Netherlands, April 9, 2026 – In a critical move to address the accelerating global loss of wetlands, Wetlands International today unveiled the Wetland Atlas, a comprehensive, global online platform designed to dismantle the "data fog" that has hampered vital investment in these crucial ecosystems. The initiative aims to unlock new avenues for action and funding from governments, businesses, and investors, thereby accelerating much-needed wetland conservation efforts. This launch comes at a time when wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate, threatening global water and food security, exacerbating climate change, driving biodiversity loss, and undermining sustainable development goals.
The Urgent Need for Wetland Protection
Healthy wetlands are indispensable for tackling the most pressing challenges of our time. They serve as natural filters for water, regulate floodwaters, support a vast array of biodiversity, and play a significant role in carbon sequestration. Despite their immense value, the world has witnessed a devastating decline in these vital ecosystems. Since 1970, an estimated 22% of the planet’s freshwater and coastal wetlands have been lost, with a quarter of the remaining wetlands now facing degradation. While ambitious global targets and effective conservation strategies exist, the pace of action and the level of funding dedicated to wetland protection and restoration have consistently lagged behind the scale of the crisis.
A primary impediment to more robust action has been the persistent lack of clear, up-to-date, insightful, and easily accessible data and analyses concerning wetland status, value, and threats. This critical information gap has made it difficult for decision-makers to identify priority areas for intervention, quantify the benefits of conservation, and justify investments. The Wetland Atlas has been meticulously developed to directly address this fundamental challenge.
A Global Platform for Data-Driven Conservation
The Wetland Atlas represents a significant leap forward in consolidating fragmented, siloed, inconsistent, and incomplete wetland data into a single, user-friendly, and accessible digital tool. By integrating biophysical, socio-economic, and policy-relevant information, the platform empowers governments, donors, and investors to make informed decisions and prioritize actions where they will yield the most significant positive impact.
"The Wetland Atlas will open up a whole new world of wetlands, accurately mapping different freshwater and coastal wetlands and their diverse values, and guiding public and private funders to invest in conservation projects that will yield the greatest returns for people, nature and climate," stated Coenraad Krijger, CEO of Wetlands International. "This unique tool is not a silver bullet, but it will help to transform how governments, businesses and financial institutions value wetlands, and invest in their protection and restoration."
The platform is designed to cater to a diverse range of users, each with unique informational needs. For policymakers, it offers insights into national and regional wetland coverage, critical habitats, and the ecological services they provide. For businesses and investors, it highlights opportunities for sustainable development, risk mitigation through nature-based solutions, and the potential for impactful environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments. For researchers and conservation practitioners, it provides a rich source of data for analysis, monitoring, and the development of targeted conservation interventions.
Francesca Antonelli, Freshwater Lead at Wetlands International, elaborated on the platform’s utility: "Different decision-makers will come to the platform with different questions, but the goal is always the same: help them make faster, better-informed decisions and so accelerate wetland action. Instead of searching in confusion and frustration across multiple disconnected sources, public and private decision-makers will be able to explore one integrated platform. Instead of raw datasets, they will see structured insights that genuinely guide their decisions and investments. Instead of uncertainty, they will gain clarity on where to act, and why."
Focus on Vulnerable Regions and a Broader Vision
While the Wetland Atlas is envisioned as a global resource, its initial rollout prioritizes regions facing the most acute threats and where effective wetland management can have profound implications for human well-being and regional stability. The current focus is on the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, areas increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, water scarcity, and food insecurity. Investing in the health of rivers, lakes, and other wetlands in these regions is not only crucial for enhancing water and food security but also for fostering peace and stability.
Karounga Keita, Regional Director for the Sahel at Wetlands International, emphasized the critical importance of this new tool for his region: "I have been waiting for a tool like this for years – the first detailed, up-to-date map of the wetlands across this vast and diverse region. Healthy wetlands are the key to reducing conflict and disaster risk in the Sahel: now we can show where action and investments will reap the greatest benefits for vulnerable communities – and help to build resilience and stability."
The development of the Wetland Atlas builds upon Wetlands International’s extensive experience and established track record in collaborating with partners on cutting-edge research, influential policy advocacy, citizen science initiatives, and the development of innovative mapping tools. Previous successful projects include the Global Mangrove Watch, the Critical Sites Network Tool, the Waterbird Populations Portal, and the International Waterbird Census, all of which have provided valuable data and insights for wetland conservation.
Furthermore, the Wetland Atlas serves as a significant complementary initiative supporting the work of the GEO-Wetlands partnership. This partnership aims to provide stakeholders and users with Earth Observation-based mapping, monitoring, inventory, and assessment of wetlands under the auspices of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
The Wetland Atlas is underpinned by open-access principles, ensuring that its data and insights are accessible to all. The data has been drawn from a combination of published research, global and national databases, contributions from partner organizations, newly acquired data, and user input. The platform is designed to be dynamic and will continue to evolve as new data becomes available and as user needs are identified.
Key Features and Functionality
The Wetland Atlas is specifically engineered as a decision-support platform, designed to assist users in a variety of critical tasks. These include:
- Mapping and Characterization: Providing detailed maps of wetland distribution, types, and extent across different geographical scales. This allows for a clear understanding of where wetlands are located and their physical characteristics.
- Ecosystem Services Assessment: Quantifying the benefits that wetlands provide to people and nature, such as water purification, flood regulation, carbon sequestration, and habitat provision for biodiversity. This helps to demonstrate the economic and social value of wetlands.
- Threat Identification and Monitoring: Identifying key threats to wetlands, including pollution, land-use change, climate impacts, and unsustainable resource extraction. The platform allows for the monitoring of these threats over time.
- Conservation Prioritization: Guiding users to identify areas where conservation and restoration efforts are most urgently needed and likely to yield the greatest impact. This is crucial for optimizing limited resources.
- Investment Opportunity Identification: Highlighting potential sites for conservation investments, including opportunities for nature-based solutions, sustainable development, and climate change adaptation and mitigation projects.
- Policy Support: Providing evidence-based data to inform the development and implementation of effective wetland conservation policies at local, national, and international levels.
The technical development of the Wetland Atlas was supported by Aberystwyth University, with Vizzuality responsible for the tool’s innovative design. The project also benefited from the generous support of donors advised by Effektiv-Spenden.
A Collaborative Future for Wetland Conservation
The launch of the Wetland Atlas marks a significant milestone in fostering a more informed and collaborative approach to safeguarding the world’s remaining wetlands. However, Wetlands International emphasizes that this is merely the beginning.
"Today’s launch is a milestone on the path to a better, collective understanding that will help transform global efforts to safeguard the world’s remaining wetlands, but it is just the start," reiterated Francesca Antonelli. "No single organization can drive this alone – that is why we have been working with partners since the start and why we invite all potential partners and donors to join us to collectively invest in the next phases of the Wetland Atlas."
The organization is actively seeking further partnerships and funding to expand the platform’s geographical coverage, incorporate additional data streams, and enhance its analytical capabilities. The vision is for the Wetland Atlas to become the definitive global resource for understanding, valuing, and acting to protect wetlands, thereby securing a healthier planet for future generations. The success of this initiative hinges on broad-based collaboration and a shared commitment to recognizing and investing in the indispensable services that wetlands provide.