World risks R700-trillion in economic losses from vanishing wetlands: report
About 22% of wetlands, 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 degradation is beyond what we can afford to ignore," said Hugh Robertson, lead author of the report.
The report called for annual investments of $275bn (R4.9-trillion) to $550bn (R9.8-trillion) to reverse the threats to the remaining wetlands, and said 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 classified as in a state of degradation, according to the report.
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Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
A fifth of world's wetlands may vanish by 2050, scientists warn
The destruction of wetlands affects water availability, biodiversity, climate stability and the wellbeing of all life, including people's livelihoods. Photo: File This is according to a This puts up to $39 trillion in ecosystem benefits at risk, more than any other ecosystem. The report found that since 1970, at least 400 million hectares of wetlands have been lost — that is 22% of the global total. And nearly a quarter of those that have survived are in a degraded state, a figure that is increasing. Degradation is now as pressing a concern as outright loss, the report said, warning that these losses significantly affect water availability, biodiversity, climate stability and human well-being. The report was launched before the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, which starts on Wednesday. Despite covering just 6% of the Earth's surface, wetlands provide ecosystem services that include clean water, food production, flood protection and carbon storage that total more than 7.5% of global GDP. They also support a disproportionately high share of livelihoods across sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture and tourism. Yet every year, 0.52% of wetlands are lost, undermining efforts to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. The report noted that these losses are unevenly distributed, with the highest rates occurring in low-income regions where wetlands are more ecologically critical and closely linked to local livelihoods, food systems and water supplies. National reports submitted under the Convention on Wetlands and global citizen science data confirm that the ecological condition of wetlands is deteriorating in most regions, particularly in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. But their situation is increasingly worsening in Europe and North America. The wetland types that have experienced the most significant historical declines include inland marshes, peatlands and lakes. Despite their immense value, wetlands continue to be lost or degraded at an alarming rate, 'threatening our collective future', wrote Musonda Mumba, secretary-general of the convention, in the report's foreword. 'The data presented in this outlook are sobering,' she said. 'Wetland degradation is widespread across all regions. Millions of hectares have been lost. Many freshwater species remain at risk.' The societal costs — from reduced access to clean water and increased vulnerability to disasters to rising emissions — are escalating. 'The economic value of the wetlands lost in the last 50 years exceeds $5.1 trillion, yet this figure does not fully reflect their intrinsic worth or cultural significance. While restoration is essential, prevention is more cost-effective. Once degraded, wetlands are expensive and difficult to restore,' Mumba noted. Cumulative pressures, including land-use change, pollution, agricultural expansion, hydrological disruption, invasive species and the effect of climate change — such as rising sea levels and drought — are driving these declines. 'These drivers are frequently interlinked, leading to nonlinear and difficult-to-reverse degradation processes,' the report said. National reports to COP15 showed that 74% of countries are undertaking wetland restoration to some extent, 66% have national targets in place, and more than 70% have identified priority sites. 'However, progress is uneven, and only a limited number of countries are implementing restoration at sufficient scale,' the report said. It detailed how vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society receive fewer of the benefits of wetlands than those with greater assets (such as property rights, financial capital and social status), but are also more dependent upon the goods and services provided by natural wetlands. 'Similarly, when wetlands are converted to other land uses, notably intensive agriculture or built infrastructure, ownership of the benefits tends to be held privately and by those with greater assets, while the cost of losing the wetland ecosystem services tends to fall on the disadvantaged … 'Additionally, disadvantaged groups tend to be more reliant upon regulating services provided by wetlands, such as flood protection and clean water, because they tend to live in more vulnerable areas and have less access to alternative (engineered) options.' Peatlands store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem yet many are degraded and now emit greenhouse gases rather than storing them. Coastal wetlands, such as mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes, sequester carbon rapidly, and buffer coastlines from rising sea levels and storms. Inland wetlands, such as rivers, lakes and marshes, regulate water flows to help prevent flooding and sustain water supplies during droughts. The report said that without urgent investment in these systems, climate goals will remain out of reach. Four pathways are outlined to reversing wetland loss and 'unlocking nature-positive investment'. These include integrating wetland value in decision-making; recognising wetlands as key to the global water cycle — for their role in storing, filtering, and regulating water; embedding wetlands in innovative financing mechanisms — including carbon markets, resilience bonds and blended finance; and mobilising public and private resources for wetland restoration. The report features a wide selection of case studies that demonstrate progress is possible — and prevention is cheaper than restoration, which can cost anywhere from $1 000 to $70 000 a hectare depending on the ecosystem. In Zambia's Kafue Flats, an A national case study from South Africa highlights the new automated wetland condition assessment methodology developed through the The innovative approach involves 'GIS automation and stakeholder validation to provide a scalable, cost-effective way of tracking wetland ecosystem conditions across the country', the report noted. Coenraad Krijger, the chief executive of Wetlands International, said in a statement that the report is a sobering read, but 'it does showcase pathways to a brighter future — if we all work together'.
Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Daily Maverick
South Africa's wetlands are disappearing faster than we can restore them
South Africa's vital wetlands are degrading faster than investment in their rehabilitation. As a result, they are facing catastrophic decline. This follows a global trend of wetland decline, a key finding in the new Global Wetland Outlook. 'South Africa's wetlands are in critical decline,' Dr Farai Terrerai, director of biodiversity assessments at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), told Daily Maverick upon the release of the 2025 Global Wetland Outlook on Tuesday, 15 July. This follows a global trend of declining wetlands, with severe impacts for people and the environment. The 2025 Global Wetland Outlook (GWO), published by the Convention on Wetlands and produced by its Scientific and Technical Review Panel, warns that without urgent action, one-fifth of the world's remaining wetlands could vanish by 2050. The estimated cost of that loss, according to the report, is up to $39-trillion in benefits that support people, economies and nature. The report ultimately synthesises recent scientific and economic evidence to examine the extent of wetland loss and degradation, the ecosystem services that wetlands provide, and the actions required to achieve international restoration and conservation targets. Wetlands in crisis and a call to action Wetlands, encompassing a diverse range of ecosystems, from marshes and swamps to coastal mangroves and coral reefs, are indispensable for human wellbeing and the planet's ecological balance. They provide myriad ecosystem services, including water purification, flood control, carbon sequestration and support for an astonishing 40% of known plant and animal species. Despite their immense value, the GWO 2025 paints a grim picture of widespread degradation across all regions, with millions of hectares lost and countless freshwater species pushed to the brink. Alarmingly, the GWO 2025 found that since 1970, an estimated 411 million hectares of wetlands (about 22% of the global total) have been lost, with an ongoing annual decline of 0.52%. The lead authors, including lead of the Freshwater Biodiversity Programme at SANBI, Nancy Job, said that these losses significantly affect water availability, biodiversity, climate stability and human wellbeing. The Outlook also found that degradation of wetlands globally now rivals outright loss, with about 25% of the remaining wetlands in poor ecological condition – this proportion is increasing in all regions. It estimates that the world's remaining wetlands contribute up to $39-trillion in benefits each year, yet conservation funding remains far below what is required. There are a number of interacting pressures leading to this, including agricultural expansion, pollution, infrastructure development, hydrological disruption and the impacts of climate change. In the opening remarks of the Outlook, secretary-general of the Convention on Wetlands Dr Musonda Mumba and chair of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel at the Convention on Wetlands Dr Hugh Robertson, state: 'The data presented in this Outlook are sobering.' They revealed that the economic value of wetlands lost over the past 50 years exceeds $5.1-trillion. But this figure fails to capture the full intrinsic worth and profound cultural significance of these vital ecosystems. Reduced access to clean water, increased vulnerability to natural disasters and rising greenhouse gas emissions are just some of the mounting costs associated with the decline of wetlands globally. The Outlook was launched in the lead-up to the Convention on Wetlands COP15 in Zimbabwe next week, when 172 countries will gather at Victoria Falls to strengthen international commitments for wetland conservation. Dr Evelyn Ndhlovu, the minister of the environment, climate and wildlife in Zimbabwe, said during the launch: 'Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems for water and biodiversity. Yet in many countries, including my own, they face growing pressure from land use changes, population growth and the impacts of climate change.' Ndhlovu called for better data, better coordination in response, and to effectively come up with the programmes that will change this status quo. The critical decline of South Africa's wetlands The GWO 2025 highlights that South African wetlands are degrading faster than they can be restored. Terrerai said the rate of degradation in the country continues to outpace investment in rehabilitation efforts. Terrerai said the main drivers of wetland degradation in South Africa align with regional trends in Africa, and include: urban, agricultural and industrial pollution; urban expansion; agricultural intensification; infrastructure development; and invasion by alien species. South Africa is showcased in a case study for developing a national wetland map and piloting an automated GIS-based WET-Health assessment. This GIS-based national assessment using WET-Health 2.0 indicates that wetlands are likely to be in worse condition than current desktop estimates suggest, due to unmeasured field-based impacts. Terrerai said this work, led by SANBI, supports national-level reporting and policy decisions by estimating the historical extent and current condition of wetlands. Terrerai added that a key finding from the Outlook was that wetlands in least-developed and lower-income countries, including many in Africa, were reported to be in the worst ecological condition globally. 