News: The Global Wetland Outlook 2025 warns that wetlands are vanishing faster than any other natural system.
About Global Wetland Outlook
- It is the flagship report of the Convention on Wetlands (famously known as Ramsar Convention), developed by its Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP).
- The first edition of the Global Wetland Outlook was published in 2018.
- It provides the most current and comprehensive data on the extent, condition, and trends of wetlands worldwide, their economic and societal value, and the steps needed for their conservation, restoration, and sustainable financing.
- The report is being launched in the lead-up to the COP15, which will take place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 23 to 31 July 2025.
Key Highlights of Global Wetland Outlook 2025
- Africa’s wetlands among the most degraded in the world.
- 22% of the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1970 and an additional one-fifth of the world’s remaining wetlands could be at risk by mid-century without urgent action.
- Wetlands cover just 6% of earth’s surface, but deliver ecosystem services valued at more than 7.5% of global GDP — up to $39 trillion annually — including water purification, carbon storage, coastal protection, and support for food systems and livelihoods.
- The world is losing wetlands at an annual rate of 0.52%.
- Reson for degradation: The urbanization and industrial development as key drivers of this decline.
- Case studies:
- Zambia’s Kafue Flats: Here, an initial $300,000 restoration initiative has grown into a $1 million annual investment that sustains biodiversity and the ecosystem services that support roughly 3 million people.
- Regional Flyway Initiative: It is a $3 billion partnership across Asia, aims at restoring more than 140 wetlands critical to migratory birds and nearly 200 million people.
- Way Forward suggested: Four pathways to reversing wetland loss and unlocking nature-positive investment are outlined in the report:
- Integrate wetland value in decision-making—treating wetlands as essential infrastructure in land-use, water, and economic planning.
- Recognize wetlands as key to the global water cycle—for their role in storing, filtering, and regulating water.
- Embed wetlands in innovative financing mechanisms—including carbon markets, resilience bonds, and blended finance.
- Mobilize public and private resources for wetland restoration—through partnerships that fund action on the ground and support local communities.
