20 - Wetlands and future change—Implications and opportunities with the Ramsar Convention

Abstract

In the face of global-scale decline in the extent and state of the world’s wetlands, the Ramsar Convention has mobilised most of the world’s nations to support the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Whilst wetlands continue to be lost and their condition overall continues to decline, the Convention has played a significant part in assisting nations to mitigate pressures and preserve values and ecological assets. The pressures on wetlands will continue, and the Convention could continue its valuable contribution by increasing the awareness of the value of, and risks to wetlands, assisting Contracting Parties to plan for and accommodate change in wetland state, including that driven by climate change, recognising wetlands as socio-ecological systems, and refining the practice of wetland restoration. There remains much opportunity to extend the technical and management capacity that can be catalysed by the Convention to all nations to address the conservation and wise use of wetlands across the globe.