sonia Rosenblatt and her close friend planted the trees to "enhance the biodiversity" in site of special scientific interest (SSSI) Bentley Priory Nature Reserve in trees became a deeply personal memorial when five days later, Ms Rosenblatt's friend died suddenly."They weren't just trees to me," she said. Harrow Council said it was investigating the removal. Ms Rosenblatt said she received a verbal agreement for the planting in May 2020 from a previous head warden of Harrow Nature Conservation Forum (HNCF) – a group of volunteers who maintain most nature reserves in Harrow, including 173-acre Bentley Priory. The native trees Ms Rosenblatt planted with her friend included hazel, hornbeam, hawthorn, beech, and field maple. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that since the trees were removed in May, she can no longer bring herself to step foot inside the park to remember her friend."This was a place I just had to go to talk to him. I was distraught. I've never experienced pain like that. Never," she said.A few months after the planting, a Harrow Council officer threatened to have the trees removed. 'Heart and soul' Ms Rosenblatt escalated the matter to the ward councillor, Marilyn Ashton – who is also chairman of the Bentley Priory Nature Reserve Committee and deputy leader of Harrow Council – and she intervened to stop action being taken at the Ashton said: "I'm not saying it's wrong to remove them but I felt sorry for her and didn't think they were doing that much harm. It's just a few trees." Ms Rosenblatt said she maintained the trees at her own expense for five years and was shocked to discover they had been removed in said: "Initially I tried to not think about it because the pain was too much to bear. Then I got really angry." After submitting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Harrow Council, Sonia learned that a former council officer had issued a removal order for the trees in 2022, which was carried out in May 2025. Reasons cited for the removal of the trees in the FOI include that the planting had not been approved by the council and their removal was done for the purpose of ecological Ashton said she was not asked if the trees could be removed. Ms Rosenblatt is seeking a public apology, as well as for new trees to be planted in a satisfactory location and for those responsible for the removal to be held accountable.A Harrow Council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the trees being removed and subsequently have received a complaint on this. "We are currently looking into the circumstances of how and why this took place and will liaise directly with Sonia once our investigation is complete."
