Humans Are Wiping Out Water Bodies That Life Depends On, New Report Says – Inside Climate News

Global Wetland Outlook: A Report on Ecological Decline and its Implications for Sustainable Development

Executive Summary

A landmark report from the secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, the Global Wetland Outlook, details a severe and widespread degradation of the world’s wetland ecosystems. The findings indicate a critical threat to global stability and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Since 1970, more than one-fifth of the world’s wetlands have been lost entirely or shrunk to the point of non-viability.
• Of the remaining wetlands, a quarter are reported to be in ecological distress.
• The most significant recent deterioration has occurred in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
• The primary drivers of this loss are human activities, including conversion for agriculture, urban expansion, and industrialization, compounded by unsustainable water extraction.

Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The decline of wetlands directly undermines progress across a broad spectrum of the Sustainable Development Goals. These ecosystems are fundamental to human well-being, environmental health, and economic prosperity.

Threats to Foundational Goals: Water, Food, and Climate

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Wetlands are vital for replenishing drinking water sources. Their degradation directly threatens water security for billions of people and compromises the goal of ensuring available and sustainable management of water.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): As critical sources for food, including fisheries and rice paddies, the loss of wetlands jeopardizes global food security and the effort to end hunger.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Wetlands play a crucial role in climate mitigation by acting as significant carbon sinks and in climate adaptation by protecting communities from storms and flooding. Their destruction releases stored carbon and increases vulnerability to climate impacts.

Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

• SDG 14 (Life Below Water) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): The report confirms widespread degradation across marine and inland wetlands, including coral reefs, mangroves, rivers, and peatlands. This represents a direct assault on biodiversity and the goals to conserve and sustainably use aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Socio-Economic and Equity Implications

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The report highlights that Indigenous and local communities, who often act as custodians of wetlands, bear the brunt of the consequences of their loss. This exacerbates poverty and inequality as livelihoods, sustenance, and cultural heritage are destroyed.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The immense economic value of healthy wetlands is underscored. Restoration projects, such as the one in Zambia’s Kafue Flats which unlocked a $30 million artisanal fishery, demonstrate that protecting wetlands is a cost-effective investment in sustainable economic growth.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The function of wetlands as natural barriers and sponges is essential for protecting urban and rural settlements from extreme weather, making their conservation integral to building resilient communities.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): Unsustainable water extraction for agriculture and industry, accounting for 89% of withdrawals, is a key driver of wetland loss, pointing to the urgent need for more responsible production patterns.

Economic Valuation and Financial Recommendations

The report quantifies the immense economic value of wetlands and the financial imperative for their protection, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• The economic cost of wetland loss over the last 50 years is estimated to exceed $5.1 trillion.
• Conversely, safeguarding remaining wetlands is projected to yield $205 trillion in ecosystem services over the next 25 years.
• A significant funding gap exists: wetland ecosystem services represent about 7.5% of global GDP, yet biodiversity funding is only 0.25% of global GDP.

To bridge this gap and foster partnerships, the report recommends:

1. Taxing businesses that cause environmental harm and directing revenue toward wetland protection.
2. Implementing “debt-for-nature swaps,” where a portion of a nation’s debt is forgiven in exchange for commitments to ecosystem conservation.
3. Integrating the non-market values of ecosystem services, such as water purification and flood control, into mainstream economic models and decision-making.

A Call for Transformative Change and a Path Forward

The report concludes that “transformative societal change” is required to halt wetland destruction and meet global restoration targets, such as restoring 30% of degraded wetlands. Achieving this requires a multi-faceted approach.

