Wetlands are some of the most remarkable ecosystems on the planet, home to vibrant and diverse species that keep the delicate balance of nature in check. These watery worlds, teeming with life, are not just picturesque landscapes; they are powerful buffers against climate change, natural water purifiers, and vital sources of food and income for millions. Yet, wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate, facing a triple threat from invasive species, overuse, and outright destruction. What we are witnessing today is nothing short of a biodiversity crisis, where life itself is being suffocated in the places it flourishes most.
Wetlands: Nature’s Unsung Heroes
Imagine an ecosystem that stores carbon, prevents flooding, purifies water, and provides habitat for countless species—all while looking breathtakingly beautiful. That’s the magic of wetlands. They are a lifeline, covering a mere fraction of the Earth's surface, yet supporting an astounding 40% of all plant and animal species. Over 100,000 freshwater species alone call wetlands their home, a number that boggles the mind considering how limited wetland areas are.
But here’s the tragic twist: despite their immense value, wetlands are vanishing three times faster than forests. More than 50% of wetlands in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have been lost in just the last century. In the UK, a staggering 94% of lowland raised bogs have disappeared, the victims of peat extraction and agricultural development. The remaining 6,000 hectares are all that’s left, clinging on as humanity continues to push the boundaries of nature for profit.
A Global Biodiversity Crisis is Unfolding in Silence
While climate change often grabs the headlines, there is a quieter, yet equally dangerous crisis unfolding in the world’s freshwater ecosystems. Since 1970, vertebrate populations in these habitats have declined by a shocking 84%—a rate twice as fast as biodiversity loss in terrestrial and marine environments. The culprit? Habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, and the growing menace of climate change.
This isn’t just a story about fish and frogs. Insects, the foundation of many food webs, are vanishing at a rapid rate too. In England, there’s been a 66% reduction in freshwater insect populations since the 1970s, with species like dragonflies and damselflies now at serious risk of extinction globally. It’s a domino effect that extends far beyond invertebrates, threatening entire ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them.
It’s easy to overlook the urgency of this situation when so much of it happens out of sight, in the waters and beneath the soils that quietly support life on Earth. But the numbers speak volumes: around 30% of freshwater fish species are now teetering on the brink of extinction, and large, iconic species such as the Mekong giant catfish and beluga sturgeon have seen their populations decline by a staggering 94% since 1970.
The Invaders We Didn’t See Coming: Burmese Pythons and Beyond
While the decline in species is heartbreaking, there’s another force at work that is disrupting the balance of life in wetlands—invasive alien species. These species, introduced either intentionally or accidentally by human activities, have become one of the most destructive environmental challenges of our time. Among the most notorious is the Burmese Python.
Originally from Asia, these snakes have found a new, unintended home in the Everglades of the USA, where they are thriving with devastating consequences. They are now some of the largest predators in this fragile ecosystem, eating everything in their path—from birds to deer, rabbits, and even alligators. With no natural enemies in this new environment, their populations have exploded, and they are causing severe declines in native mammal populations in the Everglades National Park.
The introduction of invasive species like the Burmese Python represents the dangerous ripple effects of human actions. Invasive species have a way of not just adapting but thriving at the expense of local wildlife, pushing entire ecosystems into chaos. The IPBES Assessment Report (2023) sounds a clear alarm: climate change and habitat destruction are opening the door for these invaders to move into even more territories, further endangering native species that are already fighting for survival.
What Happens When Wetlands Disappear? A Cascade of Consequences
The destruction of wetlands doesn’t just hurt the plants and animals that call them home. The consequences ripple outwards, affecting the water we drink, the food we grow, and the air we breathe. Wetlands are nature’s water storage systems, keeping groundwater levels stable and acting as a buffer against flooding. When they are drained for agriculture or urban development, groundwater levels drop, increasing the risk of water shortages for both humans and agriculture.
What’s more, wetlands are critical carbon sinks. When wetlands are degraded, the carbon stored in their soils is released back into the atmosphere, accelerating the pace of climate change. This is no small issue—wetlands store more carbon per square meter than forests. Their destruction is a blow to our planet’s ability to regulate its climate.
The emissions of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (NO₂) from disturbed wetlands further add to the climate burden. And the loss of biodiversity in wetlands disrupts the natural balance that keeps these ecosystems resilient. Wetlands are also incredibly efficient at filtering pollutants from water, so their destruction means that water quality suffers, affecting both wildlife and human communities downstream.
Mining: Draining South America’s Wetlands for Lithium
The rush to mine lithium in the South American Lithium Triangle, which spans parts of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, presents a stark example of the trade-offs we make when we prioritize short-term economic gain over long-term sustainability. Lithium is critical for our modern world, powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. But its extraction comes at a steep cost to the environment.
Evaporative mining, the method used to extract lithium from brine, is incredibly water-intensive. To extract a single tonne of lithium, approximately 2 million liters of water must be evaporated. For the already arid regions where this mining takes place, that’s an unsustainable drain on freshwater resources, threatening local ecosystems and the indigenous communities that depend on them.
As if that wasn’t enough, this process risks turning once-thriving wetlands into salty deserts. Hydrologists warn that the current lithium rush could lead to the salinization of water supplies, permanently damaging these fragile ecosystems. It’s a stark reminder that even in our pursuit of clean energy, we must be mindful of the environmental toll.
Time is Running Out, but There’s Hope
The biodiversity crisis and the degradation of wetlands are undeniably urgent problems, but all is not lost. Around the world, there are inspiring examples of people working to protect and restore these critical ecosystems. Initiatives like the Living Lakes program, which aims to conserve freshwater ecosystems and raise awareness about their importance, are leading the way in the fight to save wetlands.
Moreover, the solution to many of these challenges lies in embracing the circular economy a model of production and consumption that emphasizes reusing and recycling materials to minimize waste and reduce environmental harm. By shifting our focus from extraction to regeneration, we can begin to undo some of the damage already caused and build a more sustainable future.
The time for action is now. Wetlands are more than just landscapes they are vital ecosystems that sustain life on this planet. By protecting them, we are safeguarding biodiversity, ensuring clean water, and fighting climate change. The stakes could not be higher, and the window for change is shrinking. It’s up to us to decide what kind of world we want to leave behind for future generations: one where life thrives, or one where it struggles to survive.
Let’s choose wisely.