Trends in the ecological character of the world’s wetlands
N. C. Davidson
A B J , L. Dinesen C , S. Fennessy D , C. M. Finlayson B E , P. Grillas F , A. Grobicki G , R. J. McInnes B H and D. A. Stroud I
A Nick Davidson Environmental, Queens House, Ford Street, Wigmore, HR6 9UN, UK.
B Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University, Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.
C Globe Institute, Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, building 3, 3rd floor, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
D Kenyon College, 106 College Park Drive, Gambier, OH 43022, USA.
E IHE Delft, Institute for Water Education, PO Box 3015, NL-2601 DA Delft, Netherlands
F La Tour du Valat – Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Le Sambuc, F-13200 Arles, France.
G Green Climate Fund, Songdo Business District, 175 Art Center-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 22004, South Korea.
H RM Wetlands & Environment, 6 Ladman Villas, Littleworth, Oxfordshire, SN7 8EQ, UK.
I Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1JY, UK.
J Corresponding author. Email: arenaria.interpres@gmail.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 71(1) 127-138 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18329
Submitted: 2 September 2018 Accepted: 15 November 2019 Published: 3 December 2019
Abstract
We assessed trends in the ecological character of wetlands generally and of Ramsar Sites reported in 2011, 2014 and 2017 by the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in their national reports. There was more widespread deterioration than improvement in the ecological character of wetlands generally, with deterioration increasingly more widespread between 2011 and 2017. The ecological-character trends in Ramsar Sites were significantly better than those of wetlands generally, but an increasingly more widespread deterioration of ecological character was reported between 2011 and 2017. Trends in the ecological character of wetlands generally, and of Ramsar Sites were worst in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, and recently also in Oceania, and better in North America and Europe. Deterioration in the ecological character of Ramsar Site was more widespread in countries with a large average area of their Ramsar Sites. This information on trends of wetland ecological character can contribute to assessing the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal Target 6.6 and Aichi Biodiversity Target 5. Our analysis indicated that the 1971 aim of the Ramsar Convention to stem the degradation of wetlands has not yet been achieved.
Additional keywords: Ramsar Convention, Ramsar Sites, Sustainable Development Goals, wetland assessment.
References
Butchart, S. H. M., Walpole, M., Collen, B., van Strien, A., Scharlemann, J. P. N., Almond, R. E. A., Baillie, J. E. M., Bombard, B., Brown, C., Bruno, J., Carr, G. M., Chenery, A. M., Csirke, J., Davidson, N. C., Detenter, F., Foster, M., Galli, A., Galloway, J. N., Genovesi, P., Gregory, R. D., Hockings, M., Kapos, V., Lamarque, J.-F., Leverington, F., Loh, J., McGeoch, M. A., McRae, L., Minasyan, A., Morcillo, M. H., Oldfield, T. E. E., Pauly, D., Ouader, S., Revenga, C., Skolnik, B., Spear, D., Stanwell-Smith, D., Symes, A., Tierney, M., Tyrell, T. D., Vié, J.-C., and Watson, R. (2010). Global biodiversity: indicators of recent declines. Science 328, 1164–1168.| Global biodiversity: indicators of recent declines.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Carp, E. (Ed.) (1972). ‘Proceedings of the International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl’, 30 January–3 February 1971, Ramsar, Iran. (IWRB: Slimbridge, UK.)
Darrah, S. E., Shennan-Farpón, Y., Loh, J., Davidson, N. C., Finlayson, C. M., Gardner, R. C., and Walpole, M. J. (2019). Improvements to the Wetland Extent Trends (WET) index as a tool for monitoring natural and human-made wetlands. Ecological Indicators 99, 294–298.
| Improvements to the Wetland Extent Trends (WET) index as a tool for monitoring natural and human-made wetlands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davidson, N. C. (2014). How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area. Marine and Freshwater Research 65, 934–941.
| How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davidson, N. C., Finlayson, C. M., and Fluet-Chouinard, E. (2018). Global extent and distribution of wetlands: trends and issues. Marine and Freshwater Research 69, 620–627.
| Global extent and distribution of wetlands: trends and issues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davidson, N. C., van Dam, A. A., Finlayson, C. M., and McInnes, R. J. (2019). The worth of wetlands: revised global monetary values of coastal and inland wetland ecosystem services. Marine and Freshwater Research 70, 1189–1194.