'This has significant equity implications, particularly where people depend on wetlands for water, food and livelihoods,' said Terrerai. The GWO 2025 also emphatically states that while restoration is undeniably essential, prevention remains significantly more cost-effective. Terrerai said that even though many of South Africa's wetlands require restoration, protection of pristine wetlands and prioritising those in their early stages of degradation was more strategic than targeting wetlands that were at advanced stages of degradation. South Africa has strong goals for its wetlands as part of its national plan for protecting nature (NBSAP), which follows international agreements. The country is updating this plan to help reach global targets, such as restoring 30% of damaged ecosystems by 2030. However, even though wetlands are really important for dealing with climate change (like helping with floods or droughts), specific targets for wetlands aren't officially included in South Africa's national climate action plans (NDCs), according to Terrerai. Despite this, the NDC process requires different sectors to create their own climate response plans. In response, South Africa has developed strategies for its biodiversity and ecosystems sector that specifically includes protecting and restoring wetlands as a priority for adapting to climate change. Once wetlands are degraded, their restoration becomes an arduous and expensive undertaking. This is the bedrock of the Outlook's urgent call for a fundamental paradigm shift. Pathways forward Robertson said: 'The findings are challenging, reiterating the poor state of many of the world's wetlands, but the report is also hopeful. We need to be hopeful. And there is a pathway.' The Outlook presents four possible pathways to move forward in terms of the financing of all the work that is needed to conserve and restore the many values that wetlands provide people: Improve natural capital valuation and integration in decision-making: Wetlands have been systematically undervalued, leading to market failures. The Outlook calls for the use of new tools, which are already available, to capture the true wealth of wetlands, the invisible and visible, not just a limited subset of benefits. The Outlook asks policymakers to value wetlands as critical natural capital and integrate them into climate change, water management and sustainable development agendas; Recognise wetlands as an integral component of the global water cycle for all people: Shifting this perspective highlights wetlands as a global public good, crucial for addressing interlinked climate, biodiversity and water crises; Embedding and prioritising wetlands in innovative financial solutions for nature and people: This involves incorporating wetlands into mechanisms like green bonds, biodiversity credits and debt-for-nature swaps to mobilise significant investment; and Unlocking a private and public financial mix for investment in wetlands as nature-based solutions: Encouraging investments that mitigate negative impacts while delivering positive environmental co-benefits is crucial. The Outlook says public sector finance is vital to scale up these nature-based solutions. Journalist comment For South Africa, applying these pathways requires strong political will, widespread public support and significant financial investment. This means fostering cross-sectoral partnerships and implementing integrated, inclusive spatial planning to address pollution, habitat loss and overexploitation of water resources. By doing so, the nation can move from reactive responses to proactive policies, securing its natural wealth and the billions in benefits wetlands provide. The role of wetlands in Africa's development Dr Anthony Nyong, director of climate change and green growth at the African Development Bank said during the launch of the Outlook that wetlands were a major resource and very critical to Africa's development. 'Though wetlands occupy just 6% of the Earth's surface, they contribute about 7.5% to global GDP, yet this is undervalued… Currently, the report notes that biodiversity conservation across all ecosystems accounts for just 0.25% of global GDP. This shows a serious underinvestment,' Nyong said. Nyong added that between 1975 and now, the world lost an estimated $5.1-trillion in wetland-derived ecosystem services. He cautioned: 'If this trend continues, up to $39-trillion in global benefits could be lost by the year 2050.' Nyong urged that the protection of wetlands in Africa needed to be prioritised and said the continent needed to look into the resources it has. 'At the African Development Bank, we see wetlands as vital natural capital. Africa's economies are nature-dependent. In some countries, over 60% of GDP comes from sectors like agriculture, forestry and tourism. Yet these contributions are often missing from national accounts,' he said. That is why, at COP29 last year, Nyong said the African Development Bank launched a report titled Measuring the Green Wealth of Nations and called for Africa's GDP to reflect its true natural wealth. The African Development Bank is supporting countries to access climate and nature finance and is also helping African countries to develop investable nature-based projects, many of which centre on wetlands. But Nyong said challenges remain, including data and knowledge gaps, weak governance, insufficient funding and a limited pipeline of investable projects. 'This report we are launching today goes a long way in bridging the data and knowledge gap. We cannot say anymore that we didn't know. We know. And so let's put that as we plan our work.' DM
The Herald
5 days ago
- The Herald
World risks R700-trillion in economic losses from vanishing wetlands: report
The global destruction of wetlands, which support fisheries, agriculture and flood control, may mean the loss of $39-trillion (R698.8-trillion) in economic benefits by 2050, according to a report by the Convention on Wetlands released on Tuesday. About 22% of wetlands, 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 degradation is beyond what we can afford to ignore," said Hugh Robertson, lead author of the report. The report called for annual investments of $275bn (R4.9-trillion) to $550bn (R9.8-trillion) to reverse the threats to the remaining wetlands, and said 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 classified as in a state of degradation, according to the report.
