Protecting the world’s precious wetlands

Wetlands generate many benefits for society and are crucial for human well-being but despite the efforts to preserve them, scientists are warning that the world's wetlands are under threat as environmental destruction continues on its collision course with nature.

Wetland ecologist and paleoecologist Professor Peter Gell has co-edited the book Ramsar Wetlands, which reflects on the first 50 years of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands – the world's first modern treaty between nations aimed at conserving natural resources.

Established in 1971, the Ramsar Convention aims to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve those that remain through international cooperation, policy-making, capacity building and technology transfer.

There are 172 countries that have become signatories to the Ramsar Convention, and 2.5 million square kilometres or 16 per cent of the world's wetlands – are covered under the Ramsar Convention.

"Wetlands worldwide are in trouble. Through drainage and conversion to other land uses, the area of natural wetlands is decreasing, although the extent of losses is uncertain," Professor Gell said.

"Overall, the rate of loss during the last 100 years has been 3.7 times faster than earlier. Although more wetlands are reported to be in good than poor ecological character state, more are deteriorating than improving in state, and deterioration is becoming increasingly widespread."

"Wetlands are deteriorating in all parts of the world. As might be expected from the wetland losses and the deterioration of remaining wetlands, the status of species depending on these wetlands is also in long-term decline."

The book was published by Elsevier and has contributions from scientists worldwide. It is co-edited by Professor Max Finlayson, an internationally renowned wetland ecologist based at Charles Sturt University and Professor Nick Davidson, Adjunct Professor at Charles Sturt University, who was previously the Deputy Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention. Professor Gell is a member of the Ramsar and Restoration chapters of the Society for Wetland Science.

Natural and human-made habitat types can be classified as wetlands, from rivers to coral reefs. This includes swamps, marshes, billabongs, lakes, salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs, fens, peat bogs, and bodies of water. However, the Living Planet Index identifies that the impacts of humanity have fallen heaviest on freshwater ecosystems compared to terrestrial or marine ecosystems.

Australia has 67 Ramsar-classified wetlands covering more than 8.3 million hectares, with 12 of these in Victoria. Professor Gell has carried out research and fieldwork at many across the country.

Professor Gell says the Ramsar Convention needs to continue to monitor the state of the world's wetlands to protect and restore wetlands that have been degraded.

"It also needs to establish how nations can deal with the rapidly evolving changes affecting wetlands under a future climate," Professor Gell said.

"These findings of continuing loss and degradation of wetlands indicate that the objective of the 1971 Ramsar Convention – to stem the loss and degradation of wetlands – has not yet been achieved.

"The status of wetlands worldwide continues to decline and aquatic biodiversity in particular faces great threats both through ongoing direct exploitation by humanity, and through multiple indirect effects, including pollution, agricultural intensification, climate change and the spread of invasive species."

Professor Gell says the book acknowledges the work and dedication of the founders of the Convention and those that followed them, and the many nations that are signatories and have striven to implement the goals and vision established in 1971 and extended over the intervening years.

"It also recognises the contribution and vigilance of those across all nations who see the significance of wetlands and their biota and the well-being afforded by them to human communities."

Related reading:

Digging deep to reveal the history of Australia's wetlands

Protecting a region famed for its biodiversity