1. Prioritize Prevention: While restoration is essential, preventing further degradation is the most cost-effective strategy.
2. Recognize Intrinsic Value: Acknowledge that the value of wetlands extends beyond monetary figures to include cultural, spiritual, and intrinsic worth, particularly for Indigenous peoples and local communities.
3. Strengthen Governance: Ensure the full inclusion of local and Indigenous communities in decision-making processes regarding wetland management.
4. Increase Investment: Substantially increase financial commitments for wetland conservation and restoration to a level that reflects their fundamental importance to planetary health and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Global Wetland Outlook touches upon several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by highlighting the critical role of wetlands in global sustainability and the dire consequences of their degradation. The following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article directly links wetlands to “global food security,” stating that they “feed billions of people globally” through ecosystems like “fish ponds and rice paddies” and by supporting artisanal fisheries.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is a central theme, as the article discusses the state of the “world’s water bodies.” It emphasizes that wetlands “play a crucial role in replenishing drinking water sources” and that their degradation from pollution and unsustainable water extraction threatens water resources.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article points out the disproportionate impact of wetland loss on vulnerable populations, stating that “Indigenous and local communities typically bear the brunt of the consequences” and that the costs of degradation “fall on the disadvantaged.” It calls for their inclusion in decision-making.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The connection to climate is explicitly made. Wetlands are described as crucial for “climate stability,” as they “mitigate climate change” and “protect communities from intense storms and flooding by acting as natural barriers and sponges.”
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The report evaluated several marine and coastal wetland ecosystems, including “seagrass, kelp forests, coral reefs, estuarine waters, salt marshes, mangroves, [and] tidal flats,” directly linking the issue to the health of marine environments.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article’s primary focus is on the loss of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. It covers “lakes, rivers and streams, inland marshes and swamps, and peatlands” and calls for their conservation and restoration, which is the core of this SDG.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The entire article is based on a report from the “Convention on Wetlands” (Ramsar Convention), an international treaty with “173 government parties.” This highlights the importance of global agreements and multi-stakeholder collaboration to address the issue.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific issues discussed, the following SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
   • Explanation: The article is fundamentally about the loss of wetlands (“more than one-fifth of wetlands have been lost”) and makes a direct call to “restore 30 percent of wetlands that have been lost or degraded.”
2. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
   • Explanation: This target is central to the article, which focuses on the degradation of inland wetlands like lakes, rivers, and peatlands due to human activity and calls for their conservation and “wise use” as promoted by the Ramsar Convention.
3. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.
   • Explanation: The report’s analysis of marine ecosystems like “coral reefs, seagrass, kelp forests, [and] mangroves” and the documentation of their degradation directly relate to this target.
4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Explanation: The article states that wetlands “protect communities from intense storms and flooding by acting as natural barriers and sponges,” which directly supports this target of building resilience to climate-related disasters.
5. Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems…
   • Explanation: The article links wetlands to “global food security” and mentions man-made wetlands like “rice paddies” and natural systems supporting “$30 million annually” in artisanal fisheries. The degradation of these ecosystems threatens sustainable food sources.
6. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • Explanation: The report explicitly calls for “the inclusion of Indigenous and local communities in decision making about wetlands,” as they are disproportionately affected by wetland loss.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Indicator for Targets 6.6 and 15.1 (Extent of water-related ecosystems): The article provides a baseline and a target for the extent of wetlands.
  • Data Point: “since 1970 more than one-fifth of wetlands have been lost.”
  • Data Point: “a quarter of the water bodies are in ecological distress.”
  • Target Metric: The goal to “restore 30 percent of wetlands that have been lost or degraded—roughly 428 million hectares.”
• Indicator for Target 6.4 (Change in water-use efficiency): The article provides a key statistic on water withdrawals, which is a measure of water stress and efficiency.
  • Data Point: “Intensive water use for agriculture and other industry accounts for a combined 89 percent of water withdrawals.”
• Indicator for Targets 6.6, 14.2, 15.1 (Ecosystem Value): The article quantifies the economic value of ecosystem services, which can be used to track the benefits of restoration.
  • Data Point: “Lakes and rivers provide between $18,000 and $39,000 in ecosystem services per hectare annually.”
  • Data Point: For coral reefs, the value is between “$99,000 and nearly $518,000” per hectare annually.
• Indicator for Target 10.2 (Inclusion in Decision-Making): The article implies an indicator by highlighting a current gap.
  • Implied Indicator: The level of participation of “Indigenous and local communities in decision making about wetlands.” Progress would be measured by an increase in their formal inclusion in governance.
• Indicator for Target 17.16 (Progress of multi-stakeholder partnerships): The article mentions the key international partnership for this issue.
  • Data Point: The existence of the Convention on Wetlands with “173 government parties” serves as an indicator of the global partnership structure.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insideclimatenews.org