Cali, Colombia, 25 October 2024 –

Today, more than 140 organisations and experts are calling on Heads of State and governments to prioritise water and wetlands in efforts to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework and in decisions to be adopted at the UN Biodiversity COP16.

On Forests and Water Day at COP16, the joint letter – initiated by Wetlands International, WWF, WWT, IUCN, BirdLife International and IWMI – is an urgent appeal from NGOs and experts to governments to put water and wetlands at the heart of GBF implementation at global and national levels, and through policies, funding, and partnerships in order to halt and reverse nature loss this decade. 

The letter puts forward seven priorities for governments to act on at COP16: 

1. As part of the negotiations on synergies between climate and biodiversity, harness the power of wetlands as powerful nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation: from the carbon storage of peatlands, to the coastal protection of mangroves.
2. Mobilise dedicated finance for wetland conservation and restoration through global level instruments and via national biodiversity finance plans, and consider wetlands in efforts to phase out subsidies that are harmful to nature.
3. Adopt bold and quantifiable national targets and action plans for wetland restoration and protection in NBSAPs, focussing on wetland wildlife hotspots and ecological corridors, such as the flyways of migratory birds and the swimways of migratory fish, and landscape-scale approaches.
4. Monitor progress on inland waters for Goals A and B, and Targets 1, 2 and 3 through disaggregation of the headline indicators by inland waters in national reporting.
5. Address the drivers of wetland loss including unsustainable agriculture, infrastructure development, pollution, and overexploitation
6. Invest in urban wetlands to make cities liveable, improve water and air quality, reduce heat extremes, and mitigate flooding
7. Embrace synergies with the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to deliver the CBD’s Programme of Work on Inland Waters at global, regional and national levels, including to improve wetland data and share technical guidance, knowledge and expertise, as well as strengthen synergies with the UNFCCC and UNCCD.

Wetlands cover 6% of the Earth’s surface, but they are home to 40% of all known plant and animal species. Just as importantly, wetlands are critical connecting ecosystems, linking different habitats and facilitating the movement of species, including the global flyways of migratory waterbirds and the swimways of migratory fish.

Two years ago, the inclusion of explicit targets for the restoration and protection of inland water ecosystems (Targets 2 and 3) of the Global Biodiversity Framework elevated rivers, lakes and other wetlands to the same level as land and oceans. Today the letter calls for bolder action to harness the power of wetlands to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Han de Groot, CEO of Wetlands International: “Wetlands are the superheroes of nature and home to 40 percent of the world’s biodiversity. Today we have an unmissable opportunity to restore and conserve mangroves, peatlands, rivers and lakes. We must also tackle the drivers of wetland loss. By stepping up collective action, together we can secure the future of the world’s water-related ecosystems.” 

Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive of WWT: “Wetlands are a solution to the global nature and climate crisis. We need to conserve and restore wetlands like our lives depend on them; because they do.  Water and wetlands need a welcome, indeed demand a vital, seat at the table when implementing the GBF at the global and national level, with bold, quantifiable targets and clear financing pathways for wetland restoration and conservation.”

Mark Smith, Director General of International Water Management Institute: “Wetland conservation, restoration, and wise-use yields a multitude of benefits, enhancing biodiversity, boosting resilience to climate change, and promoting opportunities for better livelihoods. Now is the time for countries to set ambitious national targets and strengthen action for wetland and water management, paving the way to achieving the KMGBF goals.”

Martin Harper, CEO – BirdLife International: “People and nature depend on wetlands for survival and welfare. However, they are in crisis.  We are losing them at a shocking rate, threatening people’s livelihoods and making them more vulnerable to climate change, but also driving declines in species populations. Migratory waterbirds depend on a network of wetlands across each of the great flyways of the world – natural superhighways. Without greater action to protect and restore these irreplaceable sites, we risk losing the wonder of migration and undermining our species’ prosperity.  The time to reinvigorate wetland restoration efforts is now.”

Stu Orr, WWF Global Freshwater Lead: “WWF’s recent living planet report showed that freshwater species have suffered the greatest declines of any biome in the last 70 years. This is the clearest sign of the damage we have done to our freshwater ecosystems. We urgently need to invest in restoring healthy rivers and wetlands to build climate resilience and reconnect our catchments, landscapes and sea-scapes. The world needs to collectively rise to the Freshwater Challenge to tackle our nature and climate crises.”

Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director General of IUCN: “Wetlands are crucial for species, fresh water and a source of prosperity for many people around the world. Inland waters are experiencing the greatest loss in biodiversity, therefore it is critical that wetlands are included in NBSAPs to protect, restore, and improve the management of these critically important ecosystems.”

Read the joint letter here

For media inquiries, contact:
Niharika Iyengar (26 October – 1 November)
Communications Manager [email protected],

