Wetlands as climate resilience: carbon storage, flood protection, and why we need to protect them

Wetlands cover just 6% of Earth's land but store 20-35% of land-based carbon, with peatlands holding more carbon than all forests combined. The article explains how draining wetlands releases about 2 billion tonnes of CO2 annually, roughly 5% of human-caused emissions. It also covers their role in flood protection, water filtration, and supporting migratory birds along global flyways. The piece highlights successful conservation examples like the Spoon-billed Sandpiper recovery in Asia, where protecting 16 coastal sites slowed population decline from 26% to 5%. It argues that wetland restoration is a cost-effective climate adaptation investment that remains underfunded in climate finance flows. The author calls for governments and financial institutions to treat wetlands as essential climate infrastructure, not optional extras.