From Symbolism to Action: Financing Wetland Protection in a Warming World

February 2, World Wetlands Day, highlights the vital role of wetlands in biodiversity, climate regulation, food systems and human livelihoods. Although they cover a small fraction of Earth's surface, wetlands provide a disproportionate share of ecosystem services and mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration. Yet, over one-third of global wetlands have been lost in recent decades, weakening their ability to buffer climate extremes. Despite advances under frameworks such as the Ramsar Convention, protection remains fragmented and insufficient. We argue that effective conservation requires large-scale financial mechanisms and propose initiating discussions toward a Wetlands Forever Facility to enable integrated, equitable investments.