"Wetlands provide freshwater, food, storm protection and climate regulation. Yet over the last 50 years, humans have destroyed one-fifth of them."
"A landmark report for the global agreement on wetlands paints a dire picture of the state of the world’s water bodies that underpin all life on Earth.
The report, released Tuesday by the secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, says that since 1970 more than one-fifth of wetlands have been lost, meaning they have shrunk so much they’re no longer viable or have completely disappeared. Out of what remains, a quarter of the water bodies are in ecological distress.
Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America have the most recent widespread deterioration on average, while Europe and North America have already destroyed many of their wetlands.
That spells trouble for global food security, climate stability and the capacity for life on Earth to persist, said Musonda Mumba, secretary general of the convention, in her written remarks about the report, the Global Wetland Outlook."
Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News July 15, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"Global Wetland Outlook 2025" (Ramsar)
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