Wetlands Are the World’s most effective Carbon Sinks: Store Twice the Carbon of All Forests Combined
SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 14: Life Below Water
Institutions: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
A recent article published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) emphasizes that thriving wetlands are crucial for biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustained livelihoods across Asia and the Pacific. Despite covering only about 6% of the Earth’s land surface, wetlands are essential cradles of life, hosting 40% of all plant and animal species. Crucially, the ADB notes that these ecosystems are the world’s most effective carbon sinks, with peatlands and marshes storing twice as much organic carbon as all forests combined.
Unfortunately, global wetlands have been lost at three times the rate of forests, with agriculture, land reclamation, and infrastructure growth cited as the main drivers. The ADB is addressing this through the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI), a nature-based solution designed to mobilize $3 billion over ten years to protect and sustainably manage priority sites, ensuring benefits for both people and wildlife.
The economic value of wetland ecosystem services is estimated at $47.4 trillion annually. Protecting these natural buffers is vital for India’s domestic climate adaptation strategy, coastal resilience, and supporting local communities dependent on fishing and freshwater.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the government mainstream the economic valuation of wetlands into national infrastructure planning and budgetary allocations?
Follow the full news here: https://www.adb.org/news/features/why-wetlands-matter-birds-people-and-planet