The 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Ocean Renewable Energy (CCORE 2023)

Abstract: Wetlands have a significant influence on global climate because of their ability to regulate atmosphericgreenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), which together comprise 87% of increases in global radiative forcing since 1750. The wetlands are usually known for the regions of mass carbon storage and sequestration in the form of biomass, when they are reported to be the largest source of CH₄ and a significant source of N₂O. This dual nature of wetlands is very peculiar but poorly studied, even though it is evident that under certain circumstances same wetlands could either be net sinks or sources of GHGs. i.e., the improper wetland management and ignorance of wetland changes may spoil the delicate balance between the GHGs sequestration abilities of wetlands, shifting this equilibrium in a detrimental direction. According to the Ramsar secretariat, approximately 1/3^rd of the world's terrestrial carbon is trapped and stored in wetlands, which is double than that of forests. However, when drained and destroyed, wetlands emit large amounts of GHGs, pushing us closer to climate emergencies.
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that inland and coastal wetland ecosystems were being lost at a rate faster than that of any other ecosystem, and the trend towards loss of wetland resources has not been reversed. The global extent of wetlands is now estimated to have declined by between 64-71% in the 20^th century and adverse changes to wetlands are estimated to result in losses of more than US$ 20 trillion in ecosystem services annually.
It is imperative that wetland-related ecosystem services become an integral part of water management to make the transition to a resource-efficient sustainable economy. Protecting and restoring wetlands for climate mitigation and adaptation are key tenets of Ramsar’s Strategic Plan. Efforts to protect and restore wetlands and promote their wise use will help countries achieve Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement on climate change and contribute to SDGs-13 targets and other important global policy goals. Restoring lost wetlands is vital for stemming the cost of climate disasters.