| The worth of wetlands: revised global monetary values of coastal and inland wetland ecosystem services.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Davidson, N. C., Dinesen, L., Fennessy, S., Finlayson, C. M., Grillas, P., Grobicki, A., McInnes, R. J., and Stroud, D. A. (2020). Adequacy of reporting on change in wetland ecological character to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands by Contracting Parties. Marine and Freshwater Research 71, 117–126.
| Adequacy of reporting on change in wetland ecological character to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands by Contracting Parties.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
de Klemm, C. (1995). The Legal Development of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (2 February 1971). (Ramsar Convention Bureau: Gland, Switzerland) Available at http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-pubs-books-legal-development-of/main/ramsar/1-30-101%5E23880_4000_0__ [Verified 8 November 2019].
Dixon, M. J. R., Loh, J., Davidson, N. C., Beltrame, C., Freeman, R., and Walpole, M. (2016). Tracking global change in ecosystem area: the Wetland Extent Trends Index. Biological Conservation 193, 27–35.
| Tracking global change in ecosystem area: the Wetland Extent Trends Index.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finlayson, C. M., Davidson, N. C., Spiers, A. G., and Stevenson, N. J. (1999). Global wetland inventory: current status and future priorities. Marine and Freshwater Research 50, 717–727.
| Global wetland inventory: current status and future priorities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finlayson, C. M., D’Cruz, R., and Davidson, N. (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: Wetlands and Water. Synthesis. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
IPBES (2018). ‘Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration of the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.’ (IPBES Secretariat: Bonn, Germany.)
IPCC (2019). Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva, Switzerland.
Korichi, N., and Treilhes, C. (2013). Les sites Ramsar assurent leur rôle de protection quand ils sont gérés. Espaces Naturels 43, 14–15.
Matthews, G. V. T. (1993). ‘The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: its History and Development.’ (Ramsar Convention Bureau: Gland, Switzerland.)
Moomaw, W. R., Chmura, G. L., Davies, G. T., Finlayson, C. M., Middleton, B. A., Perry, J. E., Roulet, N., and Sutton-Grier, A. E. (2018). The relationship between wetlands and a changing climate: science, policy and management. Wetlands 38, 183–205.
| The relationship between wetlands and a changing climate: science, policy and management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ramsar Convention (1971). Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat. Final text adopted by the International Conference on the Wetlands and Waterfowl at Ramsar, Iran, 2 February 1971. Available at http://ramsar.rgis.ch/cda/en/ramsar-documents-texts-convention-on-20708/main/ramsar/1-31-38%5E20708_4000_0__ [Verified 8 November 2019].
Ramsar Convention (2005). A conceptual framework for the wise use of wetlands and the maintenance of their ecological character. Resolution IX.1 Annex A. Available at http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/res/key_res_ix_01_annexa_e.pdf [Verified 8 November 2019].
Ramsar Convention (2008). Resolution X.10. Future implementation of scientific and technical aspects of the Convention. Available at https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/res/key_res_x_10_e.pdf [Verified 8 November 2019].
Ramsar Convention (2012). Ramsar COP11 DOC. 24. Limits of acceptable change. Available at https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/cop11/doc/cop11-doc24-e-limits.pdf [Verified 8 November 2019].
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (2018). ‘Global Wetland Outlook: State of the World’s Wetlands and their Services to People.’ (Ramsar Convention Secretariat: Gland, Switzerland.)
Ramsar Convention Secretariat (2011). Ramsar’s liquid assets. 40 years of the Convention on Wetlands. Available at http://www.ramsar.org/pdf/Ramsar40_booklet/Ramsar_LiquidAssets_E.pdf [Verified 8 November 2019].
Ripple, W. J., Wolf, C., Newsome, T. M., Barnard, P., and Moomaw, W. R. (2019). World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency. Bioscience , biz088.
| World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Treilhes, C. (2012). Les caractéristiques écologiques d’une zone humide influencent-elles sa conservation? M.Sc. Thesis, Master II Ecologie, Biodiversité et Evolution (MNHN), Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris, France.
United Nations Environment Programme (2018). Indicator 6.6.1: water-related ecosystems. Available at http://www.sdg6monitoring.org/indicators/target-66/indicators661/ [Verified 8 November 2019].
Wetlands International (2010). ‘State of the World’s Waterbirds 2010.’ (Wetlands International: Ede, Netherlands.)
