Back from the brink and enhancing the momentum of global wetland conservation

Translated by TANG Dian

Abstract: The 27th World Wetlands Day was celebrated on February 2, 2023, themed “It’s time for wetland restoration”. As one of the three major ecosystems of the Earth, wetlands are known as the “kidney of the Earth”. They not only maintain the survival of other organisms and provide a good habitat, but also play a key role in achieving sustainable development goals. About 35 percent of the world’s wetlands were lost between 1970 and 2015. Since 2000, the rate of wetland loss has been accelerating. Now, countries around the world are beginning to restore wetlands, such as the development of emerging sponge cities in China. The momentum of global wetland conservation has increased. “In line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, we must stop policies and subsidies that incentivize deforestation and wetlands degradation from source to sea and promote their urgent restoration. At the same time, we must guide and drive investments to protect priority ecosystems, such as peatlands, and encourage the private sector to commit to deforestation and peatland-drainage-free supply chains,” says Leticia Carvalho, head of the Marine and Freshwater Branch at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Key words: Wetlands, restoration, ecosystem, biodiversity, climate change

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Back from the brink and enhancing the momentum of global wetland conservation. TANG Dian, tr. BioGreen - Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development. Vol. 1, February 2023. Total issues 35. ISSN2749-9065

Photo by North Pennines AONB, LIFE UAV