The global destruction of wetlands—which sustain fisheries, agriculture, water purification, and flood control—could result in the loss of $39 trillion in economic benefits by 2050, warns the Global Wetland Outlook 2025 from the Convention on Wetlands.
Wetlands are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem on Earth. Since 1970, the world has lost 22% of its wetlands, including critical freshwater systems such as peatlands, rivers, and lakes, as well as coastal marine ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. These natural systems not only provide habitat for 40% of the world’s biodiversity but also play a vital role in storing carbon, protecting coastlines, and buffering communities from floods and droughts.
The hidden cost of wetland loss extends beyond immediate economic impacts. Wetlands store double the carbon of the world’s forests, making their degradation a powerful accelerator of climate change. Their destruction also disrupts water cycles, increases the risk of devastating floods and droughts, and undermines food security for millions who depend on inland and coastal fisheries.
The Global Wetland Outlook emphasizes that the pace of wetland loss is accelerating, and the time it takes for impacts to double is shrinking—a warning that the $39 trillion projected loss by 2050 may, in reality, be an optimistic estimate if current trends continue.
Wetlands help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon while simultaneously protecting against its impacts:
Flood protection: Wetlands absorb excess rainfall and storm surges, reducing the risk of urban and coastal flooding.
Drought resilience: By storing water, wetlands help maintain water availability during dry periods.
Water purification: Wetlands filter pollutants, improving water quality for agriculture, fisheries, and human consumption.
Biodiversity hotspots: They sustain essential ecosystems that support fisheries, agriculture, and wildlife.
Like glaciers, rainforests, and ocean currents, wetlands are reaching tipping points. The collapse of wetlands can trigger feedback loops:
Degraded peatlands emit stored CO₂ and methane, intensifying global warming.
Loss of mangroves and reefs removes coastal protection, leading to more erosion and flooding, which in turn further degrades ecosystems.
Reduced water storage capacity increases drought vulnerability, leading to fires and further wetland destruction.
As climate change intensifies, wetlands face additional pressures from sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and extreme weather events, placing even intact wetlands at risk of collapse.
The report calls for:
Restoration of degraded wetlands to enhance resilience and carbon storage.
Stronger legal protections and integrated water management across local, national, and global scales.
Incentives for nature-based solutions, recognizing wetlands as critical infrastructure for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Without urgent action, the continued destruction of wetlands will not only result in a catastrophic economic loss but also accelerate the collapse of other interconnected systems, threatening global climate stability and human habitability.
These tipping points do not act in isolation. Each collapse amplifies stress on others, triggering tipping cascades:
Melting Greenland ice weakens the AMOC, which alters weather patterns, drying the Amazon, triggering dieback that releases CO₂, further warming the Arctic, collapsing permafrost, and amplifying ocean heating.
Changes in Arctic sea ice affect jet stream patterns, causing persistent heat domes, droughts, and flooding cycles, which destabilize ecosystems and food systems.
The weakening of the AMOC is linked to increased East Coast flooding, European storm intensification, and droughts in the Sahel, while simultaneously accelerating Antarctic ice melt.
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