Full list of signatories

Organisations

Wetlands International | WWF | IUCN | WWT | IWMI | BirdLife International | 35percent | Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) | Beaver Trust | Canadian Rivers Institute | Centrum Ochrony Mokradeł (Wetlands Conservation Centre) | Chester Zoo | Freshwater BON | Freshwater Habitats Trust | Fundación Kennedy para la Conservación de los Humedales | Global River Protection Coalition | Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre Inc. | Institute of Fisheries Management | IUCN UK Peatland Programme | MedWet | Michael Succow Foundation / Greifswald Mire Centre | Natuurpunt | Nuwejaars River Nature Reserve | RE-PEAT | Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Inc. | Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program | Tour du Valat Foundation | University of Bath| Ramsar Network JAPAN | National nature park “Desnyansko-Starohutskyi” | Aarhus University | Aceh Wetland Foundation | Association des femmes et hommes unis pour la paix et le développement | Barranquilla+20 Foundation | BESE BV | Besøkssenter våtmark Nordre Øyeren | BirdLinks Armenia | Born Free Foundation | Building Environment (India) Private Limited | Carbon Holic |CCAO | Coastal Wetlands Research Insititute, AARDE Foundation | Cobra Collective CiC | COmON Foundation | Conservation Action Trust | Conservation Development Foundation | Eco-Horizon Institute of ROK | Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd | Global River Protection Coalition |  Greenchoice | Instituto Alexander von Humbolt | International Society of Tropical Foresters Ghana| KSLH- Aceh | Landscape Finance Lab | Miyajimanuma Waterbird and Wetland Center | Mongolian Bird Conservation Center |  Nick Davidson Environmental | The Council of Technical Education and Training| The Irish Peatland Conservation Council | The Pearl Protectors | The Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust | Triple Ds | Universidad de las Américas Puebla | University of Debrecen | University of Galway, ASPECT Research Unit |  University of Tehran | Waardenburg Ecology| Waterframes | We are here Venice ETS| Wetlands Conservation Organisation| Wetlands Conservation Society of Western Australia | Wild Bird Society of Tainan/Pheasant-tailed Jacana Conservation Park | Wildlife & Countryside Link  | Wildlife and Nature Protection Society | Zoological Society of London | Caledonian Climate Partners Limited |Fundacion Montecito | Fynbos Biodiversity Conservation NPC t/a Fynbos Trust  |  Global River Protection Coalition| KNEIA SL |Stroming | Synchronicity Earth| The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature | Society for Ecological Restoration

Individuals

Bas Louman (Program Coordinator, Tropenbos International) |Jan Paul van Aken (Sr. Advisor PPP International Water Programmes, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)) | Dr. Matthew Simpson (Director, 35 percent) | Sereivathanak Reasey HOY (Head of Department, Department of Natural Resource Management and Development, Royal University of Phnom Penh) | Steven M. de Jong (Professor, Utrecht University) | Matthew McCartney (Principal Researcher, IWMI) | Héctor Apontes (Professor, Universidad Científica del Sur) | Julian R. Thompson (Professor, UCL) | Ayenew Gezie Kebede (Assistant Professor, Bahir Dar University) | Bob Rigter (Committee member, Pūkorokoro shorebird centre) | Eston Kimaswoch (Conservation Education Projects officer, Lake Nakuru Environmeental Education Centre) | Tim Dodman (Associate Expert, Wetlands International) | Siobhan Fennessy (Jordan Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology, Kenyon College)|Dr Eric J Woehler OAM (Research Scientist, Australasian Seabird Group) | Maia Sarrouf Willson (Research & Conservation Manager, Environment Society of Oman) | Rabab Al Lawati (Conservation Outreach Coordinator, Environment Society of Oman)| Deshini Abeyewardena (Chairperson, Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd) |Kane Brides (Senior Research Officer, WWT) |Suaad Al Harthi (Executive Director, Environment Society of Oman)| Jakob Wallinga (Professor, Wageningen University) | Albert Vos (Program Manager, Province of Groningen) |Gillian Davies (Senior Ecologist/ Visiting Scholar, BSC Group, Inc and Tufts University Global Development & Environment Institute) |Florence Renou-Wilson (Researcher and Lecturer, University College Dublin) | Somchai Luangsod (Instructor, RMUTP) | Martin Chloé (Program Manager, Plan Bleu) | Claudino Silva (Conservationist, Maio Biodiversity Foundation) |Leo Raivonen (Research Scientist, Doctoral Researcher, The Natural Resources Institute Finland) |Aleksi Räsänen|Hanna Virpiranta (Associate Professor, University of Oulu) | José Miguel Sanchez Perez (Research Director, CNRS) | Mark Reed (Professor and Centre Director, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)) | Daniel von Schiller (Associate Professor, University of Barcelona) | Karin Beese (Project Manager, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) |Lucas Hayes (Research technician, University of Barcelona) | Jyrki Jauhiainen (Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Institute Finland) | Francesc Sabater (Professor, University of Barcelona) | Adine Storer (Biologist & Photographer) | Dr. David W. Miller (Chair, Conservation Commission of Winchester) | Santi Sabaté (Professor, University of Barcelona) |Eulogio Chacón-Moreno (Biodiversity researcher, Climate Research Foundation) |Magdalena von der Thannen (Researcher, PostDoc, BOKU University Vienna) | Marco Bartoli (Professor, University of Parma) | Elina Oksanen (Professor, University of Eastern Finland) | Sílvia Poblador (Postdoc researcher, University of Barcelona) | Clint Richards (Senior Consultant, Prospex Institute vzw) | José O. Valdebenito (Posdoctoral researcher, Universidad Austral de Chile) | Araxi Urrutia (Principal Investigator, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) |M. Cristina Carmona-Isunza (Academic, Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, UNAM) | Mara (Content Analyst, KNEIA) | Marilyn Olliff (Chairperson, Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre Inc) | Silvia Gómez-Arcusa (Research Technician, University of Barcelona) | Courtney Lin (Clinical Scientist) | Fergus O’Donoghue (Research Assistant, Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics) | Lorenzo Pugliese (Academic employee, Aarhus University) | María Elisa Sánchez (Ph.D. Candidate, Mountain Peatland Research, University of Saskatchewan) | Michael J. Roast (Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna) | Tiit Maran (MEP, Estonian Parliament)