Ensuring the Global Biodiversity Framework prioritises measures to safeguard wetlands and wetland biodiversity
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Wetland values, status and trends
Wetlands cover just 7 percent of the planet but are home to 40% of the world’s biodiversity. Over one million threatened species of plants and animals depend on wetlands for their survival. Unfortunately, wetlands have received little attention within the negotiations for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which in turn is reflected in its goals and targets.
Wetlands occupy huge areas with unique biodiversity, character, and value of their own. They connect land and sea or are highly dynamic, connecting ecosystem types and so critically important for their health. The difficulty to characterise them means that they are typically overlooked when biodiversity frameworks are developed or integrated into other sectoral policies and plans. This is a key facilitator of their loss, which is accelerating and exceeding that of any other ecosystem type. Through this policy brief, we are therefore asking for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to adjust language and targets so that these hidden and overlooked systems are given the visibility, weight, and attention they deserve.
