Wetlands hold the blueprint for securing water, ecosystems, and our common future

Op Ed by By Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands (Image:Albrecht Fietz-Pixabay)

3 Feb 2025 by The Water Diplomat

Okavango Delta

The world is warning us, but we aren’t listening. 

In 2024, we faced a series of devastating water-related disasters. Last October, Valencia, Spain, experienced catastrophic floods that claimed over 200 lives and caused extensive environmental damage to the nearby Albufera wetland. And just a hundred kilometres away, the same storm front brought only minimal rainfall to areas of Catalonia that had been suffering unprecedented water shortages caused by severe drought.
This is no coincidence. 

These events and many others around the world show that the ongoing destruction of wetlands threatens to shatter global water security. Over two billion people already face water stress, and the crisis is escalating. Yet we continue to drain, pollute, and destroy the ecosystems that hold the key to securing our future.
As ecosystems go, wetlands are a mighty bunch—they store and clean our water, protect us from floods and droughts, and support countless species and communities. This World Wetlands Day, the theme Wetlands for our common future – Value. Protect. Inspire. challenges us to act before it’s too late. 

For more than 50 years, the Convention on Wetlands—known informally as the Ramsar Convention—has united nations to protect and restore wetland ecosystems. With 172 countries on board, the Convention provides a framework for designating, managing, and restoring wetlands worldwide.

More than 2,500 Wetlands of International Importance (“Ramsar Sites”) cover more than 2.5 million square kilometres and make up the planet’s largest network of protected areas. But the Convention does more than designate sites. It builds partnerships, drives international commitments, and mobilizes resources to keep wetlands at the forefront of the climate, biodiversity, and development agendas. However, despite these efforts, wetlands continue to vanish—at great cost to people and the planet. 

Wetlands deliver more than water. They purify polluted rivers, replenish underground reservoirs, and regulate floods, saving billions in disaster costs. Others, like the Okavango Delta in Botswana, a Wetland of International Importance, sustain wildlife and human communities while contributing to economic stability through tourism and sustainable fisheries.

But wetlands are not just statistics and cannot be measured in dollars alone. Many have deep cultural significance and are the site of traditional practices. When wetlands vanish, we lose more than ecosystems; we lose the connections that tie us to the planet and to each other.

Lake Chilwa in Malawi is shrinking, and the communities that depend on it are running out of options. Years of overuse and climate change have pushed this Ramsar Site to the brink. Fish stocks are collapsing, biodiversity is vanishing, and food insecurity is rising. Without urgent intervention, Lake Chilwa risks becoming yet another example of a wetland lost, with devastating consequences for all.

Compare this to Lake Karla in Greece. Once completely drained in the 1960s, this wetland was lost for decades, causing severe ecological and socio-economic consequences for local communities. A large-scale restoration effort was launched, with governments, conservation groups, and local stakeholders working together to re-establish the lake, restore habitats, and improve water management. Today, Lake Karla demonstrates how applying Ramsar guidelines can help provide water resources for future generations.

These examples show us what’s at stake. Choosing to protect wetlands secures water, food, and life itself. Choosing to neglect them risks losing it all.

This World Wetlands Day marks the beginning of a critical six-month journey to COP15 of the Convention on Wetlands, set for July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. At COP15, the world’s leaders, experts, and advocates will convene to shape the future of wetlands. It is a chance to secure commitments to restore degraded wetlands, designate new Wetlands of International Importance, and make wetlands a central part of national climate and development strategies. Wetlands cross borders, and their protection requires the same level of global collaboration. 
Despite these efforts, wetlands continue to vanish—at great cost to people and the planet.

The decisions at COP15 will define wetland conservation for decades to come. Harking back to the theme of this year’s World Wetlands Day, we must prove that we value wetlands for their life-sustaining services, protect the ecosystems that remain, and inspire action to restore what has been lost. 

The blueprint for a secure future for wetlands—and water—is clear. Now, we need to build it.