A new report, the Global Wetland Outlook 2025, entitled Valuing, Conserving, Restoring and Financing Wetlands, has warned that without urgent action, one-fifth of the world’s remaining wetlands could vanish by 2050, creating an ecological loss with massive social and economic consequences.

It raised concerns that wetlands, which sustain life across the planet, are disappearing faster than any other ecosystem. It estimated the cost of that loss at $39 trillion.

The report, released by the Convention on Wetlands, builds on its 2018 and 2021 editions to offer the most comprehensive global assessment of wetlands to date. It is being launched in the lead-up to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), which will take place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from July 23 to 31, 2025.

Wetlands provide ecosystem services—including clean water, food production, flood protection, and carbon storage—that total more than 7.5 per cent of global GDP, despite covering just six per cent of the Earth’s surface.

They also support a disproportionately high share of livelihoods across various sectors, including agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism. Yet every year, 0.52 per cent of wetlands are lost, undermining efforts to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands, Dr Musonda Mumba, said: “Wetlands bankroll the planet; yet, we are still investing more in their destruction than recovery. The world is sitting on a $10 trillion opportunity. Restoring wetlands could unlock these benefits, but we’re running out of time.”

The GWO 2025 provides the latest global data on wetland extent, loss, and degradation, as well as the costs to society of losing wetland benefits, the targets required to conserve and restore wetlands, and the actions and financing solutions that can turn the tide for wetlands worldwide.

The report is also intended as a resource for policymakers, investors, and practitioners working to align wetland action with climate, biodiversity, and development goals.