Photo credit: Matias Rebak, Rewilding Argentina
Wetlands: Critical For All Life On Earth –
The Global Rewilding Alliance is connecting partners around the world that are working within the same core themes to increase global impact through collaboration and shared strategies. Learn more about other important areas of focus for rewilding on our Rewilding in Action page.
Our first working group focuses on wetlands, a critically important and highly threatened ecosystem that connects land, freshwater, and oceans. Wetlands are critical for life on earth, as they provide water and play a critical role for the climate. We must bring back the functionality of wetlands for the survival, wellbeing and prosperity of rural and urban communities around the world.
But despite their importance, wetlands are the most degraded ecosystem on the planet. Wild animals have been found to shape essential functions of inland and coastal wetlands, and yet the wild animals that inhabit them are the most decimated and threatened group of species globally.
The future of wetlands will be shaped through rewilding efforts, in which intact food chains and the presence of wild animals in sufficient population numbers play a particularly critical role.
Dive into the resources that have been developed by the Wetlands Working Group, or read on for more information.
What are Wetlands?
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”.
Five major wetland types are generally recognized:
- Marine (coastal wetlands as coastal lagoons, rocky shores, coral reefs, and marine subtidal aquatic beds, which include kelp beds, sea-grass beds, tropical marine meadows);
- Estuarine (including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps);
- Lacustrine (wetlands associated with lakes);
- Riverine (wetlands along rivers and streams); and
- Palustrine (meaning “marshy” – marshes, swamps and bogs)
SPOTLIGHT
Discover the ecological roles & rewilding efforts in the U Minh Wetlands in Vietnam
See the Taking Animals Into Account Case Studies for more details
18 Alliance Partners (and growing) have joined the Wetlands Working Group, including:
STEP 1
Partners all around the world have been thinking and working on wetland initiatives and studies individually. It’s time to bring them together.
STEP 2
The Global Rewilding Allliance brings together rewilding experts and practitioners to facilitate knowledge exchange & collaboration, and produce evidence, such as reports and research, to inform policy and practice.
STEP 3
The Global Rewilding Alliance and partners bring the evidence to governments, conventions, NGOs, etc. to shape policies that prioritise ecosystem functionality and wild animal recovery.
We are helping share a rewilding-informed future for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and other global frameworks
The Global Rewilding Alliance will be attending the 15th meeting of the Ramsar Conference of Parties (COP15) from 23rd to 31st July 2025 presenting the results of our wetlands working group. If you’d like to connect with our team on the ground at the conference please contact .
Resources produced by the Wetlands Working Group
TAKING ANIMALS INTO ACCOUNT
A report highlighting the underestimated but vital role wild animals play in keeping the world’s wetlands functional and resilient.
FULL REPORT
54-page technical report revealing how wild animals play an underestimated but vital role in keeping the world’s wetlands functional and resilient.
VISUAL SUMMARY
9-page visual summary of the main findings for public understanding
CASE STUDIES
Full 96-page full report of the 11 case studies that outlines the evidence of the positive impact of key wild animal species in wetlands.
VISUAL SUMMARY
15-page summary of the case studies of Taking Animals Into Account for public understanding
AFRICA REPORT
A special 154-page follow-up report to ‘Taking Animals into Account’, featuring the African continent and based on a literature review and a set of case studies.
“By recognising the fundamental ecological role of wild animals – mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crabs, crayfish and other organisms, we will become better at managing and restoring the world’s inland and coastal wetlands. This will dramatically increase the ecosystem services of wetlands to the benefit of all people on Planet Earth.”
Magnus Sylven – Global Rewilding Alliance’s Director of Science, Policy, and Practice
Rewilding Wetlands : A Global Priority
square km of wetlands globally – larger than Canada
%
of the world’s plant and animal species rely on wetlands
%
of wetlands lost since 1970, disappearing 3x faster than forests
%
decline in freshwater species populations over the last 50 years
square km of wetlands globally – larger than Canada
%
of the world’s plant and animal species rely on wetlands
greater economic value of inland wetlands compared to tropical forests
%
of wetlands lost since 1970, disappearing 3x faster than forests
%
decline in freshwater species populations over the last 50 years
Healthy Wetlands provide us with vital benefits
Rewilding wetlands, and taking animals into account will boost the supporting services of wetlands such as:
Providing clean water
Increasing biodiversity
Supporting food & other products
Buffering against droughts & floods
Cooling the regional climate, drawing down vast amounts of carbon
Offering recreational opportunities
Spotlights on some of the habitats studied by the Wetlands Working Group
These short, social media friendly spotlights are based on the full case studies available in the resources section.
UKRAINE
Grazing for growth and biodiversity in the Danube Delta. See the Taking Animals Into Account Case Studies for more details.
INDIA
National Chambal Sanctuary Protects India’s Diverse Aquatic Life. See the Taking Animals Into Account Case Studies for more details.
ARGENTINA
Restoring Balance: The Role of Key Species in Revitalizing the Iberá Wetlands. See the Taking Animals Into Account Case Studies for more details.
NEXT STEPS
Have a look at the rest of the thematic focused work, and if you’d like to get involved, please get in touch.
You can also use these resources…
Spread the word
on social media
You could also help us spread the word about the importance of wetlands by downloading resources and social media captions and sharing them with your networks.
Promoting a Rewilding Perspective at the Ramsar COP15 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, 23-31 July
The Global Rewilding Alliance and IFAW have partnered on this 7-page analysis on how Parties to the Ramsar Convention could feed a rewilding perspective into the work and outcome of COP15 in Zimbabwe. Specific opportunities have been identified and the document gives the background and rationale for how to convene the rewilding perspective, especially linked to the role of wild animals.
