PHOTO VIA WIKIPEDIA, CC BY-SA
The picture
Marshes, swamps, bogs and mangroves store carbon, filter water, buffer floods, and shelter an astonishing share of wildlife. We have lost a third of the world’s wetlands since 1970, but restoration is one of the highest-return actions in conservation.
The science
Wetlands cover ~6% of land but support ~40% of all species. Peat wetlands alone store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.
In numbers
Worth repeating at dinner
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.
- Ramsar Convention
Coastal mangroves can absorb wave energy and blunt the force of storm surges.
- NOAA
What they face
Wetlands are filled for farmland and building, releasing stored carbon.
Ramsar
Fertilizer and plastic runoff choke the water and its life.
UNEP
What is already working
Re-flooding drained land quickly revives wetland life and carbon storage.
Home rain gardens mimic wetlands, filtering runoff before it pollutes.
Reasons for hope
Restored marshes attract birds and store carbon within a few years.
Community mangrove planting is protecting coastlines and nurseries for fish.
Meet them
Small actions that reach them
People doing the big work
Hopeling is also a pocket companion: one fact, one small act a day. Open the app